The epiphany I had after graduation when I first entered corporate America was that the people I worked for — the CEOs, vice presidents and other executives whom I would rarely see and who would never really know me or what I was contributing — were holding a good portion of my life in their hands. With the stroke of a pen or keypad, they could make a budget decision that would send me and maybe several hundred other people into the ranks of the unemployed.
As I continued on the corporate career path, I worked for another company where a department visit by just one executive would bring work to a halt as employees would slip into each others cubicles and speak in hushed, worried tones about the sure hammerstroke of doom that was going to usher in some kind of awful change that would surely bring all our lives to ruin.
When it comes to workplace paranoia, the collision industry doesn't own the monopoly on dread.
Regardless of where one works these days, our lives are significantly impacted by, not just one but usually several and in some cases many, corporations whose directors typically are looking to bring change. In response, we seem to spend a good part of our time holding our breath and hoping that change won't hurt us.
Truthfully, most of the time it doesn't.
I'm reminded of this epiphany now that CCC and Mitchell have announced their plans to merge. Listening to the CEOs of both companies (see our cover story CCC, Mitchell merger aims to drive value), the merger promises all sorts of bright changes for the collision repair community including accelerated innovation and better and more simplified service. CEOs, of course, are going to tout the benefits of their decisions. That's what they get paid to do. On paper, they make a good case for the merger.
In shops, some repairers look on with caution as they watch competition shrink in a critical industry that affects them daily. Some see the creation of another corporate giant they worry will work more closely with insurers when it comes to determining issues like repair times. I recently spoke with a representative for Mitchell who was quick to dismiss these issues and instead stress how the company is working to make life easier for shops. The company seems genuinely concerned about how shops will view the merger.
Is there reason for them to worry? There's always reason for concern when it comes to changes in your work environment. Shops shouldn't hesitate to raise questions about the merger to either company. That's not the real issue here.
The real issue here is how shops should be regularly conducting themselves when it comes to change. Nothing gets done when people worry about things they can't affect. Time is much better spent on the things we can impact. For shops, that means working daily to transform businesses so they can run better and adapt more effectively to the constant change they know they're going to see. At least, that's the epiphany I had.
Tim Sramcik
