Blog (Maryann Croce): The Secret to a Better Team is No Secret

Maryann Croce

The number one challenge shop owners tell me they face today is finding good help. I hear it from all areas of the country.

People are looking for the answers, tips, tactics and all the advice they can get.

Their challenges are similar.

• Not many applicants
• People don’t seem motivated
• Lack of accountability

Let’s Unpack This

• What happened? (Diagnosis)
• What can the future look like? (Vision)
• How do we get there? (Plan)

What happened? For years we’ve seen the ripple effect of poor leadership. Many owners didn’t appreciate and value team members as people who could contribute and grow the business. The owner didn’t clearly share their story (purpose) of why they started their business. The challenge: These owners had no clear purpose or lost sight of it. Without, a vision, mission and purpose they created a job for themselves not a business. They didn’t know what they didn’t know. Poor leadership caused the ripple effect and the skills gap we have today. As a result, we have many who are disengaged at work and only work for a paycheck. My coaching purpose: I was frustrated that good people were operating their business out of fear. It broken my heart that many owners felt less than with nothing to sell after years of dedicating their lives to their business while sacrificing other areas of their life.

The future. You have a story. A reason you opened your shop. It’s more than money. Money is the result of working. Go deeper. What motivated you and led you to this is your purpose. Keep in mind motivation can be positive or negative. Vision is the future and it’s bigger than your shop or business. How do you want the industry to be? What do you think needs to change? My coaching vision: Auto shop owners (leaders) realize their capabilities to perform at their best to reach their goals, success and fulfillment.

Getting there. Mission: How you show up every day to be a credit to your community and industry. Learn, ask, share what’s working, lessons learned, support, guide and encourage others. Start with you. Are you the best leader you could be? Why would someone want to work with you? Would they be working for just a paycheck or would they be part of something bigger? My coaching mission: To guide shop owners to become high-performance leaders so they can turn their dreams into reality without sacrificing their personal life.

We know we need to maintain our homes, cars and health. How do you maintain your business to keep it Enjoyable, Sustainable and Profitable? Business grows as the owner grows. Plan on developing yourself and the ripple effect will enrich your team, business, and personal life.

So, the secret to a better team is not looking for better people. It’s becoming a better leader and attracting the people who connect with your purpose, share your vision and want to be a part of it. It’s about developing and retaining people who want to grow. They each have a story as well. Learn what motivates them. Be mindful of how you show up each day. Your job as leader is to inspire them.

It took generations of poor leadership which created the ripple effect we experience today. The skills gap. The good news is leadership is a skill that can be learned and improved. High-performance leadership is the solution. There are resources available and people to guide you. Become the leader you are meant to be.

Maryann Croce, a certified partner of Todd Herman’s 90 Day Year™, is a leadership coach/shop owner. Her company Small Biz Vantage specializes in leadership development for trade business owners. She is an auto shop owner since 1999. You can reach Maryann at (203) 913-7741 or maryann@smallbizvantage.com Maryann speaks on leadership and mindset. SmallBizVantage.com