Auto Repair Shop Owners - Are you dealing with SSDD?

Define by Rick White, President 180BIZ

Today’s topic is Defining. I am on a mission to eliminate or eradicate with prejudice, SSDD. I think you know what I mean. It’s Same Stuff Different Day. I see too many shops going into work every day doing the same thing. Like it's another day dealing with a client. It's another brake job. It's another oil service. I want you to get that out of your shop. How are we going to do that? 

1. Find a crusade. It could be anything. You could be talking to your team about what excites them. Maybe there's an animal shelter or a conservation project or community that you want to serve. If you can integrate that into your daily business and talk about it and measure it, measure your contributions, measure your participation in this, it's going to make all the difference in the world. 

2. Set clear and concise goals. Make sure you understand where people are going and where you're going. I see so many people that are absolutely in love with the victory. And few are willing to deal with the discipline. Set a goal that excites everyone. Remember that the reasons that the goal excites you are not going to be the reasons that it excites them. Tie your goal to what they want and make it really exciting. It's amazing how a team will come together. It's amazing how things will go when you have people, not only in the same boat but paddling the same way. 

Figure out where you're at now, and then you're going to have that crusade. You're going to have the goals out there, and you're going to talk about the risk. Talk about what will get them there and what will happen. Talk about what it will look like when they get there. 

Then put this all together and make it so that it's about growth for them. For certain people, the excitement will be about growth. Don’t come into same stuff, different day. Talk about it all the time. Baseline where you're at, talk about what it will be like getting there, and then figure it out as a team. Figure out what you need to do as a team.  Then get going. 

It's up to you. If you come in as an owner and feel like same stuff different day, step back and get in touch with what lights you up.  What drives you? What's your passion? Maybe boats are your passion. If the rest of your team is into boats, put a trip together. And, and if the numbers hit, we do the boat thing. Reward can be another thing that might get people interested. Make sure the rewards aren't too far apart. Don't make it a year or six months. Do something every month. 

So, there are a bunch of different ways of doing this, but make sure you're not going in same stuff different day. The point here is to define the win. Define what a win looks like. This is an infinite game. It's a great book by Simon Sinek. This is not a finite game. You don't actually win in business. The way you win in business is to still be there continually growing. 

Let's face it, two things going on right now. It’s really hard to find help. So, what does that mean? You must do a great job at keeping the help you have and growing them. And then create an environment that gets other people to want to work there. That is the secret today. Technicians are tired of same old, same old. Be different. Have a crusade. Have strong goals. Talk about rewards. Talk about growth. Then you can watch what happens with your team. Do it all together.

What can you do so that it's not same stuff, different day? Maybe it's talking about how people are trusting you with their lives. Do you know what I'm saying? They're trusting you with their lives. They're handing you the keys. Think about that responsibility. Talk about that. These are the things that will help you get out of the same stuff, different day. Think of the people you're serving. It's not their job, it's yours. So, my challenge to you is to make that happen. 

God bless. Stay safe. Go make some money. Take care.