We haven't always run the shop that way

Feb. 27, 2014
 I’m suggesting the kind of change to allow the new hire, entry-level technician or youngest, least experienced team member to be the mentor.

Have you ever had an idea for a new way of doing something, suggested a different way to accomplish a task, only to be told no? If you were bold enough to ask, why not? The answer is usually something like, “We have always done it this way.”

Many of us started our careers learning the trade from an experienced craftsman who developed his or her skills over time. They were our mentors. Our mentors were much older than we were, had many years on the job, were respected by their peers and usually earned the most money in the shop. They were who we wanted to be when we grew up.

I remember a guy named Vince was my first automotive mentor. I was 17 years old and starting a two-year cooperative education program. I went to school in the morning (including auto shop) and worked at the Lincoln Mercury dealership in the afternoon. Vince was the oldest mechanic in the shop and two years from retirement when he was assigned to me. I still wonder how that happened. Maybe Vince drew the short straw. Vince had rules, and as long as I followed the rules we got along very well. The rules were pay attention, do exactly as I tell you and don’t do anything that will get Vince in trouble.

Baby boomers can relate to a workplace culture of older workers are bosses and younger workers do what they were told, no questions asked. That is the way it was. In this environment, you had to wait until you were the boss to make a change or attempt a different way of doing something. That’s probably a reason so many technicians go on to own the business.

What if the change that took place was a reversal of roles? I’m suggesting the kind of change to allow the new hire, entry-level technician or youngest, least experienced team member to be the mentor. In fact, this is now a common practice in corporate America. Many companies are pairing senior executives with younger employees in a practice known as reverse mentoring. Technology, social media and workplace trends are common issues addressed in a reverse mentoring setting.

Jack Welch as the chief executive at General Electric gets much of the credit for reverse mentoring. He ordered 500 GE executives to work with employees below them to learn how to use the Internet. Welch himself worked with a 20-something employee to learn how to surf the web. The founder of Fast Company, Alan Webber describes reverse mentoring like this: “It’s a situation where the old fogies in an organization realize that by the time you’re in your 40s and 50s, you’re not in touch with the future the same way as the young 20-somethings. They come with fresh eyes, open minds and instant links to the technology of our future.”

Corporate America is not that different than your auto repair business. The environment might be different but the culture can be very much the same. I think there is something to learn here that will benefit your company, employees and customers. Implementing a reverse mentoring strategy provides your business distinct advantages over your competitors. The program brings team members of different generations together to share their knowledge and eliminates the “us versus them” mentality. Think about how the Gen Y person can be an asset to your company and make positive contributions immediately. What do they know that you or your long-time employees don’t know? Look at aspects of your business that are changing and have your young employee offer a perspective from that fresh set of eyes or share the knowledge they gained through their instant links to technology.

If the entry-level technician recently graduated from an automotive program, they were exposed to the latest tools and equipment available in the industry, and in many cases learned on the equipment. When your business is in the market to upgrade or purchase equipment they have an unbiased opinion to offer.

They have lived their lives immersed in technology, growing up with a computer in their pocket. While the business owner creates policy to prohibit them from using their phone at work, they should have the Gen Y person help the mature staff understand the advantages of different smart phone platforms and install apps for service information, diagnostic procedures, fault code definitions and any other resource that will save the technician time, improve work quality  and workflow efficiencies. An emerging technology is the Electronic Inspection Sheet. A vehicle preventive maintenance inspection performed on a tablet or smart phone. I predict that as mature technicians see the younger technicians benefit from the increased sales and reduced time to perform the inspections, they will be eager to learn how to use the electronic version.

No group of people understands social media better than Gen Y. This is a resource you can’t afford to overlook. Your marketing strategy has to include social media and the strategy needs to be built around reaching Generations X and Y the largest segment of the population. We can learn from our youngest team members where they look for products and services. Most importantly, learn what influences their purchasing decisions and what keeps them engaged with a business. Everything we learn from our employees about their social interaction should be integrated into our marketing strategy. The future of the business depends on the customer of the future and there is a good chance that future customer thinks just like your youngest team member.

The automotive industry faces more technological challenges than any other industry. The landscape changes constantly with an influx of new vehicle systems, advanced technologies, powertrain designs, software programming, diagnostic test procedures and extended service intervals to mention a few. The younger, recently hired worker might be more knowledgeable about a technology, new systems or methods than the tenured employee. Their instant links to technology usually include researching topics of interest and participation in user groups and web forums.

Now think about a strategic or business planning meeting for your company. Should the participants all be long-term employees with only the history of how it has always been? What if the participants were younger teammates with little or no history to impede their ideas of what could be? For your business to have a future, your business needs a plan. Developing the plan should include those with fresh eyes, open minds and a vision of the technology necessary to carry your business to the future. The future should be focused on the customer and will require we get better at what we do. We will have to serve them quicker without sacrificing quality and communicate through their preferred methods and accept financial transactions other than cash, check or credit card.

Take advantage of the knowledge and skills the younger worker brings with them. Listen and learn from them. They have tremendous knowledge to share. Establish open communications between the different generations, create a culture of respect for young and old alike and become the best choice for the customer of the future. 

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