06/07/2020
So I'm attending to a trainee manager performance issue and thought I'd flip back through our trusty Operator Essentials manual for some guidance on Management and was slightly blown away by coach Rhys' words of wisdom he penned out here in the introduction and had to share...
If your having Manager performance issues he's the guru, the people whisperer...
THE IMPORTANCE OF MANAGEMENT
What is a Manager?
A manager is someone who manages people. They succeed because of empathy, patience, knowledge, restraint and courage. They fail because of inexperience, ignorance, intolerance, fear or simply because of circumstances which were too much against them. No person is identical to another person and since no people problems are identical there is no standard formula for solving people problems, and every manager will have their own unique style anyway.
Investment in your workforce skills of staff and investment in management skills are 2 of the biggest driving forces of the performance of your carwash. The root cause for an under performing wash is inadequate management supervision, sub par planning and implementation of processes and ineffective communication of the information employees need to work at their most productive level.
Managers can’t ignore their share of responsibility for the amount of time wasted each year by un productive employees. When it comes to improving productivity the first area to attend to should be reforming poor management practices and getting managers up to speed in some basic skills.
Managers and owners often have issues with formulating and delivering clear verbal instruction. This can be addressed to a large degree by having the right support resources in place: a clear organisational structure; well defined job descriptions to avoid confusion about responsibilities; policies and procedures manuals to provide a definitive answer on the approved method of doing things; and investing time in inducting and training new employees. Implementing measures like these will reap huge long term productivity benefits.
To get your team achieving the right things you need to be very clear in the instruction you provide, whether that be at the level of explaining how to perform a process or what goals your carwash is trying to achieve and their role in contributing to their and your goals.
Poor productivity can be the result of just plain time wasting by employees but more likely it’s the result of poor planning, follow up, inefficient practices and an inability to clearly communicate what needs doing. A manager has a responsibility to make themselves the best they can be before laying problems of poor productivity at the feet of their employees.
Our People Positioning Guide and Management Pre Shift Checklists provide your manager with structure to their day whilst still maintaining a focus on the basic functions on the key areas of your wash. It doesn't matter if you have a team of ten or a team of two, your manager should begin their day with these tools to optimize the business according to projections, staff levels and actively managing the overall performance of the business.
Characteristics of Good Leadership
• Demonstrate concern for people�
• Provide for opportunity and assist in self development�
• Provide an atmosphere encouraging self-satisfaction and pride
• Encourage team effort�
• Maintain complete fairness, honesty and integrity.�
• Maintain open, consistent, and regular communication.�
• Encourage creativity�
• Commit ourselves to productivity and quality�
• Maintain consistency�
• Dedication to improvement�
• Keep things simple and basic�
• Build on a basis of ‘need’�
• Give attention to detail�
• Conserve resources�
• Listen carefully to what others are saying and ‘take it on board’
THE IMPORTANCE OF FOLLOW UP AND FEEDBACK
The diligence of consistent follow up on junior staff both daily and annually at their performance review is one of the most fundamental aspects of good management. From your daily duties right through to performance reviews, your ability to achieve your goals and targets as well as a happy and vibrant workplace will largely depend on your level of follow up and feedback to staff, the benefit of diligent follow up gives employees the opportunity to share their wins and frustrations and the knowing that you care about their experience within the team.
Regular follow up sessions are critical for the commitment and ex*****on of tasks derived from your monthly team meetings. Action plans from your meeting will have very little impact on your team and your car washes over all performance if follow up is not completed.
Feedback, of both varieties is critical to your overall performance as a carwash and as a team. It is used to make important decisions and achieves consistency in your washes performance and keeps you improving. Feedback from your team and customers alike present many opportunities to amend operational inefficiencies, relationships, goals and service so don't take them personally, feedback will never go away, view it as a gift.
Feedback is important because:
• It improves performance
• It motivates
• Its effective listening
• It's a tool for learning
