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By Joe Marconi in Joe's Blog1 commentHave I got your attention? Great.
Let me start by saying that I believe in giving praise when deserved and letting employees know when they dropped the ball. However, the truth is that no one enjoys being reprimanded or told they messed up.
The question is, what is the appropriate balance between the right amount of praise and the right amount of critical feedback? According to studies done by Harvard Business School, the ratio of praise to critical feedback should be about 6:1 – Six praises for every critical feedback. I am not sure if I agree with that.
From personal experience, I would recommend a lot more praise. The exact ratio doesn’t matter. What’s important is that before you consider giving critical feedback, ensure you have given that employee a lot of recent praise. If not, whatever you are trying to get through to an employee, will fall on deaf ears.
When you do have to give critical feedback, remember a few things:
Focus on the issue or behavior; never attack the person, and remain calm in your actions and words Ask the employee for feedback, their side of the story Speak to the employee in private Address the issue soon after it happens; never wait Don’t rely on second-hand information; it’s always better if you have experienced the situation yourself that you want to correct Have an open discussion and find things that both of you can agree upon Have an action plan moving forward that the employee can take ownership of Use the experience as a learning tool Make sure you bring up positive attributes about them Remember, you don’t want the employee to be angry or upset with you; you want them to reflect on the situation and what can be improved. One last thing. Everyone makes mistakes. We need to be mindful of this.
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By Joe Marconi
Employees today will disengage if they don’t feel valued.
by Joe Marconi: Quiet Quitting: New Phrase, Old Problem - Featured in Ratchet and Wrench Magazine
Some people go to work each day with great enthusiasm and believe they can change the world. But then, others anticipate each workday with feelings of despair. These employees do the bare minimum; just enough to keep their jobs and go unnoticed. They are called quiet quitters.
While quiet quitting may be the latest catchphrase, it's not a new workplace disorder. We've called them disgruntled, disengaged and even toxic in the past. But who's responsible for this behavior? Is it the employee? Or is there a deeper problem brewing in the workplace?
Work has Evolved
As a young technician in the mid-1970s, the shop owner was typically at the top of the pinnacle. It was common back then for a boss to run his company with the mindset, "my way or the highway." Was it wrong? Perhaps. Thinking back, I don't think we clearly understood or appreciated the role we played in the workplace or how we fit into the company's structure. We accepted things the way they were, unlike employees today. I also believe we felt we couldn't change how things were.
Today, it's a lot different. There has been a shift in the workplace. Societal changes, the internet and social media have changed our exposure and heightened our awareness of the world and the issues that confront us daily. Today, employees of every generation believe they should have a voice in the company's decisions and direction. It's important that their opinions count and that their job role has a purpose. Of course, earning a decent living is top of mind, but as always, not the prime motivator. At the top of what's most important is the workplace environment and the employee experience. When employees lack the experience they crave, they become disengaged, leading to what we call quiet quitting. Employees Want Accountable Leaders
Lack of trust in leadership is another factor in quiet quitting. Shop owners and managers must communicate what their employees can expect from management and not only what management expects from them. Consistency in the message and following through on promises contribute to workplace morale. After all, if you can't trust the message, you will not trust the messenger.
Some people will excel in any work environment. However, they are the exception, not the rule. If you want a team of employees where everyone is pulling in the right direction, you should consider the needs and opinions of your employees.
If you are concerned that understanding your employee's point of view and acting on it is giving up control of your company, don't be. Earlier, I referred to shop owners from years back. Most of them had a good business but not a great business. The reason was that they were the business. Growth was difficult because it was dependent mainly on their abilities and talents. This one fact alone causes a business to plateau. However, when a business combines different points of view and strategies from the team, greater growth is possible.
Start Within
Lastly, there will always be employees who won't be happy no matter what you do. If you are confident that you have done all you can to help a quiet quitter, the only hope at that point is for the employee to look within themselves, which may be difficult for most people. Instead, focus more on what you can do. Look within yourself to ensure you are doing everything possible to create an amazing employee experience. Your goal must be to create happy employees. We've all heard the expression, "happy employees create happy customers." Well, they create happy employers, too.
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By Joe Marconi
Many auto repair shops are still busy, and many are booked out from a few days to weeks. After the initial shock of Covid, the recovery for our independent auto repair industry has been quite good, with many positive indicators for the future.
However, how many of the auto repair shops that did suffer a great loss in business during the lockdown phase of Covid would have survived if not for the SBA loans, the Pay Protection Program and the Employee Retention Credit?
