You catch more flies with honey

As a leader…do you know what motivates every individual in your organization?? Do you know why each individual comes to work each day…and earns a living working with you?  This question was posed on Linkedin and refers more to the sales department, however I feel this also applies to the servicing side of the business as well.  The first three comments that were offered on Linkedin are below.

·         There isn't a lot of recognition in the car business. Because most owners don't run car dealerships like a business, we pretty much live month to month. If you are in the car business (sales) you have to be motivated by money and again, I am speaking from a sales perspective only.

·         I suppose it helps to try and understand each staff member to find out what drives them. I am also in the car business and find that money is generally the biggest motivating factor. However, there are also people that appreciate a pat on the back and constant recognition.

·         I bet the answer for most people is NO! We assume that everyone is motivated by money. IN my experience money is a HUGE motivator, however when this is the sole reason for arriving at work, then a "grass is always greener" attitude tends to arrive with it. I look for a mix of ambition, common sense, and intelligence for my clients. This means that perhaps the months of smashed targets don't come as regularly, but what does come is sustained growth with a less "lumpy" looking sales chart.... but most importantly the staff stick around longer, ultimately making more money.

So I guess the answer lies with management as to what motivates our employees in the workplace.  One of the biggest mistakes managers can make is getting bogged down with performing their everyday tasks instead of leading employees.  Most managers in the automotive industry prepare their daily spread sheets on productivity, sales, gross profit, efficiencies, budgets or they are busy planning next month’s marketing strategies.

The biggest problem in management is finding the time to interact with your team, meaning YOUR PEOPLE!  Leading people means getting into the trenches and lead them by example.  Teach your porters how to perform their job in the service drive, pitch in and show them WHAT IT IS that defines an EXCEPTIONAL experience to the customer.  The most important item is to reward them with a compliment when the job is done EXCELLENT. 

Money is a motivator however a nice pat on the back and the words, “GOOD JOB” go a long long way!  Spend some quality time interacting with your employees and discuss topics other then work to get a feel of what makes them tick, what are their interests outside of work.  You might be surprised to find out that there are other things which motivate certain individuals.  The things you find out about your employees can be used as motivational insight for yourself when interacting with them throughout the work day.

For example; John, one of your technicians may be his son’s football coach.  Having a conversation with John about his son’s team and how they are doing shows an interest in John that goes beyond the workplace and this instills trust and a cohesive bond.  When you out of the blue ask John how his son’s team did in Friday night’s game, John will most undoubtedly give his feedback.  The end result in this exercise is that John will feel much more motivated by you as a manager because you offered your time and your interest.

Your spread sheets and your paperwork will always be there nagging at you but if you don’t pay attention to your employees, they might not be there long.  You cannot afford to lose the good employees you have because ultimately the numbers on those spread sheets will get thinner over time. 

A great leader is aware of how their management style motivates their team.  A great leader will;

·         be honest

·         be transparent

·         be respectful

·         Show confidence

·         communicate passion

·         communicate with clarity

·         have the highest integrity

·         execute business decisions

·         empower employees

·         be genuine

·         be supportive

·         be humble

·         be appreciative

The most important characteristics of being a great motivator, manager or leader is to show compassion and caring towards your employees by taking a personal interest in them as human beings.  The old saying is so true “You catch more flies with honey than vinegar”.

Be a great leader – TAKE THE TIME TO KNOW WHO WORKS FOR YOU AND WHAT REALLY INTERESTS THEM BEYOND THE WORKPLACE!

David

Your Kidding, You're a Micromanager?

Micromanagement is the direct management of a project, person or business to an excessive degree.  The word micro management can be summed up as too close for comfort.  Avoid this method as much as possible!

 Micromanagement can lead to stifling the creativity of your employees which will ultimately lead to diminished profits.  Nothing saps the energy from employees faster than a manager who is standing over them and scrutinizing every move they make.  Micromanagement may lead to disengaged employees.  A disengaged employee is one who puts in the time required at work but not much else.  Micromanagement is sometimes the result of not having a plan or firm policies and procedures or they lack the fundamental knowledge of how the business is supposed to be run or what the different functions or roles each employee plays in the makeup of the business.  Most micromanagers have a tendency in not realizing that they end up doing more harm than good for employee morale.  More often than not, they dread being wrong!  

Typically a micromanager's sense of empowering people was in essence surgically altered or turned off at birth and cannot be reacquired with conventional management training, they have no sense of what empowerment implies at all.  Understandably a micromanager consistently labels productivity or efficiency by using constant control over individuals, therefore approximately 60% to 70% of the structure to reach targets is counterproductive and makes work more complicated for the employees.  The word empowerment is the direct opposite of micromanagement.  Therefore it has always been my analysis that if the word empowerment is a positive word, conversely micromanagement is a negative hindrance that MUST be stymied in the workplace.  Employees want to be inspired and led by their managers, micromanagers absolutely need to understand and learn that they cannot force people to be like them, unfortunately the end result when working with a micromanager is decreased productivity, performance and diminished moral throughout the work environment.

