If you’re holding regular team meetings—whether daily huddles or weekly sit-downs—that’s a great start. I don’t know a single coach in our industry who doesn’t recommend them. Are they working for you?
FYI: Send this to your meeting planner.
Here’s the key: Meetings only work when they’re purposeful, prepared, and respected.
When done right, meetings create clarity.
When done wrong, they create frustration.
And in a busy repair shop, nobody has time for wasted conversations.
Every meeting should have a reason. Every meeting should have a plan. And every meeting should move the business forward.
Different Meetings. Different Missions. Not all meetings are the same—and they shouldn’t be. Each type serves a different purpose, with its own rhythm and expectations. Here are a few styles every shop should consider.
The Daily Huddle: Short, Focused, Powerful. The daily meeting is your alignment tool.
Think 10–15 minutes. No more.
- It should be brief.
- It should start on time, always.
- And it should never drift.
The goal isn’t to solve every problem.
The goal is to make sure everyone starts the day on the same page.
Key areas to rotate through during the week include:
- Workflow and vehicle status
- Productivity and efficiency
- Customer experience updates
- PTO and scheduling awareness
- Marketing and promotions
- Capacity planning
- You don’t need to cover everything every day—but over the course of the week, all of these should be addressed and embraced.
This keeps surprises to a minimum and accountability high.
The Weekly Meeting: Bigger Picture Thinking. Weekly meetings can follow a similar structure, but with more room to breathe. It can be with your manager(s) or leads.
This is where you:
- Review performance
- Address ongoing challenges
- Evaluate systems and processes
- Discuss team development
- Set priorities for the week ahead
If daily huddles are about execution, weekly meetings are about direction.
They connect the dots.
Keep It Lean. Keep It Relevant. One of the fastest ways to kill good meetings is to let them drag. Respect your team’s time.
- Start on time
- End on time
- Stay on topic
- Listen for ideas, improvements and harmony
- Park side conversations to a ‘get to it’ board
When people know meetings are efficient, they show up engaged instead of guarded.
Never Skip Recognition. Meetings aren’t just for metrics and business operations. They’re also about morale.
Take time to recognize:
- Great customer interactions
- Teamwork
- Extra effort
- Personal wins
A simple public “high-five” builds more loyalty than most owners realize. People don’t just work for paychecks. They work for appreciation.
Final Thought. Your meetings set the tone for your shop.
- They communicate what matters.
- They reinforce standards.
- They build culture.
Keep them focused. Keep them consistent. Keep them human. Do that, and your meetings become one of your most powerful management tools—not just another item on the calendar.
