‎

"You don't get paid for the hour.  You get paid for the value you bring to the hour.” 

~ Jim Rohn

Recently, I had a day in which the time seemed to sit still.  I glanced at the clock for the tenth time and it was only 1:30pm.  How could this be?  I felt like I had already completed a full day worth of work and it should be closer to 4:30pm!  I looked back at my to-do list that at the beginning of my day seemed so daunting and jam-packed with exhaustive activity.  I even questioned a fellow peer fearing a practical joke had been played on me by resetting my clock.  Nope, it was only 1:30pm. 

My office is normally a beehive of activity and most of my day is spent balancing all this activity with what I am actually tasked to do as my job description. Today was a rare day, the beehive of activity was absent for the most part and I was able to focus all my energy on my actual role in the company.  That is when the light bulb turned on.  If only I had a game plan to achieve this same level of focus when my office is a blur of activity, allowing me to achieve a higher level of productivity. 

I am sure that many automotive managers can identify with my dilemma.  Only if we could teach our sales, service and other management teammates to learn to bring value to each moment of their day, can we be afforded the opportunity to be focused.  The answer to this dilemma is to provide management, service department and automotive sales training that teach people to be self-starters, problem solvers and individuals that take on the initiative to make a difference in their day, instead of passing along the buck to someone else.

Each member of a management, service and sales team is a part of the collective body that we call our dealership.  An arm will do what an arm is designed to do.  A leg will perform the duties of a leg.  Sometimes, it appears to be easier to do it yourself than it is to teach someone to do things for themselves.  Ultimately though, you are creating the trap where they will never take charge of their duties.  Change your perspective and be committed to saying, “Wonderful!  Let me get you started by showing you…” or “That is a great idea.  I think you should put this idea on paper and start the ball rolling with...”  Certainly this will be met with some resistance and dislike, but the goal is to make everyone a productive member of the team and the expert of the role they have been assigned.  The objective is to build and foster a team that brings value to each moment of their day, allowing you to be focused on your duties and the value you bring to each day. 

Be the stand for having the ambition to work with a team that goes beyond punching the clock and occupying space for eight hours a day.  Be a stand for created value you in each moment of the day.

About the Author

Stephanie Young is the Vice President of Sales and Marketing for The Manus Group, where she is an active blogger, social media contributor and spokesperson for one of the nation’s leading automotive recruiting and training firms. Stephanie is also the current Ms. Florida Forestry Queen, promoting her platform encouraging young woman to pursue their interests in STEM field careers.

If you like this blog, please share with others and connect with Stephanie on Facebook, LinkedIn and Google+

Copyright © 2014, Stephanie Young All rights reserved.