Out of the Crisis.Org

[Louis Altazan]

I think like most shop owners, I started my shop by running the office as well as fixing the vehicles. Also like many shop owners, there came a time when I could no longer perform both task. Stay in the shop, where I was most valuable or run the office? That was quite a decision and obviously I chose the later.

It was not that I did not enjoy the shop work, I did. In fact, I found it infinitely more enjoyable and less stressful than having to run the office. I also realized a few other things. First, I could only fix so many vehicles in a day. The number of repairs I could make would establish my income. I also knew that I was reaching my physical prime. The physical requirements meant I would earn less as time passed.

While I very much enjoyed the work, I also realized it kept me fully occupied. Things around me were clearly changing. The best I could do was to keep abreast of the changes in my field. It occurred to me that to be prepared for a changing future I would have to occupy a different position in the company. My thought was, from the office I would be able to see a broader perspective. By speaking with clients, I might learn more about the things they may need in the future. With this knowledge, I could create services that met their needs.

Reluctantly I made the change. It was even more difficult than I imagined, requiring several new skill sets. As a technician, I tended to see things as black and white, yes/no, 0/1, fixed and not fixed. Dealing with people was not that way at all. Rather than yes/no, things were either “more-correct” or “less-correct.” I also learned, people are not things for me to fix. Technicians doing things differently than I expected did not mean they were “broken.” They also seldom appreciated being “fixed.”

Clients too, did not always see things as I thought they should. Rather they saw things from their own perspective. This was not necessarily wrong and they did not need fixing. Instead, I needed to learn to demonstrate why what I suggested was in their best interest.

Eventually I learned, and continue to learn. The skills I acquired as a technician have been invaluable in many cases. In other cases I have had to learn new skills and learn to apply old skills in different ways. To those who are now facing this choice, I can offer that it can be done. In my opinion it is also a key to building something far greater than might otherwise be accomplished. Just as no person starts out as a master technician, no person starts out as a fully prepared shop manager.

With study of the fourteen points I think the transformation can be made much simpler. Starting with the suggested reading list can also make the change much easier. For me, making the change from technician to manager was one of the best I ever made. The decision is a tough one. My hope is this might help others facing the same choice.

_________________
Louis Altazan
Owner/Manager AGCO Automotive Corporation
Baton Rouge, LA

[MattFMN]

I always found one of the most difficult things to do, from a management position, was to communicate my vision to my fellow associates. Not only that, but to explain in detail how they fit in and how they could contribute to reaching that vision and beyond. Another was having a vision, but not really knowing how to get there.

After all the above it done, and hopefully satisfactorily, stepping back and allowing your employees to do their thing without smothering them when you felt you had a better idea than what they had or were actually doing. That is where psychology and communication would really come in handy. To recognize if their way was as good or better than yours, and if not to be able to channel their energy in a positive way. This would also fall into the removing of obstacles, I think...

Great post, Louis. Later, Matt.

_________________
Matt Fanslow
ASE CMAT/L1
Crag-Technologies, Inc
www.wavehook.com

[Louis Altazan]

Hi Matt,