Joined: 15 May 2007 Posts: 774 Location: Baton Rouge, LA
Posted: Sat Jun 23, 2007 7:43 pm Post subject:
Several years ago a friend gave John a call. The friend told John a story of a young man named Bart. Bart was from John’s small hometown though they had never met. John, being much older had moved away before Bart was born. John did however recognize Bart’s family name.
The friend told John that Bart was in trouble, about to drop out of high school and his Mother did not know where to turn. John wondered how this might involved him, when his friend asked if he might speak with Bart. Truly surprised, John asked what he might say that could make a difference. His friend was quite insistent that John might be able to help and so he agreed.
On the day of the meeting, John observed a tall young man, hat on backwards and sloppily dressed. After shaking hands Bart slouched into the chair, prepared to endure whatever lecture was coming. John looked at Bart and wondered what he might say to him.
Instead of a lecture John asked Bart if he had ever heard of a man, first name McKinley with Bart’s last name? A bit more interested Bart said no and asked who this was. John started by telling a story of another young man, barely twenty one and who had died in France in 1917. This story had been relayed to John by his Grandfather who had served with McKinley.
McKinley had saved his regiment many casualties while pinned down by machine gun fire and loss his life in the process. The local VFW chapter had been named in his honor and he was Bart’s Great Grandfather.
As they spoke Bart started to ask questions and John answered as best he could. Bart was amazed to learn his Grandfather had once been the town’s marshal. How one day in the line of duty he was forced to shoot a man in self defense. How he rushed the man to the doctor saving his life, and helped the man’s family make ends meet until the man recovered.
Finally he asked Bart if these were the kind of men of whom he might be proud? The message apparently came across. John and Bart have remained close and Bart will graduate this year from college and enter the US Army as an officer. Certainly Bart did this on his own, thought things might have gone very differently for him. Destiny, coincidence, luck, leadership or none of the above?
Joined: 15 May 2007 Posts: 774 Location: Baton Rouge, LA
Posted: Sun Jun 24, 2007 10:33 am Post subject:
Hi Bud,
Bud wrote:
OK, Louis, I fold on this hand.
John demonstrated one of the lesser known, yet very powerful leadership tools. Give people a fine reputation to live up to. Good people tend to rise to the expectations of true leaders. Sadly the same is true of the opposite
Could there be any implications to shop management?
Bud wrote:
But I do miss Tibeaux and Achile. What happened to them?
Joined: 19 May 2007 Posts: 206 Location: Camp Verde, AZ
Posted: Mon Jun 25, 2007 9:41 pm Post subject:
Bud wrote:
Why doesn't somebody else list some positive ones they have seen, please?
Bud
Bud,
Not sure exactly what you are asking for, so how about;
Techs offering to work through lunch in order to get a job out for a client.
Techs offering to help each other out, if one needs a hand.
A tech joining a group, of shop owners, to form a board for the betterment of the industry.
Joined: 15 May 2007 Posts: 146 Location: Garden City, KS
Posted: Mon Jun 25, 2007 11:37 pm Post subject:
Quote:
Why doesn't somebody else list some positive ones they have seen, please?
I don't know that I have specific examples, but some that come to mind are: simply asking a tech for his/her input on a problem with the "system", or a procedure, or anything they notice that could be improved; putting staff on a hourly rate that pays time and a half for overtime, but only if they choose to work it; treating staff with respect as adults and human beings; doing your best to relieve that stress of finances (as much as possible, atleast showing concerted effort means so, so much).
I don't know if these are good examples, or in the same thread as what Louis had in mind. I look forward to everyone's thoughts. Thanks, Matt.
Joined: 15 May 2007 Posts: 774 Location: Baton Rouge, LA
Posted: Tue Jun 26, 2007 3:09 pm Post subject:
Hi Bud,
Bud wrote:
Could there be any implications to shop management?
Sure, here are the usual negative ones:
If the SA, manager, owner, etc, doesn't care about quality, integrity, fairness, etc, than neither do I.
If that's the way they want to play the flat rate game, then I'll show them.
So that's two examples.
Why doesn't somebody else list some positive ones they have seen, please?
Bud
Those are both pretty real examples. Words are just words and actions are what counts. Locally there is a saying, "Don't Pi$$ on my boot and tell me it's raining." This means don't use and abuse me and expect me to like it.
Put a little better, I once heard a fellow tell someone, "The way you act speaks so loudly that and can't hear what you say."
Good examples, to me are finding those things a person does well and letting them know about them. Looking for the good in people and trusting them to do well. Assigning people to the work they enjoy and do well. Let each person become the "resident expert," on at least one topic. Building and publicly celebrating a culture of quality in the shop. When clients call the shop to say how great there vehicle is, asking if you can put them on speaker phone for everyone to hear. Celebrating the victories with everyone and taking responsibility for the failures alone.
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