Fixed Operations
Why Don't We Train Ourselves? Part Two
By Ed Kovalchick
The success-ful performance of every employee is the responsibility of the individual department manager who manages that employee. Managers make a choice, conscious or otherwise, to train or not to train their employees. More than likely, your dealership falls into the "half-trained" category, where some type of training was provided for some employees at some time, while others received none at all.
The concepts of training are mostly misunderstood, primarily because few dealership managers have been exposed to any of the facets of training. Let's face it, most managers didn't receive meaningful training for any one job they did before becoming managers. Most excelled in fundamental ability and tenacity and then received a battlefield promotion to manager. Ongoing, effective employee training is simply not a part of the typical dealership culture.
Fortunately, after a thorough overview of the reasons for instituting consistent training, many managers who have attended my management training sessions have changed their thinking. The fundamental sense for using a training plan dictates the training strategy.
Training can be defined (from the trainee's standpoint) as:
- 1. Receiving specific instructions on the performance expectation.
- 2. Practicing those instructions before performing.
- 3. Being coached on the actual performance of those instructions after an evaluation is performed.
- 4. And then continuing the practices to either increase the excellence of performance or to maintain the excellence of performance.
What do these four items mean to a manager?
1. Receiving specific instructions means giving the employee the exact methods that will create a superior job performance. This begins with a "job function," which is a written set of very specific standards, policies, procedures, and methods that the employee is expected to attain and practice. The vague job descriptions we often find being used are nearly meaningless for training purposes, and they are usually reviewed once during the hiring process and then buried in a lost personnel file.
A well-written job function is used both at employee performance reviews and during training to assist the employee in understanding exactly what is expected. Most managers allow the employee to assess his/her own performance and then coach the employee to improvement. Without this tool, training becomes just a random series of subjects without employee performance assessments.
There is no more important document for training than a detailed description of exactly what is expected from an employee. If you do not have job functions completed, this would be the first exercise toward developing an effective training plan.
2. Practicing those job function instructions before performing is the act of actually following the methods and procedures that have been carefully outlined. McDonald's restaurants follow a very stringent plan before they open a new location, which includes making a dry-run of serving customers, cooking, packaging, etc., before the first real customer is served. There is not a classroom that can duplicate the real circumstances of that McDonald's employee environment. After the dry-run is completed, the entire process is assessed and additional coaching takes place to ensure the highest performance. Compare that management philosophy to the one you have experienced in the auto industry.
The aftermarket in service/parts is approximately five times bigger than dealership service/parts. Companies like Pep Boys won't allow an RO to be written before intensive training, and that type of training is continued throughout employment.
3. Being coached on performance allows the employee the opportunity to adjust his/her behavior before that behavior becomes the instinctive operating procedure. Adjustments or improvements in employee behavior are difficult to make after the employee has figured how to perform on his/her own.
From the employees' points of view, management gave them a task, provided no leadership in how to complete the task, and now they are being condemned for what they have developed. Coaching is best performed from an original job function.
4. Continuing the practices provides management the opportunity to continually assess performance, which helps employees to perform at the highest levels. Can you imagine a professional sports team foregoing practices because "we already know how to play"? But that odd philosophy exists throughout our industry.
A portion of most employees' time should be dedicated to training (in-house) every week, in 30-45 minute sessions. This type of training regimen also sets a high standard for the expectation of excellence within the organization. Without the presence of the training and coaching strategy, the message is "however you perform is ok." This statement sums up too many dealer departments.
My favorite statement in regard to training paints a most interesting overview of the training dilemma. "Consider this: if you are concerned about investing time in training because your employees might leave, the alternative is to not train the employees and have them stay."
Ed J. Kovalchick is CEO of Net Profit Inc., an international automotive dealer and manufacturer, training and management-consulting firm, located in Alabaster, Al. Mr. Kovalchick is a featured speaker and instructor at conventions, 20-Groups, associations, and other automotive-related events worldwide. He is also a former six-franchise new car dealer and independent shop owner. ekovalchick@dealeronline.com.
