Over my last two columns — “Finding the right people and the right place” and “It’s not about the money — it’s about great management" — I passed along tips for building a loyal and motivated work force and real-world advice from a couple of shop owners who have done it well. In my conversations with them, they passed along two other steps they see as crucial to building a winning team.
Empower employees
Paul Sgro of Lee’s Garage in West Long Branch, N.J., said he’s always learned so much from the other shop owners in his 20 group. That led him to start sending other leaders within his 24-employee business to similar meetings designed for managers.
“They come back with all these great ideas about what they want to do,” Sgro said. “It was them learning it, not just me trying to get them to do it. They were leading for us, and that really is important.”
Sgro’s shop has what he called the “Magnificent Seven” — the managers of seven departments within his shop: office, blueprinting, body, paint, reassembly, detail and quality control.
“They ensure each department does their very best,” Sgro said. “They have weekly meetings themselves, three days a week,” Paul said. “They get together for 15 minutes and discuss what went on the day before and where they’re going that day, what can we do differently to make it better.”
Employees are motivated by that ability to improve their work and processes, Sgro said.
Set and communicate realistic goals
People like to be among the best, said Barry Jost of Jost Garage of Jost Garage in Wall Township, N.J. His company wouldn’t be producing 40-50 cars a week if his team didn’t know what was expected and what “success” looks like.
“Everybody wants to be on the winning team,” Jost said. “What do they say: ‘Show me a good loser and I’ll show you a loser,’ right? We do a lot of goal setting and positive reinforcement with the production and office staff.”
Sgro’s shop, too, motivates employees with both individual and team goals.
“I make them stretch, but I don’t put something in place that’s unrealistic,” he said. “We’ll sit down and talk: Is this doable? How are we going to do it? What can we do to make it happen? I'm not going to just start barking out the orders. That doesn’t work. They have to buy-in to what you’re doing.”
A monthly lunch meeting with the whole staff gives Sgro a chance to show them how the company is doing.
“They’re involved. It’s not just me doing it. It’s them doing it,” Sgro said. “I can coach and motivate them, to keep them focused on that common goal. But we all have to be in the same boat, rowing in the same direction. When you get a guy who’s not, that sticks out like a sore thumb. Everybody sees it.”
What are the results of the work Jost and Sgro have put into developing a motivated team at their business?
“In all the years I’ve been doing this since I took over from my dad in 1981, we have the best culture we’ve ever had,” Sgro said. “We have a group of men and women here who do an incredible job. They serve their internal customers, one department to the next.”
“Our retention rate is just ridiculous,” Jost said. “We very seldom lose a guy, particularly based on them being disgruntled. They may self-implode, being late or not coming in, having some personal issues going on, but they don’t leave because of us. Our people help each other out. Everyone works as one unit.”
