The effect of leading by example in your shop

Effective leadership in auto repair shops is crucial for setting the tone and culture of the workplace, a pair of shop coaches emphasized during a recent training event.

Tom Amero, director of operations at Elite, and Sabrina Wilkerson, a former service advisor and now a trainer at Elite, highlighted the importance of leading by example and empowering staff in auto repair shops at the Midwest Auto Care Alliance Hi-Tech Training & Expo in Kansas City.

By setting clear expectations, managing time effectively, and training employees to take ownership, shop owners can create a productive and efficient work environment, they said during their session.

Amero emphasized the importance of shop owners being the example in all aspects of the business.

“You guys are looked to as the example in all things — in all things,” repeating the last phrase for emphasis. “The culture of the shop? Set by you. How they communicate with others? Set by you. You have to be that litmus test. You are the litmus test.”

The way owners manage their time and tasks directly influences how their staff will manage theirs. If employees see the owner micromanaging, you won’t develop your staff the way you want.

“You micromanage, they will step back and be little lemmings and they won’t take responsibility or control over anything,” Amero warned.

He further encouraged shop owners to block off time when they are not available to their staff. This is important to the development of your shop and staff.

“As a shop owner, there are times that you are not available — you are not available to them. There are times when you need to dedicate to working on the business, not in the business,” he explained.

“They’re going to look to you for the example of how you spend your time,” Amero noted, adding that this mindset ensures that actions taken by the owner set a positive precedent for the entire team.

By prioritizing tasks such as marketing strategy, hiring and customer retention strategies, owners can set an example of productivity and efficiency from the top down. While you’re in these blocked-off windows, your staff will be forced to cope with challenges on their own.

However, Wilkerson added that empowering the team to tackle challenges is essential for streamlining operations.

“We have to make sure that our service advisors and people within our team all feel empowered to make certain judgment calls,” she said.

She shared an example of her time on the counter when she had a challenging customer and knew how to solve the problem but the shop owner wanted all issues to go through them. This slowed down productivity as she waited for the owner to make their way over.

“I felt like I had to go to my owner anytime anything wrong happened. I didn’t feel like I was empowered enough to handle the situation,” she recalled.

To address this, Wilkerson advised owners to let staff take ownership of key tasks and grow.

“Give them a foundation. Give them something to work with. Tell them things that they should feel empowered to do, set that groundwork for them and then let them do it. If you give them the right tools, they’ll be able to do it confidently,” she said.

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