challenge of change

Review parts 1 through 15 for details and thinking, then utilize the Recipe for Change.

Part 7 – Leadership is the Key

What if you define the 10 Mission Critical Processes that make or break your business model? Then, what if you wrote them down and trained them every day?

What if you defined your 10 Critical Business Philosophies? Then, what if you wrote them down and LIVED them every day?

What if you defined the 10 Strategies of your model? Then, what if you wrote them down and walked the walk daily?

What if you defined the 10 tactics for those results? Then, what if you wrote them down and executed them daily?

Perhaps with this style of Leadership that squad of undead zombies you call your staff would come to life!

Leadership is the key to making your business work.

The Recipe for Change

When you’re baking a cake, there are certain ingredients that are necessary for the cake to come out as planned. You need to follow a step by step procedure. Include all portions as described, mix as indicated, then cook for the optimum time and temperature. Any variation from the recipe may cause an incomplete and utter disaster! If you don’t follow the recipe, you will not get the results you were expecting.

When you’re leading your company and staff through change, a recipe would be very helpful, so here it is:

1. You must be totally committed to the change (1 gallon)
2. It must be well defined and written (1 pint)
3. You must be willing to accept the push back and resistance (1 quart)
4. Create the WHY story to sell to sell your staff (Five Pounds)
5. Talk to them one-on-one (1 Tablespoon)
6. Give them time to adjust mentally to the change (Let Marinate 1 week)
7. Let them express their feelings (Snap-Crackle-Pop)
8. Set a rollout date for the change to occur (Cook Time 10 Days)
9. Have many training sessions before rollout (Mixing steps)
10. Establish the change as a habit (Tasting the results)

This is a quick and simple recipe for change. Follow the ingredients and steps, and see what results you will achieve. Review parts 1 through 15 for more details and thinking.

Management is the formula.

Leadership is the essential catalyst.

You are the stick that stirs the ingredients.

Review parts 1 through 15 for details and thinking, then utilize the Recipe for Change.

Part 6 – “What If?”

“What if” is a short but effective story line for business thinking.

See below your checklist for “what if” success. Are the following items being executed?

• You must have your BOX defined.
• Your systems must be written.
• Leadership must be present.
• Management must be present.
• Behavioral coaching must happen.
• EPS – Mentoring sessions with all staff members weekly for 15 minutes,
• STS – Staff Training Session weekly 30-45 minutes must happen.
• BPS – Business Performance Session weekly must happen.
• Can you define your WHY?
• Are you able to sell your Vision?
• Can you define your recipe for success? Do your staff members know the recipe?
• Are your people willing and able? Or are they unwilling and unable?
• Is there anyone that needs to get off the bus?
• Are you recruiting weekly?

The Recipe for Change

When you’re baking a cake, there are certain ingredients that are necessary for the cake to come out as planned. You need to follow a step by step procedure. Include all portions as described, mix as indicated, then cook for the optimum time and temperature. Any variation from the recipe may cause an incomplete and utter disaster! If you don’t follow the recipe, you will not get the results you were expecting.

When you’re leading your company and staff through change, a recipe would be very helpful, so here it is:

1. You must be totally committed to the change (1 gallon)
2. It must be well defined and written (1 pint)
3. You must be willing to accept the push back and resistance (1 quart)
4. Create the WHY story to sell to sell your staff (Five Pounds)
5. Talk to them one-on-one (1 Tablespoon)
6. Give them time to adjust mentally to the change (Let Marinate 1 week)
7. Let them express their feelings (Snap-Crackle-Pop)
8. Set a rollout date for the change to occur (Cook Time 10 Days)
9. Have many training sessions before rollout (Mixing steps)
10. Establish the change as a habit (Tasting the results)

This is a quick and simple recipe for change. Follow the ingredients and steps, and see what results you will achieve. Review parts 1 through 15 for more details and thinking.

Management is the formula.

Leadership is the essential catalyst.

You are the stick that stirs the ingredients.

Review parts 1 through 15 for details and thinking, then utilize the Recipe for Change.

Part 5 – What if? How? Come on!

What if your car count doubled? What if your net profit doubled? What if your customers said “yes” to all repairs and all maintenance suggestions?

What if all your staff members pulled together as a team?

What if you completed your How-To Manual, and your budget started operating smoothly? What if you dominated your target market?

What if your customers never bought a new car, and they told everyone about your company?

Okay, here’s the catch.

How do you make these “what if” items happen?

How are you doing? How is it working for you?

How do you get buy-in from staff members?

How do you even think these are all possible?

Come on Gary, are you a dreamer?

Come on Gary, this is not possible.

Come on Gary, tell me how.

The Recipe for Change

When you’re baking a cake, there are certain ingredients that are necessary for the cake to come out as planned. You need to follow a step by step procedure. Include all portions as described, mix as indicated, then cook for the optimum time and temperature. Any variation from the recipe may cause an incomplete and utter disaster! If you don’t follow the recipe, you will not get the results you were expecting.

