10 Years At CSI: A Tim Tycz Retrospective

Tim Tycz, Director of the Orbital Technologies Group (OTG) has been part of the CSI family for 10 years! To mark the occasion, we managed to interview him on his experiences, thoughts, and advice he has for his fellows.

Background & Journey

Can you tell me about your journey with the company over the past 10 years?

 I started with CSI in 2014. I was hired because the old repair technician wanted to move out of repair and into the production shop. During my first week here, I watched a 45-minute weld head repair take 2 weeks to invoice. I knew right then and there that I had the opportunity to push orbital repair in a new direction.

What was your role when you first started, and how has it evolved?

In 2014 I started with the company as a repair technician. In my time here, I have worked in and built each position in the department. I moved from technician to lead, from lead to shop manager, shop manager to division manager to director. I really did start out at ground zero.

What initially drew you to this company?

Right out of the gate, one of the best things about working at CSI was that sense of accomplishment I would get daily from repairing equipment. At the end of each day, I would leave feeling as if I had gotten something important done and didn’t have to take the work home.

Memorable Moments

Have there been any major milestones or achievements that stand out?

One of my favorite achievements is when I can promote my staff to positions of more responsibility. When I started working here, I wanted to change the way the orbital department did its business. From going paperless to processing repair quotes in house, to building a technician training program, I have changed the way the department operates!

Growth & Learning

How have you grown professionally and personally during your time here?

Working at Critical Systems has given me the opportunity to build and lead the team I put together. Over the years we’ve refined our experience with people, and each new hire has proven that the team I put together and mentored is effective. My team isn’t afraid to tell me I’m wrong and I’m not afraid to listen to why they think so. I’m not afraid to be wrong or to look at other ways to do things. I learn new things every day.

CSI is a place where you set your own limitations. At CSI you can do about anything you can think of. We aren’t afraid to give people new responsibilities or opportunities.

What skills or lessons have you learned that you didn’t expect when you started?

Delegation has always been tough for me. If you asked me what my weaknesses are during a job interview, I would tell you that I expect too much from people and that I have a hard time delegating. During my time working at CSI, I have learned that I can’t do it all. More importantly I have learned that a team functions better than an individual. My team has taught me that once you’ve established a certain level of trust, delegation is easy!

Culture & Team

How would you describe the company culture?

Because our functions are so vastly different, CSI doesn’t have one “culture”.  The culture of OTG is very different from the culture of Production, and those cultures are different from the culture of the support team. What works is that as a company we can blend the various cultures into an effective organization. What is important is that we take steps to keep each other from getting siloed and not having the opportunity to get to know each other and what they do.

What do you enjoy most about working with your team?

My team never misses an opportunity to keep me humble. I especially liked it when they didn’t believe how tall I was, so they put a piece of tape on the door jamb and tried to get me to stand by it. There are days when motivation isn’t there and just waiting to see what my team does next gets me to work.

Is there a particular colleague or mentor who’s had a big impact on you?

Rick Malmgren. Rick is one of the calmest men I’ve ever met. His ability to make me see things from a calmer perspective is amazing.

Ted Jones. Working for and with Ted is an experience. I have never met someone as passionate about the work he does then Ted. Ted feels personally responsible for everything CSI does. That kind of passion is infectious, and it makes the people around him feel the same way.

Challenges & Resilience

What challenges have you faced, and how did you overcome them?

The business slowdown during Covid was challenging, but we encouraged our staff to take advantage of the slowdown and take development classes and online leadership courses.

How has the company supported you during tough times?

CSI is like a family. I have always felt like my coworkers and supervisors genuinely care about me. I had a situation a few years back when I was feeling completely overwhelmed. My team came together and told me I HAD to let some things go, let them take part of the load.

Looking Ahead

What are you excited about for the future of the company?

Critical Systems Inc. is in the process of rolling out some products that could turn the orbital welding industry on its head. This has been building for the past few years, and I can really see it coming to fruition in the next 6-9 months. It’s going to be amazing to be the company with the technological edge. To be first!

Where do you see yourself in the next few years?

I see myself leading the orbital department into some of the busiest most successful period ever at CSI.

Fun & Personal

What’s something people might not know about you?

There are foods I will never try! No amount of shaming will change that.

Do you have any favorite traditions or events at work?

For a while one of my least favorite traditions was the annual McRib tradition where Josh would try to work me into some kind of situation where the prize for his manipulations would be me eating a McRib. Fortunately, that one has ended.

If you could give one piece of advice to new employees, what would it be?

Take chances. Don’t think that because it’s always been done that way, there isn’t a better way to do it. Show us what you got!