Most employees will not approach a micromanager and confront them for their style of management for if they ever did the micromanager will surely be offended by the mere suggestion that people under them suffer greatly from their dictatorial style of management.  As well most employees see the micromanager as having personal insecurities and an excessive ego, having absolute control over others at all times.  While a real manager helps people understand what they can become in the future, a micromanager often times helps people to perceive themselves as they are.  With a micromanager there is no room for growth.  In short a real manager, someone who is a real leader will help sway opinions transforming the employee to become better than they are, conversely the micromanager will always be the person twisting your arm.  The bottom line is that micromanagers don't develop and challenge their employees and therefore they don't keep smart, ambitious, talented people.

Micromanagers are in essence corporate psychopaths who create a toxic blend of management styles that stifle the creative output of the employees they oversee.  Micromanagers usually have not much good to say to anyone about performance or output, usually the only communication offered is of a negative connotation.  Psychopathic micromanagers normally cannot distinguish or empathize with human dignities or the basic rights of individuals.  More often than not the psychopathic micromanager is narcissistic in nature and has no value for others or their potential in the workplace.  This translates into the fact that the entire show centers on them, they thrive on the glory.  Thankfully corporate America is structured around the team principal and micromanagers are quickly becoming a dying breed. 

Micromanagers generally have no substance and not much style.  Micromanagers only have sharp claws and come equipped with quick elbows.

 You will not have to micromanage your employees once you have your plan committed to paper and everyone within your service department has read the plan, have been shown what the policies and procedures consist of, and you are fundamentally teaching them the procedures.  . 

A few more management styles to be aware of and avoid are the empty suit management style, the paranoid manager syndrome, the fearless leader and the narcissistic manager.  The following examples are brief overviews to explain each style.

The empty suit manager is the person who lacks the knowledge, experience and skill set to hold the position.  Somehow the empty suit manager managed to climb the corporate ladder by way of who they know and not what they know.  This type of manager will always steal a subordinates thunder and take credit for others hard work.

The paranoid manager is one who is constantly suspicious of others and their motives.  They believe that others are hostile and threaten their position without any supporting evidence.  Paranoid managers are very quick to judge and slow to forget or forgive.  The paranoid manager is a person who in general is argumentative with peers and subordinates alike.  A paranoid manager will rarely ask for help or opinions from others.

The fearless leader management style is typically one who takes credit for other peoples successes and takes no responsibility for their own failures.  Generally the fearless leader doesn’t have a clue what’s going on or what it is individuals or the business are trying to accomplish.

The narcissistic manager is one who thrives on a sense of self importance and expects to be recognized as a superior individual.  Their need for admiration and their lack of empathy or understanding of basic human courtesies highlights their own need to be placed on a pedestal, all the  while having a disconnect with those around them.  This type of individual somewhat lives in a fantasy world where they are preoccupied with their own sense of self importance.

The mark of a great manager is to follow these simple yet often overlooked rules:

• Clearly outline and explain what it is you are trying to achieve, show your employees the benefits of the goal.  This will set the level of expectations
• Illustrate a complete picture of the goal and get everyone involved with the changes, this will allow the employees to measure and quantify the efforts to the results.
• Let all employees know that moving forward positive change will be the rule, not the exception.
• Inform your employees that complacency is not tolerated and everyone must embrace the changes to move the company forward.
• Enforce open door policies and let everyone know that your door is always open.
• Over communicate your goals, policies and productive procedures with enthusiasm and credibility, make your words infectious to your employees and soon they will be living your goals as well.
• Demonstrate to your employees that they are in good hands and you care about their wellbeing.
• Give your employees the highest level of honesty and respect.
• Always make time to listen to your employees.
• Never take credit for the ideas of your employees.

The great manager will follow these simple rules to provide excellent customer service:

• Demonstrate to all customers that they are in good hands.
• Always give your customers the highest level of respect and honesty.
• Make all customers feel valued and special.
• Make all customers aware that they have chosen the best by giving them your best at all times.
• Always listen intently to the concerns of your customers.
• Always restate your customers concerns to ensure you understand the concern completely.
• Always smile, make it infectious.
• If you promise to do something.  DO IT!
• If you say you will call.  CALL!
• Have fun, be courteous, stay on top of new initiatives and always be astute in the manner in which you speak.  Avoid blaming others for things and circumstances beyond their control, you are best equipped to focus on the items within your control!