The panel says that soft skills training helps build a stronger, flexible and harmonious organization. Leadership training is not just for the leader today. Everyone can benefit from being a better listener, which is the #1 soft skills or life skills training we all need to have.

In support of your work to build an enduring business culture one of the best tactics you can implement is soft skills or life skills training. Consider the message in this episode as an important component to building your enduring business culture.



Judi Haglin and husband Dana own Haglin Automotive Inc., a full-service auto repair shop in Boulder, CO, and they’ve been leaders in the Boulder auto repair industry since 1981.

Judi and Dana have a super working relationship and they pay attention to details, share a core value; ‘Everyone Speaks’ that is part of their strong business culture.

They received Motor Age’s Top Shop honor in 2015. Key to their success is they know their roles and together make a strong business owner. They say, “Fixing cars is secondary, we are primarily solving our customer’s problems”. Look for Judi’s previous episodes HERE.

Kyle Holt is the President of S/P2 (sp2.org). S/P2 serves businesses and career tech schools in the automotive service, collision repair, heavy-duty/diesel, welding, construction, cosmetology, and culinary industries. S/P2 is used by over 175,000 students and employees every year across North America.

S/P2 provides industry-specific, online training in safety, environmental, ethics, human resources, and soft skills. S/P2 also works to help entry-level technicians enter and stay in the industry with S/P2 Careers – the largest resume database of entry-level technicians – and S/P2 Workplace Mentoring – a systematized mentoring system to train and track the progress of entry-level techs.

An entrepreneur with a strong background in e-learning and web-based systems, Kyle is passionate about providing businesses and career technical schools the ability to utilize technology to improve the lives of students and employees everywhere. Listen to Kyle’s previous episodes HERE.

Jeff Peevy, President of the Automotive Management Institute (AMI), a 34-year industry veteran who has spent the past 20 years involved with education and research.

Jeff discusses and drives home an important strategy on ‘Building A Learning Culture’ in your business. This episode can be distilled down to four words: Let’s Go Learn Something! Listen to Jeff’s previous episodes HERE.

Key Talking Points

• AMi survey
  • Over 80% of employees still employed over five years when listening, communication and interpersonal skills are possessed by team members. They were rated above average or excellent in these soft skills.
• Soft skills training also helps at home and in personal relationships and with retention
• The boss may lack these skills which make him/her difficult to communicate with
• 83% believe that soft skills training will help their business
• We hire for skills and not for attitude and soft skills   
• SP/2 attacks this issue from a CTE perspective (Career Tech Education) programs
• Soft skills will most likely win the interview than tech knowledge
• Are your people coach-able? Then can learn soft sills
  • Not hard to teach computer skills
• Judi has a game night once a month. It is a safe place where anything can be discussed
• Soft Skills starts with the owners and leadership and should include shop managers, service advisors and technicians of all levels
• A good mentor should have great soft skills
• Jeff Peevy says listening is the single most important   life skill to learn
• Talking and listening is not communicating
• Soft skills training is easier than technical training
• Keep in mind soft skills don’t appear in high school or college curriculum’s
• We are no longer fixing cars but satisfying customer needs
• Your ‘great place to work’ is steeped in a great culture driven by soft skills training
• Soft skills can be viewed as Life Skills or Survival Skills at both home or work
• Soft skills training is not generational in need. It is universal
• Judi says the millennial generation is demanding soft skill training
• Jeff Peevy, in a survey without exception, is a leader had to some workers go, they would keep the millennial
  • They have grown up with the rate of change and technology
• In our industry, we usually look through technical lenses, but we need to learn how to look through the ‘life skills’ lens.
• Great story, from Judi, about an applicant who arrives without a pen. Give them one, a red pen. So when you review the application in the future the red ink signifies they came unprepared to complete an application
• Instructors in CTE have challenges to help their students not only find their first employer but the right employer.
• You learn professionalism and if is developed with soft (life) skills training

Resources:

• A special thanks to Judy Haglin, Kyle Holt, and Jeff Peevy for their contribution to the aftermarket.
• Books Page HERE
• Leave me an honest review on iTunes. Your ratings and reviews really help and I read each one of them.

Trish Serratore is the Senior Vice President of  Communication at ASE

She works closely with all of the organizations within the ASE Industry/Education initiative, which also includes ASE and the Automotive Training Managers Council (ATMC), to help provide the qualified automotive professionals the industry needs today and tomorrow. Links to Trish’s episodes HERE.

Jeff Peevy, AMAM, is the President of Automotive Management Institute (AMI). Jeff’s previous episodes HERE.

Jeff Peevy Email:  jpeevy@amionline.org

AMI web site HERE.

AMI FaceBook Page HERE.

