Being a leader is often a challenge because of the workplace environment we find ourselves in.
Being a leader is like being a parent. For example, if one parent stays at home, it can be more difficult to discipline the children due to being around them all the time.
Most of my readers are in the automobile business and are often around the same people for 12 plus hours a day.
Most dealerships have systems and processes in place designed to create focus and discipline. Even under the best of circumstances processes are constantly breaking down which contributes to poor performance and a poor bottom line.
The reality is that it’s much easier to run a large dealership than a small one.
As a leader in a large dealership, you can delegate much more and separate yourself from some of the personalities that can cause the breakdown of discipline.
Do not take that to mean that you don’t need to be involved, friendly or whatever. It just means you have to separate yourself from the emotional side of the equation.
If you are in a smaller dealership the task of separating yourself from the staff is even more daunting.I’m often amazed that leaders feel that they can socialize with staff members and still be able to properly manage and lead them.
How can you
1. Have lunch with the same people all the time?
2. Have dinner with spouses and members of your team on a regular basis?
3. Have after work drinks with staff members?
4. Party with staff members?
5. Attend sporting events with staff members?
6. Play golf on weekends with staff members?
Any of these in and of themselves is not a bad thing.
But, to do any of this with the same person on a consistent basis does nothing but create problems for you and them.
Aside from the fact it makes it difficult for you to manage them (let alone fire them) it creates a perception of favoritism that will destroy morale and team spirit.
Never forget, perception is reality. If you perceive that I’m a jerk, then I’m a jerk. The only way for that to change is for me to work toward changing your perception of me.
The burden is on me, not you. That’s all I’m gonna say, Tommy Gibbs