When you’re leading your company and staff through change, a recipe would be very helpful, so here it is:

1. You must be totally committed to the change (1 gallon)
2. It must be well defined and written (1 pint)
3. You must be willing to accept the push back and resistance (1 quart)
4. Create the WHY story to sell to sell your staff (Five Pounds)
5. Talk to them one-on-one (1 Tablespoon)
6. Give them time to adjust mentally to the change (Let Marinate 1 week)
7. Let them express their feelings (Snap-Crackle-Pop)
8. Set a rollout date for the change to occur (Cook Time 10 Days)
9. Have many training sessions before rollout (Mixing steps)
10. Establish the change as a habit (Tasting the results)

This is a quick and simple recipe for change. Follow the ingredients and steps, and see what results you will achieve. Review parts 1 through 15 for more details and thinking.

Management is the formula.

Leadership is the essential catalyst.

You are the stick that stirs the ingredients.

Review parts 1 through 15 for details and thinking, then utilize the Recipe for Change.

Part 4 – Buttons

Have you ever heard the child’s game of button, button that has the button?

Staples has a great campaign – the EASY button. (“That was easy!”) Have you heard about it? Maybe you have one of the buttons on your desk right now.

So here is a list of change or “shift”, buttons you might want to employ. Simple – press them when needed!

• A button for Leadership
• A button for behavioral coaching
• A button for Management
• A button for boldness
• A button for upgrading your staff
• A button for always having room for talent
• A button for having operational systems
• A button for the correct inspection processA button for making a profit
• A button for selling your work for the right margins
• A button for recruiting
• A button for hiring the right people
• A button for advertising
• A button for car count
• A button for resetting your thinking
• A button for mentoring
• A button for vision
• A button for creating the right culture
• A button for budgeting
• A button to create a button

Button, button – do you have enough buttons?

The Recipe for Change

When you’re baking a cake, there are certain ingredients that are necessary for the cake to come out as planned. You need to follow a step by step procedure. Include all portions as described, mix as indicated, then cook for the optimum time and temperature. Any variation from the recipe may cause an incomplete and utter disaster! If you don’t follow the recipe, you will not get the results you were expecting.

When you’re leading your company and staff through change, a recipe would be very helpful, so here it is:

1. You must be totally committed to the change (1 gallon)
2. It must be well defined and written (1 pint)
3. You must be willing to accept the push back and resistance (1 quart)
4. Create the WHY story to sell to sell your staff (Five Pounds)
5. Talk to them one-on-one (1 Tablespoon)
6. Give them time to adjust mentally to the change (Let Marinate 1 week)
7. Let them express their feelings (Snap-Crackle-Pop)
8. Set a rollout date for the change to occur (Cook Time 10 Days)
9. Have many training sessions before rollout (Mixing steps)
10. Establish the change as a habit (Tasting the results)

This is a quick and simple recipe for change. Follow the ingredients and steps, and see what results you will achieve. Review parts 1 through 15 for more details and thinking.

Management is the formula.

Leadership is the essential catalyst.

You are the stick that stirs the ingredients.

Review parts 1 through 15 for details and thinking, then utilize the Recipe for Change.

Part 3 – Equip Yourself for Change

Okay Gary, how do I equip myself for change?

1. You must be committed to the change.
2. You want to set in motion an education process with your staff on why change is occurring.
3. You must have a written plan for why, when and how.
4. You must train the change.
5. You must follow up forever.
6. You must hold people accountable.
7. You must reward and celebrate the right behavior.

Let me sum it up in one word: “resolve”

Repeat after me:

I will accomplish this change.

I will never let my eyes blink.

I will persevere through it all.

I will finish the task.

The Recipe for Change

When you’re baking a cake, there are certain ingredients that are necessary for the cake to come out as planned. You need to follow a step by step procedure. Include all portions as described, mix as indicated, then cook for the optimum time and temperature. Any variation from the recipe may cause an incomplete and utter disaster! If you don’t follow the recipe, you will not get the results you were expecting.

When you’re leading your company and staff through change, a recipe would be very helpful, so here it is:

1. You must be totally committed to the change (1 gallon)
2. It must be well defined and written (1 pint)
3. You must be willing to accept the push back and resistance (1 quart)
4. Create the WHY story to sell to sell your staff (Five Pounds)
5. Talk to them one-on-one (1 Tablespoon)
6. Give them time to adjust mentally to the change (Let Marinate 1 week)
7. Let them express their feelings (Snap-Crackle-Pop)
8. Set a rollout date for the change to occur (Cook Time 10 Days)
9. Have many training sessions before rollout (Mixing steps)
10. Establish the change as a habit (Tasting the results)

This is a quick and simple recipe for change. Follow the ingredients and steps, and see what results you will achieve. Review parts 1 through 15 for more details and thinking.