Approved podcast episodes available for AMi credit. Listen to Learn Then Take the Quiz and Earn Credit Toward Your Professional Designation HERE

Key Talking Points:

• AMi and ASE credentials are important because the individual wants to verify their knowledge and experience on the subject
• ASE 47 Year Anniversary-June 16th
  • One of the most mature credentials in any industry
• The Future of ASE: A new way to maintain certification without going to a test center using a smart device
• If we don’t use ASE credentialling we may lose it.
• Tests are assumptions that you’ve learned and can apply
• Credentials- more important than ever, prove to customers and your shop owner you know what you’re doing
• A strong learning culture of successful businesses learn and share knowledge. They get most out of equipment, have fewer turnover employees and have an empowerment rich environment
  • Sustainability and being competitive starts and end with the ability to learn
  • Shops that included those expectations in job descriptions when looking for new hires found a better pool of individuals- more educated and eager to learn    
  • Increase retention by investing in employees
  • Employers should never apologize for sending employees to training  
• AMi has a powerful Learning Management System
  • There are 3,600 active students earning their professional designation
  • Doing post-assessment to earn credit
• ASE is working on an ADAS test

Resources:

• Thanks to Trish Serratore and Jeff Peevy for their contribution to the aftermarket’s premier podcast.
• Link to the ‘BOOKS‘ page highlighting all books discussed in the podcast library HERE. Leaders are readers.
• Leave me an honest review on iTunes. Your ratings and reviews really help and I read each one of them.

Be socially involved and in touch with the show:
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Subscribe to a mobile listening app HERE.

NAPA AutoCare’s PROimage program makes it easy for you to make the most of the NAPA brand. A PROimage upgrade lets you maintain your shop’s identity as a reliable, locally-owned business while letting your customers and potential customers know you’re partnering with NAPA, the most recognized and trusted name in the automotive aftermarket. AutoCare Centers that have completed a PROimage exterior upgrade enjoy an average 23 percent sales increase during the first year. You can also choose to go PROimage on the interior and transform your customer waiting area from merely utilitarian to warm and welcoming. You can even get a free look by visting www.NAPAAutoCare.com and clicking on the NAPA PROimage link under the NAPA PROimage tab. Of course, the AutoCare site is also the place to go to find out about all the advantages being part of the NAPA family has to offer.



Talking Points:

• A very important episode to listen to. The NASTF interview from Vision 2018: ‘The Road to Great Technicians’ Episode 312
• Just In Time. Came from the manufacturing
• If you are waiting for the car to show up to lean you are in trouble, you can’t expect to make any money when you are learning in the service bay.
• It is not fair to the customer if you are learning core competencies.
• But you have to learn in the service bay because many of the problems you come across you have never seen before.
• Core competencies are critically important.
• We need an approach to structured education.
• You can interpret Just in time learning is not an excuse for knowing core competencies.
• We need a structure for consistent for real education.
• Do not use Just In Time learning as an excuse not to have structured education.
• Managing your time is critical to profitability. So if core competencies are not ingrained in the tech assigned to the job will affect your profitability.
• The concept of triage in assigning work inside the shop considers the competencies of the technician that is assigned a particular job.
• As we attempt to keep up with technology we are falling further behind on core skills because we are not spending enough time in class or in labs so we can put that training to practical use in the bays.
• A tricky part is teaching technicians where to find specific information and if they have the core skills they can be viewed as a rocket scientist.
• The Road To Great Technicians. NASTF is creating a way to determine the competencies in the fundamental skills for the job you’ve hired for.
• Just In Time Training can include a YouTube Video on the task you need to do because you learn about a specific task through a Service Support Resource. -Mark Saxonberg
• The industry must cue up resources to make it easy for technicians. -Mark Saxonberg. This is an example of what Just In Time Learning should be.
• The real opportunity to improve the business process is that the tech knows what they do not know.
• To have the knowledge and tool is what being Service Readiness is all about.
• A well-run shop with a schedule allows a tech to know what they need to prepare for a vehicle because research could be done by anticipating the challenge.
• Much of this problem is because there is a lack of processes in shops.
• It can start with the root of onboarding with new techs. There is hardly any onboarding that exists in our industry. Here is your bay have a go at it.
• The Service Advisor is a critical component of this issue.
  • They need the skill set on who to assign the job to be based on the expectations that were set by the customer. Challenge is to do the job right the first time.
• Many Service Advisors are also brought on without a great onboarding process. Many SA’s go through Just In Time training at service counters all across North America.
• Estimate: How many shops are service ready for the vehicles they service?
  • 10% or lower.
• Define Service Reediness: Being prepared to service a vehicle before it shows up in your bay. That may be just 5% of the shops are ready. That demonstrates the power of having the core competencies as a foundation.
• The future may have specialists in certain disciplines, such as:
  • Data Network Specialists.
  • An electrified vehicle specialist
  • A 3 Phase AC motor generator specialist
• In the Car Quest program the program ‘Virtual Vehicle’ helps the customer understand systems but also helps to enable the Service Advisor learn systems to sell services.
  • You don’t need to be a tech to sell service but need to understand the system.
• The service advisor needs to know the capabilities of each tech.
• A learning culture needs to be in place at every shop.
• Your processes must include Service Ready Resources and training, so you can deliver and meet your customers’ expectations.
  • Must set the standard of performance for your people.
  • Don’t rely on a silver bullet data based to repair vehicles
  • Don’t rely on a resource of public opinion to guide them in their diagnostics.
  • They should rely on resources with the experience and education through foundation skills with ongoing training.
  • A program such as Car Quest’s Virtual Vehicle can support your Service Ready strategy.
  • More shops and technicians need to take it to the next level of commitment.
• Any professional shop needs to aspire to be Service Ready.
• The industry needs a model for technician development to demonstrate core competencies.
• Don’t make Just In Time Learning as just an excuse not to go to training because you can get it at your fingertips because you need the details and the knowledge and expertise to know when to apply them.

