Posts by Carm Capriotto, AAP

In a recent episode with shop owner Tomi Oliva, he said the words ‘Willingness to Train’. It is a fact and a problem in our industry; our unwillingness to train.

Any industry professional with common sense and the desire to serve people to the best of their ability would not appreciate the excuses we hear daily.

Excuses like, I can’t afford it, they won’t go to training, what if I train them and they leave, I can’t afford to stop production, and the list goes on. These are BS excuses.

If you are unwilling to train yourself and your people, you will miss the future because it is coming at us at the speed of a bullet train. And that new technology will soon make you irrelevant. Could you do brake jobs for the next 30 years? Yes. But you’ll need some expensive e-tools to complete the job.

Learned wisdom is accumulated and ultimately given out in a training class or provided in a networking group. Yet much learning can happen from training because your life’s experiences and brain power get lit up, and real learning begins or solidifies.

Training is an integral part of a successful business, and it helps grow the skills and knowledge of your team, increases productivity, and boosts employee engagement. Who wouldn’t want that?

If you train, have you ever looked at your training ROI? I bet you find it to be huge. If not, your student didn’t pay attention and went to eat the pizza and take a nap.

As an industry listener and influencer, I hear from techs who went to work at a shop because of their career path opportunity and paid training. They want this, and if you don’t realize it, they need this.

However, those willing to take the time to train their staff will be rewarded with a more knowledgeable and dedicated workforce. Training is an important pillar in your culture, and a value point can be ‘Be Hungry for Knowledge.’

By providing employees with the tools and skills to succeed in their roles, organizations can ensure they have a competitive edge over their rivals by having well-trained experts. Imagine making your own superstars, yet they have to be willing participants.

Make a plan today to keep up-to-date on the newest tech skills, tools, and software. Having a workforce that is willing to learn is essential to be competitive. In addition, training creates a strong sense of loyalty among employees, who are more likely to stay with the company longer.

Link to Listen to Tommy Oliva Episode HERE.

In recent episodes, the words fear and courage came up. No doubt, we need to deal with fear in decision-making. Google the word ‘Courage.’ There are 414 Million replies. I like: “Mental or moral strength to venture, persevere, and withstand danger or difficulty.”

Every successful businessperson needs the courage to fight the myriad challenges of running a business. Courage helps make difficult decisions, face failure and gives confidence never to give up. If you let it, courage gives you an essential advantage that will help you navigate whatever life throws your way.

Developing courage means confronting your fear and supporting it with positive affirmations. Think about the failures in the past and learn from them. Growing as a leader and finding courage is getting comfortable with being uncomfortable.

No one can predict how the future will unfold, but having the courage to take risks and keep going despite setbacks can be incredibly beneficial. Courage gives you the strength and mental fortitude to persevere even when things get tough, and they do because you care. It also allows you to tap into your creativity and think outside the box when solving problems.

Have you ever decided to add to your staff or let someone go who isn’t a fit? (Sure you have) Every decision, with a good or bad outcome, builds courage if you let it. You need courage to face a short-term disruption, for example, with a shop management system change? What about the courage to grow your store count? Talk about fear!

Courage will help lead teams through challenging times. Talk with your team about their fears in their area of responsibility. Part of building courage is being a forever student. The more you know about the decisions you need to make, the less anxiety you will have. It is always best to work as a team and help support the courage of your people who will need to be part of progress.

Growth in your leadership gives you the courage to let go and stop micromanaging your people. The courage to give your people much more responsibility and trust them. The courage to work one day from home each week. The courage to invest in a strong training commitment. The courage to stop working on your hobby and start running a business. The courage to hire a business coach and join a networking group.

It takes courage to make decisions that might not be popular with others or take risks that could lead to great rewards.  Courage keeps you going when faced with obstacles and discouragement. You are always building a ‘Been There Done That’ level of experience. 

Business success requires the courage of conviction, resilience, and determination – qualities that can only be acquired through facing life’s challenges head-on and finding ways to overcome them. Every decision, with a good or bad outcome, builds your courage if you let it.

