This
month I would like to comment on the challenges of a slowing
economy. Coming from the comments of fellow industry
associates, there is so much "hype" that comes into play
that moves us in a direction that does not really benefit us
in a positive way.
I would
like to ask you a question that we all should really think
about. Why do we let others direct our responses to the
media and our other social resources? I really think we
should do our best to adapt to the economic condition of our
business and be as flexible and prepared to make changes
that are occurring in our environment.
When
our current means of acquiring business or customers is not
working or maybe not as well as we would like. Don't you
think we should look at doing other things to enhance our
bottom line? I don't think we should throw up our hands and
then lower and sit on them.
We
should look around us at other type of busineses that are
doing well and see if some of the things that they are doing
would work for us. We might have to "tweak" the process to
fit our particular industry. I think we sometimes limit
ourselves when we say, that would not work for me because
what they are doing is not a fit for the vehicle repair
business.
Do you
think it is more productive to market to your customers more
effectively when your business slows down, or do you just
sit and wait for things to pick up? In our area there is a
vehicle repair business that sends out a large number of
newsletters to his monthly mailing list and he is booked up
for two weeks when the other shops in the area are
complaining of little or no business.
WHAT ARE
YOU DOING?.....
Article:
Building Loyalty
The erosion of employer-employee loyalty in the workplace
has been the subject of much debate and consternation.
Economic downturns make employers appear ruthless when they
layoff their workers. Employee infidelity seems to be the
norm as workers search incessantly for more lucrative or
more fulfilling work.
Gone are the days of forty year careers followed by hefty
pensions. Frequent job transitions are the new reality. In
observing this shift, many have referred to the death of
workplace loyalty, claiming that workers are all free agents
now.
On one hand, the mobile workforce benefits both workers and
business owners. American workers have the opportunity to
experiment throughout their careers in order to find their
niche. For businesses, the ease of downsizing affords the
flexibility to restructure payroll in order to stay
competitive during lean times.
On the other hand, disloyalty places a wall of suspicion
between the employer and the employee. In the absence of job
security, workers live with underlying stress. Employers run
their businesses uncertain how long their top talent will
stay on board.
An organizational culture bereft of loyalty is doomed. With
too little loyalty, motivation plummets and cynicism
threatens to divide workers from the organizations in which
they serve. In a climate of disloyalty, backstabbing,
second-guessing, and finger-pointing infect relationships
and destroy productivity.
What can a leader do to earn the loyalty or his or her
people?
For a moment, let's examine why we're loyal in the first
place. Generally, we're loyal to companies for three main
reasons, 1) the relationships we have in the organization,
2) the values we share in common with the organization, and
3) the sense of fulfillment we derive from our role within
the organization. Each of these reasons provides motivation
for us to commit ourselves to a job.
PRINCIPLES FOR INSPIRING LOYALTY
People don't walk away from a job; they walk away from a
manager. The best way to build loyalty is by making an
effort to know people at a personal level. Find common
interests and build bridges into their world. Understand
what makes them tick. Reward their successes. Appreciate
each person in a way that recognizes and validates his or
her unique personality.
People will be drawn to the values espoused by your
organization, and they will stick by your side because they
share those values. Be clear about values from the hiring
process onward. It's not enough to profess your values; you
must consistently walk in step with them. Allow your values
to be scrutinized, and give people permission to hold you
accountable to them. Explain any behavior which appears not
to align with values, confront behavior that runs
contradictory to values, and seek forgiveness when you fail
to uphold values.
Like it or not, "What's in it for me?" is the refrain at the
forefront of the minds of those you lead. To win loyalty,
cast a vision for the future so that each person sees how
they will benefit by being part of the team. Be intentional
about uncovering each person's strengths, and, as much as
possible, position them where their job duties match their
desires. Train, mentor, and stretch every person under your
leadership. People respond with loyalty to those who invest
in them.
Leave Problem Employees Behind
The United State Army Rangers have a policy of "no man left
behind." The U.S. Department of Education's latest
initiative is entitled No Child Left Behind. The state of
Michigan has begun No Worker Left Behind, a program to train
the unemployed.
When it comes to the workplace, shouldn't the slogan be "No
Employee Left Behind?" Shouldn't leaders look out for the
welfare of all so that everyone benefits when the team wins?
Not at all! That's the resounding answer from Mark Goulston
in a recent article. Goulston warns that leaders not only
risk losing their top performers, but also imperil their own
health when they devote too much time attempting to motivate
low-performance, low-potential employees.
Leaders squander effort when they over-invest in the weakest
link. In the words of leadership author Warren Bennis,
"There are none so blind as those who will not see, none so
deaf as those who will not hear, none so ignorant as those
who will not listen…
and none so foolish as those who think they can change those
who will not see, hear or listen."
Leaders free themselves from the "no employee left behind"
philosophy by ordering underperformers to shape up or ship
out. Those leaders who aren't willing to cut loose
underperformers, place themselves in danger of the following
fates (as described by Warren Bennis):
Allowing frustrations with mediocre workers to spill over
into negative treatment of top performers
Losing self-respect or the esteem of colleagues
Burning out after failing to motivate inept workers
With so much at stake personally, leaders cannot afford
to tolerate employees who refuse to change and fail to
contribute.
In addition to the personal toll, leaders jeopardize their
relationships with all-star performers by avoiding the
removal of unproductive employees. Having to rely on an
undependable colleague drains a high-performance individual.
Likewise, a person who pours passion and energy into their
job is tremendously de-motivated when a lazy worker receives
promotion or recognition. Ultimately, top talent will take
flight if it perceives a leader is unwilling to eliminate
mediocrity from the midst of a company.
Leaders can actively address performance issues by looking
out for telltale signs of mediocre employees:
They stubbornly resist change
They are reactive rather than proactive
They are habitually lazy and unprepared
They make promises, but they don't deliver results.
They shirk responsibility and pass on blame.
They identify problems without finding solutions.
In business, sometimes a leader is forced to drop the axe.
It seems harsh, but in reality, tolerating mediocrity poses
greater danger to an organization than the unpleasantness of
having to fire an employee.
Author: Mark Goulston
ShopController Shop Management Software (New &
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ACS would like to announce the Newest version of
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The last year has seen a complete revision of the software
including a lot of new additions.
ShopController developers have done an awesome job in the
changes that have been made including the upgraded fleet
module.
ACS is integrating the Wrencheads Nexpart catalogue
with online ordering into ShopController . In a few days we
will also have an integrated labor guide. There will also be
an interface to the NexCat catalogue for parts pricing with
aftermarket pricing. Shopcontroller will have the ability to
bring this data into its invoice / estimate.
ShopController has completed the Import utility to bring
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into Shopcontroller for Quickbooks users that purchase
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ACS has also upgraded the Carfax Vin Decoder to include
the full Truck information upgrade for large trucks. The
software now comes in(click to review)
four levels for the needs and budgets of the vehicle
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ACS would like to mention a couple of things about the
desktop operating systems. Microsoft is having a lot of
issues with the Vista operating system. When putting
together a new computer, ACS reccomends that you buy it with
XP professional and when the bugs have been worked out, then
upgrade to Vista. If you do your research on the web you can
find out the issues that are causing problems.
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Part of the problem was that ACS did not do a regular review
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