A shop owner or leader in any shop has found success thanks to a handful of people in their lives who guided them to where they are — and they can’t forget to return the favour to the next group of professionals coming up the ranks, a shop coach urged.
At the recent Midwest Auto Care Alliance Hi-Tech Training & Expo in Kansas City, Rick White, president of 180 Biz told a room full of automotive repair leaders that they have to be ready to step into the role of mentors and catalysts for growth within their organizations.
White began by asking attendees to reflect on the influential figures in their own lives. “How many of you can sit back, think for a moment and realize there are probably three to five people that impacted your life, saw something in you that you did not see, and you are where you are today and who you are today because of them?” he asked.
White then challenged the audience to become that pivotal figure for others in their professional circles.
“It is your turn to be that person. It is your turn to see the potential in other people and call it out in them, to challenge them,” he emphasized.
The shop coach highlighted a common pitfall among shop owners is to passively wait for their teams to improve. He stressed that leaders must actively drive this growth.
“Shop owners are waiting for their teams to get better when they don’t realize they have to be the catalyst to that growth, and it’s going to happen based on your belief in your expectations in that person,” he said.
White drew parallels between mentorship in the workplace and parenting, illustrating how leaders can instill confidence in their team members. When your child says they can’t ride a bike, drive a car, throw a ball or countless other things that you teach them, you don’t agree with them and sit them down.
“If you’re going to call out the best in somebody, they’re going to be in constant learning mode,” he said. “So they’re going to be unsure about themselves. They’re going to have doubt. We’ve got to be able to let them borrow some of our confidence, because that makes all the difference in the world.”
He emphasized the importance of genuine belief in one’s team, cautioning against insincerity.
“Can we smell fake a mile away? It’s got to be real,” White said.
Image credit: Depositphotos.com
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