Employee retention is challenging for many organizations. Organizations want to keep the best employees, but it can be difficult for them to do so. There are many strategies a shop owner can employ to retain their best employees and keep them happy and engaged. The adage says, ‘Take Care of your People,  and They Will Take Care of Your Customers.’ Ever lost a team member for a $1/hour offer? It may be about the money or maybe something else. Please consider where you position in these strategies. 

• Develop a culture of trust.
  • Provide one-on-one time with a manager or team lead. Listen. Managers must take time to listen to team members. Donnie Hudson says feedback from your team and transparent communication are keys.
  • Bryan Kelley from Valley Auto Electric in Covington, WA says trust is the biggest factor in satisfactory work. If your team member was hired because they have the ‘right stuff’, trust them to do the job. 
• Recognize them for their work. It is gratifying to be recognized for outstanding contributions, productivity, problem-solving, lending a helping hand, and community, among others.
• What unique situations are your people in? At home. With family. Would flexible work schedules be a benefit? What about time off?
• Engagement. Are you providing paid training and offering the best training available to keep your people as sharp as they can be. Productivity improves with knowledge. 
  • Can you offer leadership training or even a Dave Ramsey finance course?
  • Does your team have a say in new equipment purchases or a new remodel project?
  • How proud are they of their ASE certifications?
• Are your core values demonstrating appreciation, respect, integrity, and even sportsmanship?
  • Everything you do lives off of your core values, everything. People want to work in this type of culture.
• Benefit package. Are your benefits competitive with top-tier players? A retirement package, health care, vacation, personal time off, life insurance, and community outreach support. Ask; you may be surprised that you are competitive with your benefits package or maybe not.
• Is there a ‘Lunch on the House’ day each week? It saves them money and allows some ‘team talk’ about life in their lane.

On the 700th milestone episode on Remarkable Results Radio, we had a great discussion regarding employee retention. Well worth listening HERE

Your people are your difference-maker. Be sure they are a well-oiled group and your culture and work environment support retention. Ask them often.

Are You a Career Counselor?

Many shop owners know most of their team wants to see how they fit into the future of the business. We know this as career pathing.

I’ve recently added Career Counselor to one of the many pillars of a great business strategy. I’m not sure when this lightning bolt hit me, but a career path and career counselor blended in my mind. 

One of your jobs as a shop owner is to empower your team and help them develop their careers. It’s not just about keeping them content and engaged in their work – it’s also about helping them reach their goals and dreams. That is why you need to take an active role in the career counseling of your people. 

By providing guidance and support in pursuing their career goals (in or out of your business), you can create an environment where employees feel valued and motivated to do their best work. This, in turn, will lead to better performance and productivity for your business. 

By providing career advice, guidance, and resources, you can ensure that your people get the knowledge they need to make them productive and valued. Let them tell you what training they need or want. You can recommend training and evaluate their performance while holding them accountable for personal growth.

What about having them help you create technician specialties? Instead of A, B, and C, why not skill levels one through ten? Evaluate who is best at certain repairs and help them be the best in their chosen talent. (Alignment Specialist, Diag Specialist, Undercar Specialist, Engine Specialist, HVAC Specialist, as examples) You could tell your client you are putting your level ten HVAC specialist on their problem.

You need to prevent your techs from quitting yet still coming in every day with no drive and no feeling of belonging. You might not see the stopping or decline if you don’t stay connected. Think about your storied career before becoming an owner. Did you feel that your supervisor cared about your career path? Did they discuss what you could do and how far you could go? 

Remember that providing this kind of support is not only beneficial for the employee but will also benefit the business as a whole by creating an atmosphere of collaboration and trust. 

Helping your employees achieve their goals can create a more productive workplace and foster better relationships between you and your staff. Become a career counselor for your people. Start on your new path today.

As Yoda would have said, “Shaping Careers, You Must.”