Management is the formula.

Leadership is the essential catalyst.

You are the stick that stirs the ingredients.

Review parts 1 through 15 for details and thinking, then utilize the Recipe for Change.

Part 2 – the Reason for Change

Exploring the reason for change is so difficult. I have interviewed many auto repair shop owners, and here is what they have said. Please review this list to see if they resonate with your thoughts. Here it goes:

• Not wanting to fail
• Lack of faith changes will work
• Old habits
• Don’t know where to start
• Over analyzing
• Too much mental energy required
• My staff will not like it and will resist
• Not knowing the right time
• Not willing to work on it
• The effort of thinking it through
• The daily grind of putting out fires
• Family schedule
• Too busy
• Lack of discipline
• Stuck in my old ways and bad habits
• We don’t get along
• Pulling the trigger
• Wasting time
• We are frozen in place as a business
• Lack of motivation
• Not enough pain
• Many more…

The ones that stand out and I see and hear the most are:

• FEAR of Failure
• FEAR of Pushback
• FEAR of Staff
• FEAR of the Outcome

Are you frozen with fear?

Are you too lazy?

Are you complacent?

Are you too busy?

Are you lacking leadership skills?

The Recipe for Change

When you’re baking a cake, there are certain ingredients that are necessary for the cake to come out as planned. You need to follow a step by step procedure. Include all portions as described, mix as indicated, then cook for the optimum time and temperature. Any variation from the recipe may cause an incomplete and utter disaster! If you don’t follow the recipe, you will not get the results you were expecting.

When you’re leading your company and staff through change, a recipe would be very helpful, so here it is:

1. You must be totally committed to the change (1 gallon)
2. It must be well defined and written (1 pint)
3. You must be willing to accept the push back and resistance (1 quart)
4. Create the WHY story to sell to sell your staff (Five Pounds)
5. Talk to them one-on-one (1 Tablespoon)
6. Give them time to adjust mentally to the change (Let Marinate 1 week)
7. Let them express their feelings (Snap-Crackle-Pop)
8. Set a rollout date for the change to occur (Cook Time 10 Days)
9. Have many training sessions before rollout (Mixing steps)
10. Establish the change as a habit (Tasting the results)

This is a quick and simple recipe for change. Follow the ingredients and steps, and see what results you will achieve. Review parts 1 through 15 for more details and thinking.

Management is the formula.

Leadership is the essential catalyst.

You are the stick that stirs the ingredients.

Review parts 1 through 15 for details and thinking, then utilize the Recipe for Change.

Part 1

I dare you to take the time to discover your own personal challenges to change. What are their roots? What feelings surface when changes come your way? How does it affect your thinking? Do you embrace change? Perhaps you run from change. First, you must examine your reaction to change. Then learn to overcome it.

Perhaps we need to reframe or redefine the word “change”. What about replacing the word change with “shift”? We have a shift in thinking, actions, philosophy, strategy, tactics, habits, direction, or in desire.

One step could be as simple as defining your “why”. If your why is strong enough, then you can overcome any obstacles in your pathway. Write it down and practice talking about it. Sell yourself first. Share it with other shop owners. Become totally convicted to make it happen, lay out a plan, and then execute the plan.

Expect push back from your staff, but don’t let your knees buckle. Stay firm and listen to their concerns. Expect turnover. Talk one-on-one with each staff member until you perceive buy-in. Explain your why, and afterward, ask them to support the change. When you feel the mood is right, and enough of your staff members are onboard, then execute the change.

The Recipe for Change

When you’re baking a cake, there are certain ingredients that are necessary for the cake to come out as planned. You need to follow a step by step procedure. Include all portions as described, mix as indicated, then cook for the optimum time and temperature. Any variation from the recipe may cause an incomplete and utter disaster! If you don’t follow the recipe, you will not get the results you were expecting.

When you’re leading your company and staff through change, a recipe would be very helpful, so here it is:

1. You must be totally committed to the change (1 gallon)
2. It must be well defined and written (1 pint)
3. You must be willing to accept the push back and resistance (1 quart)
4. Create the WHY story to sell to sell your staff (Five Pounds)
5. Talk to them one-on-one (1 Tablespoon)
6. Give them time to adjust mentally to the change (Let Marinate 1 week)
7. Let them express their feelings (Snap-Crackle-Pop)
8. Set a rollout date for the change to occur (Cook Time 10 Days)
9. Have many training sessions before rollout (Mixing steps)
10. Establish the change as a habit (Tasting the results)

This is a quick and simple recipe for change. Follow the ingredients and steps, and see what results you will achieve. Review parts 1 through 15 for more details and thinking.

Management is the formula.

Leadership is the essential catalyst.

You are the stick that stirs the ingredients.