This episode is brought to you by Jasper Engines & Transmissions. When a car’s engine or transmission fails, it’s not the end of the road. A remanufactured drivetrain product from Jasper Engines & Transmissions will give your car a new lease on life. JASPER has over 2000 Associates, three manufacturing facilities, two distribution centers and 45 branch offices across the country. They’re all working to produce, transport and deliver the perfect product. That’s what they do best… keep customers happy. Visit jasperengines.com

Meet Jeff Peevy, President of the Automotive Management Institute (AMI), a 34-year industry veteran who has spent the past 20 years involved with education and research.

Jeff discusses and drives home an important strategy on ‘Building A Learning Culture’ in your business. This episode can be distilled down to four words: Let’s Go Learn Something!

Why listen?

Realize why a Culture of Learning is a sustainable competitive advantage.

Appreciate how encouraging your staff to think holistically with ‘Systems Think’ and improve your business.

Find out that learning is not just training, but everything that increases knowledge.

Learn how to encourage millennials to come to and work in your business.

Jeff Peevy is giving you about 30 solid take-a-ways to help you create a strong learning culture. Be sure to get out your pad or digital voice recorder. You may just have a personal epiphany. Here are just a few:

• The best shops have a version of the learning culture.
• Replace the word training with the word learning
• Hire with your core beliefs highlighted.
• Learn about a study on the wording of a help wanted ad to attract top talent

Jeff Peevy Email:  jpeevy@amionline.org

AMI web site HERE.

AMI Face Book Page HERE.

Book mentioned:  The Living Company by Arie de Geur

Jeff is a member of the Board of Trustees for the Collision Industry Foundation and Board of Directors for the National Auto Body Council. He is also an active member of the Society of Organizational Learning.

AMI was founded in 1989 to provide management education for automotive service and collision repair professionals. Its accredited curriculum consists of more than 700 courses taught by more than 150 faculty members. Courses are related to five areas of business management from marketing and sales to operations and service, to personnel and human resource development. ASA and its members played an important role in the initial funding of AMI and have a vested interest in growing AMI in the future, ensuring that it continues to deliver relevant training and courses amid an evolving training and education landscape with new media technologies.

This episode is brought to you by Federal-Mogul Motorparts and Garage Gurus. With brands like Moog, Felpro, Wagner Brake, Champion, Sealed Power, FP Diesel and more, they’re the parts techs trust.  For serious technical training and support – online, onsite and on-demand – Garage Gurus is everything you need to know. Find out more at fmmotorparts.com  and fmgaragegurus.com

Meet Jeff Peevy, President of the Automotive Management Institute (AMI), a 34-year industry veteran who has spent the past 20 years involved with education and research.

Why Listen?

•  Jeff discus’s the important role knowledge and learning plays in your organization’s future and why a learning culture is so important.
• He shares with you exciting improvements to AMI that are coming along with growing the professional certification program, Accredited Automotive Management and soon to be announced a Master AAM accreditation. Jeff was appointed President in May 2015.
• Jeff Peevy explains the exciting times going on at AMI to include concentration on these key Knowledge areas, Leadership, Sales/Marketing, Personnel & HR Management, Financial, Operations, Risk and IT Management.  He says, “These core competencies will help shop owners become great business people”.
• Knowing why it is important to understanding your learning style.
• Learn what Jeff sees is the value that AMI brings to the service professional.

As a well-known industry speaker and learning organization advocate, Jeff Peevy is the former Senior Director of Field Operations and Segment Development for I-CAR, as well as the past Director of Training for Valspar.  His extensive industry education and training background makes his observations on the topic of Knowledge and Learning relevant to today’s businesses wanting to ensure future success. Mr Peevy also gives a glimpse of the new Learning Management System that will be implemented soon.

Jeff Peevy is a member of the Board of Trustees for the Collision Industry Foundation and Board of Directors for the National Auto Body Council. He is also an active member of the Society of Organizational Learning.

AMI was founded in 1989 to provide management education for automotive service and collision repair professionals. Its accredited curriculum consists of more than 700 courses taught by more than 150 faculty members. Courses are related to five areas of business management from marketing and sales to operations and service, to personnel and human resource development. ASA and its members played an important role in the initial funding of AMI and have a vested interest in growing AMI in the future, ensuring that it continues to deliver relevant training and courses amid an evolving training and education landscape with new media technologies.

AMI ON-Line