We've all heard that people in this business tend to be hands-on learners who can only understand or retain knowledge that they've experienced first-hand. I disagree. I believe the unique nature of this business requires hands-on learning.
Auto repair and the business of auto repair are inexact sciences, where theory and reality are often completely at odds with each other. As technicians and shop owners, the customers and real-world technical problems you face every day are full of subtleties and "yeah-buts" that no engineer or MBA would understand without living them firsthand.
I think that's why, during my 30-plus years in the industry, every instructor I've met has wrenched full-time at some point, and every management instructor I've met is or was a shop owner. In this unique business, experience is not just the best teacher, often it's the only teacher.
Who knows better how to fix a particular driveability problem than someone who faced it just last month? Who knows better about dealing with a particular personnel issue, a customer service issue or management software dilemma than a shop owner who's already experienced it?
If the automakers only knewwhat they could find here ...
Training seminars will always be extremely important, but accessing other folks' real-world experience doesn't always require after-hours travel. A few mouse clicks can instantly connect you with the most valuable source of information any professional could ask for: each other.
There are several technicians' Web sites on the Internet, but the International Automotive Technician's Network (iATN) is the only one that's totally non-commercial. In these forums, technicians post thoughts and questions about technical problems, business, training and other industry issues. The "Help" forum is where techs ask each other for help with specific vehicles, and a "Fix" database includes a library with thousands of oscilloscope waveforms, scan tool snapshots and photos. A "Resources" section has a diagnostic trouble code (DTC) look-up table, training material and other technical information contributed directly by vehicle manufacturers, and there are links to important web sites such as the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency and the National Highway Transportation and Safety Administration.
One unofficial feature of iATN is the group of OE engineers and people from other big companies who participate or "lurk" in the forums. It's a great way for them to learn what people like you are thinking, and often they'll contribute some tidbit that makes me wonder if their bosses know what they're doing.
As with any Web forum, it's the people in the community who make it valuable. At the iATN convention in Anaheim, CA last September, I met with techs and shop owners from 37 states and six countries. They gathered to compare technical and business experiences, swap war stories, attend training seminars and challenge each other's reasoning skills. It was a gathering of people who are intensely interested in what they do because, like most of you, it's not just their job -- it's their life.
If the automakers only knew what they could find here, I'd bet every one would have someone assigned to monitor the service industry through this and other technicians-only Web forums. While the participants are admittedly a narrow segment of the industry, they are -- to use a well-worn phrase -- the pointy end of the spear. People on these forums are discussing issues and sharing hard-won knowledge every day, and that has already changed the entire industry.
When you have each other's experience literally right there at your fingertips, you have what Henry Ford considered the most important kind of knowledge: knowing where to look for an answer.