Building a cash reserve is crucial to prepare yourself for the next economic downturn. How much should you set aside? That depends on your business model, how much debt you have and other financial conditions. Speak to your accountant, financial advisor and business coach, if you have one.
Rule of thumb, you should have at least three months of operating expenses set aside in a dedicated bank account. Some accountants and financial advisors may suggest up to six months.
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By carmcapriotto
Recorded Live at the 2023 Institute Summit, shop owner turned coach Jennifer Hulbert discusses the value of joining a coaching group. Find out what it's like to be in a coaching group with the Institute, and why she is passionate about celebrating other people's accomplishments.
Jennifer Hulbert, Service Plus Automotive, Calcium, NY. Facilitator for the Institute for Automotive Business Excellence.
Show Notes
Has 3 coaching clients- discovering finances, gross profit, structuring segments of business, increasing billable hours, and implementing a parts matrix. Facilitating- a group usually consists of 18 to 20 shop owners. They are assigned a partner, they have an individual accountability partner along with access to their facilitator coach. Have three in-person meetings a year. Part of those in-person meetings is to evaluate the whole shop. Go in, do a full evaluation of the shop, and give the owner feedback on areas for improvement. The other time is spent with training, and reviewing financial numbers, because if you don't know your numbers, you're never going to grow your business. In between, they have a couple of Zoom meetings as an entire group, and then the facilitator does reach out individually once a month. Never be the smartest person in the room If you’re not learning, you’re not growing Celebrate other people's accomplishments Joining a coaching company- understand profits, understand the structure of a business, understand your numbers, and structure your finances to make a profit. “Mama Bear of the Team”- Jennifer wants to see individual employees and their families succeed. Ensuring whatever decision you are making about the company is going to benefit your employees Women can do anything that a man can do Read the book “Traction: Get a Grip on Your Business”- communicate clear goals, build a leadership team, and hold each other accountable. Increased sales by 38%
Thanks to our Partner, NAPA AUTO CARE Learn more about NAPA AUTO CARE and the benefits of being part of the NAPA family by visiting www.NAPAAutoCare.com Connect with the Podcast: -Join our Insider List: https://remarkableresults.biz/insider -All books mentioned on our podcasts: https://remarkableresults.biz/books -Our Classroom page for personal or team learning: https://remarkableresults.biz/classroom -Buy Me a Coffee: https://www.buymeacoffee.com/carm -The Aftermarket Radio Network: https://aftermarketradionetwork.com -Special episode collections: https://remarkableresults.biz/collections
Click to go to the Podcast on Remarkable Results Radio
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By Ruben Van Zenden
Today, we simply cannot ignore social media, everyone is using it whether you are a fan or not. Personally, I think it has its negative and positive sides.
I have been looking at 100+ car repair shops and noticed that only a hand full are using social media marketing, for example, Facebook advertising.
Why are so few car repair shops making use of this, in my opinion, great opportunity to increase car count?
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By carmcapriotto
This shop is too slow. This shop is too busy. This shop doesn’t know either way. It wasn’t long ago that we heard a good bit of chatter regarding shops who were experiencing slow days but most recently we have experienced shops on the other end of the spectrum. They’re too busy and have mentioned pausing their marketing. In this episode, we discuss what shops can do to shift their marketing instead of stopping all together.
Talking Points
The too-busy shop trend - sound crazy, but true. Mistake: stop marketing. Busy today does not mean busy tomorrow. Stopping all marketing creates a roller coaster effect Everything is great until one day it isn’t Do you own a business or do you own a job? It’s time to grow up. Never stop marketing; pivot instead. Change messaging to less sales/promotion and more culture Start hiring Focus on brand building Messaging Shift to: More company culture Brand awareness Great Place to work Customer Acquisition Ads Community Relations Social Media SEO Customer Retention Emails Texting Social Media
Thanks to our partner, RepairPal. Visit the Web HERE
How To Get In Touch
Website - https://independentautodieselrepair.com/
Facebook - https://www.facebook.com/IndependentAutoandDieselRepair
How To Get In Touch
Group - Auto Repair Marketing Mastermind
Website - shopmarketingpros.com
Facebook - facebook.com/shopmarketingpros
Get the Book - shopmarketingpros.com/book
Instagram - @shopmarketingpros
Questions/Ideas - [email protected]
Click to go to the Podcast on Remarkable Results Radio
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