Whether you are selling solutions, supplies, or hardware, we are all in the business of making a fair and long term profit. To have a successful long-term business, you need committed employees that bring something special to the table.
You do not need to be a business owner or senior manager to be directly responsible for the well-being and profitability of your company. In actuality, your customers interact with your worker bees much more than they do with the senior management staff. The lower paid workers generally have the greatest day to day interaction with the buying public.
So how can the people at the top of the organization foster an environment that brings out the creativity and initiative of its workers? Independent dealers need to set guidelines rather than making hard and fast rules. Teach your staff to understand the goal or desired result instead of being focused on following strict and unyielding rules. Furthermore, use positive reinforcement to develop dedicated employees who will show long-term commitment and passion for their job.
The Power of Yes
Rigidity usually gets in the way of creativity. Strict adherence to a multitude of Rules reduces your staff’s ability to consistently fulfill the needs of your clients. I have always taught my staff when dealing with a client’s special request to ask 3 questions. Is it fair to the client? Is it fair to our company? Is it ethical? If the answer is ‘Yes’ to all 3, our employees have the power to make an independent decision that the company will support.
I know of one very successful company that gives all employees the power to say YES to any client, at any time, for any request. However, if the worker feels that it is appropriate to say NO to a client’s request, they must get approval from their supervisor. This immediately shifts the emphasis to giving positive responses to their customer’s requests.
Teaching employees to always be looking for ways to leave a positive impression by showing concern for their customer’s well-being usually requires additional work to be done. There is a higher level of commitment from workers who continually ask ‘What else can I do for you?’ rather than just saying ‘Thank You’ and moving on to the next task.
To inspire your employees to go the extra mile takes extra effort from senior level staff as well. Management must continually show respect and gratitude toward their workers by thanking them and showing sincere appreciation for a specific action that created additional profit or good will. I firmly believe an employee will work harder and smarter when they like and respect the work ethic of their boss.
Getting Rid of the Fear of Failure
As a service manager, my job is to make the daily tasks easier for each of my techs. In reality, I work for them. The easier I can make their working environment the better quality of work they can accomplish. As their manager I am the first line of defense in providing emotional, educational and logistical support on a daily basis. My job is to break down barriers and continually watch their backs, protecting them from unnecessary obstacles that can complicate their ability to get the job done correctly during the initial contact.
Everyone who works with me understands I praise and reward failure on a regular basis. Underachievers rarely fail. They have perfected mediocrity. They have learned just how little needs to be done to get by. Their goal is to stay under the radar and never be wrong. But this also means they are never creative.
I encourage the sharing of ideas. Everyone who works with me knows they can preface any discussion with the phrase, “Thomas Edison idea.” Thomas Edison held over 2300 worldwide patents. Only a relatively few were economically viable. He had many more failures than successes. This is our catch phrase meaning – listen to me with an open mind. No criticism is allowed. It is our way to encourage the sharing of unorthodox ideas without the fear of disapproval.
We openly encourage employees to share a different way to troubleshoot a technical challenge, a new drive-through eatery other techs might enjoy or a new way to remove toner stains from their shirts. No idea is off limit from our realm of possibilities. Each new idea sparks future innovation. Permission to fail is an extension of emphasizing the need for sharing new, creative ways of thinking, sharing and doing.
Traditionally, technical personnel have a need for emotional safety and security. They work best in an atmosphere where they receive continuous peer approval. They want to be part of a team of equals. Creative managers should work to ensure their technical staff is constantly offered new opportunities to learn new software, equipment and earn additional certifications. When managed properly, the need for peer approval can actually encourage everyone to move forward into previously unknown technical endeavors.
Ultimatums from management, such as, ‘each tech must earn a new certification by the first of the year or lose their job,’ creates a negative force in the work environment. Encouraging company sponsored group education allows safety in numbers and a bit of competitive energy. Peer pressure to succeed becomes contagious.
Techs working in harmony with their fellow techs can create a camaraderie that works together for the common good. Most independent dealers will pay for the cost of Certification testing with a bonus for completion. If your service group has the right chemistry, ambitious techs may very well devote additional study time outside of the work environment.
Committed employees understand the value of ongoing pertinent training is worthwhile to their current job as well as future employment opportunities. Encouraging techs to increase their knowledge also makes their job much easier to do on a day to day basis. The more a company shows genuine concern for the long term success of each employee, the greater the chance the tech will reciprocate with long term loyalty, providing superior productivity and profitability to their employer. Dedicated employees are the foundation to the stability and long term viability of your business.
No matter what type of business you are in, ultimately we are all in the business of staying in business. As we enter the New Year, take a few minutes to assess how you got where you are and how you can improve your company’s current situation.
