Randy Sattler, manager of Rydell Collision Center, presented on a matter during the annual 2017 FenderBender Management Conference that many shop owners have trouble with: making changes stick.
After identifying the items on your action list that you want to implement in your shop, here are thirteen of Sattler’s tips to keep top of mind when you go on the journey of change.
- You have to have something to benchmark yourself against to know if you are getting better.
- Your chain is only as strong as its weakest link.
- You may have to fall in order to achieve success.
- When you decide to go on the journey of change, start with some small change or process addition where everyone can see the impact.
- Be patient but don’t cave when things do not go as planned. Really work to determine if the fall is because of a knowing or doing issue.
- Keep things as simple as it can be. If it’s not simple, it may fail.
- Be hard on the process, not the people.
- You have to be committed to be on the floor and in the middle of it with them.
- You have the responsibility of maintaining any process you put in place.
- Learn to see what your employees see.
- Live it, breathe it and know it so well that you can define the problem as a “doing or knowing” issue.
- Change cannot come at the expense of the employees—you and the business have to be committed to doing what is right and fair with the employees.
The 2018 FenderBender Management Conference will be held Sept. 17–19 at the Westin Lombard near Chicago for its third year in a row. The event features in-depth workshops and networking opportunities.
