Joined: 15 May 2007 Posts: 774 Location: Baton Rouge, LA
Posted: Thu Dec 06, 2007 5:10 pm Post subject: This Guy's a Real Problem
A shop owner tells me, “I’ve got an employee that’s a real problem.” He doesn’t follow procedures consistently. Sometimes he does things right, then he goes off on a whim and does things wrong. When he messes up, it cost a bunch of time to correct, but he doesn’t seem worried about that. He’s grouchy, irritable and generally hard to get along with. Sometimes he flies off the handle and rants and raves.
I asked, “Why do you have such a guy working for you.” He said, he’s the only one that will do the job for what it pays. Have you talked with him, I asked. “Over and again, but it has no effect, I hoped maybe you would talk with him.” Sure I’d be glad to, where is he. You’re talking to him.
Joined: 19 May 2007 Posts: 206 Location: Camp Verde, AZ
Posted: Thu Dec 06, 2007 10:08 pm Post subject:
As owners, we are the worst. We make rules, then do not follow them. We accept behavior out of ourselves that we would never let an employee get by with. Sadly, when we model this for our employees, it becomes the way business is done. Then we wonder why we have some of the problems we have.
We can force our employees to change, or else fire them. It is hard to fire ourselves, but we are the ones that need to change the most. Ask me how I know, on second thought, please don't.
_________________ David Wittmayer
Owner / Manager
Hansen Enterprises Fleet Repair, LLC
Camp Verde, AZ
www.hefrshop.com
Joined: 15 May 2007 Posts: 146 Location: Garden City, KS
Posted: Fri Dec 07, 2007 5:31 pm Post subject:
I don't mean to steer people into reading my posts, and this is exactly what this is doing...sorry...but in a post I made at the bottom of I Don't Think You Can Improve With A Big But I linked some YouTube videos of a very successful restaurant owner, Gordon Ramsey. You (and I) may not agree with his methods, but his results are spectacular. If you watch them, and the many others on YouTube (plus his show is TV) by entering Kitchen Nightmares into the search bar, you find may of the same issues over and over and over. MANAGEMENT. LEADERSHIP (or lack of). Employees have bad attitudes, the restaurants are not busy, equipment is in poor condition or doesn't work at all, etc. All these things can be related to auto repair shops! One that really sticks out is inventory management (or lack of). My point is, there are many times at the beginning of the show where the head chef, or one of the sous chefs, or waitstaff have very "bad" attitudes. After a week with Chef Ramsey intervening most of these "problem employees" become model employees. The number one thing that you see is a sense of leadership. I think that very much falls into Deming's ideas. Now...about the execution.... Thanks Louis! Later, Matt.
_________________ Matt Fanslow
ASE CMAT/L1
Crag-Technologies, Inc
www.wavehook.com
Joined: 15 May 2007 Posts: 774 Location: Baton Rouge, LA
Posted: Fri Dec 07, 2007 8:41 pm Post subject:
MattFMN wrote:
My point is, there are many times at the beginning of the show where the head chef, or one of the sous chefs, or waitstaff have very "bad" attitudes. After a week with Chef Ramsey intervening most of these "problem employees" become model employees. The number one thing that you see is a sense of leadership. I think that very much falls into Deming's ideas. Now...about the execution.... Thanks Louis! Later, Matt.
Hi Matt,
I very often notice that the best people will have a "bad attitude" when ask to do what they know is wrong. Most of the people working for me today were said to have "a bad attitude" by their past employer.
Joined: 15 May 2007 Posts: 774 Location: Baton Rouge, LA
Posted: Fri Dec 07, 2007 8:49 pm Post subject:
Dave wrote:
As owners, we are the worst. We make rules, then do not follow them. We accept behavior out of ourselves that we would never let an employee get by with. Sadly, when we model this for our employees, it becomes the way business is done. Then we wonder why we have some of the problems we have.
We can force our employees to change, or else fire them. It is hard to fire ourselves, but we are the ones that need to change the most. Ask me how I know, on second thought, please don't.
Hi Dave,
How do you think I thought of this post? I often catch myself doing the same things.
I can almost always tell what kind of manager a place has, by talking a few moments with any employee. On my last vacation, we stopped at a Cracker Barrel restaurant in Meridian MS. They were extremely busy, but our waitress was absolutely great. Fun, enthusiastic, funny, energetic, she made the meal a delight.
When we were finished, I asked if I could speak with the manager. I wish to tell him how pleased I was. She pointed to man, shirt sleeves rolled up, tie loosened, rushing around helping to bus tables. I now understood why his staff was so good. Thanks Dave, I appreciate the reply.
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Thanks Louis! Later, Matt.
