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by Paul Morton

n the last issue of GEARS we talked

about the difference between education, training, and knowledge,
and their critical importance in bringing
about the necessary changes to operate
a business in such a dynamic industry.
Its my belief that as a primary benefactor of a technicians knowledge and
ability, the shop should play some role
in providing that on-going accumulation of knowledge.
This is also, in my opinion, an
excellent opportunity for the employer
to begin a meaningful level of relationship-building with the employee. An
employer who pays all or part of the
cost associated with a technician
receiving advanced technical training
(paid time off to attend training, the
actual cost of the training and materials), and is provided the specialty tools
to do his or her job is going to have a
different relationship with employees
than one who does none of those things.
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There are many other factors that

contribute to the development of loyalty between the boss and employees, but
this is one big way in which an employer can tell his people they matter, and in
turn, really benefit by the employees
experience and growing base of knowledge, with a greater degree of certainty
the employee will be around awhile.
Before we get to that level, though,
we need to look at other issues. Issues
that form the starting point from which
you will decide who it is thatll represent your business. How you handle
that will also indicate if youll be able
to maximize the potential of what your
employees have to offer.
Whether your business is new or
well-established, the relationship you
develop with your workforce will eventually decide the success of your business.
The
Small
Business
Administration (SBA) has estimated
that of all small businesses that fail,

regardless of their nature of business,

80% fail because of issues related to
employees. The precise reasons, or
faults, associated with those employees
vary, but the base-cause stems from a
fundamental lack of positive personality characteristics necessary to do the
job.
You may think that all you need to
improve or save your business operation is a super technician. But even if
you hired a person who is a technical
whiz, but lacks those important positive
Core Values I so often harp about,
youve only delayed your collapse. My
professional opinion, which Ive found
supported time and again by many of
the more successful shop owners in the
industry, is that employees should not
be hired based on technical ability
alone. This is particularly important at
an entry-level position.
What Ive referred to in past articles as Core Values are the personaliGEARS April 2003

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Whether your
business is new
or well-established, the relationship you
develop with
your workforce
will eventually
decide the success of your
business.
ty characteristics you want to see in
those you hire (and hopefully have
yourself, and in those who already
work for you). The positive core values
are the bits and pieces of personality,
developed during childhood through
young adulthood, that are manifested in
(among other attributes) a solid work
ethic, honesty, a sense of responsibility,
morality, and regard for the rights and
property of others. The importance of
these characteristics are self-evident,
but also hold a deeper meaning not easily seen.
People whose personalities include
these constructs respond well to a
team concept, can be highly motivated, accept direction well, and are generally the people you want to represent
your business. They also respond well
to the shop owners efforts to build loyalty, and they display loyalty in return.
Regardless of a shop owners effort to
develop the employees ability, unless
the employee has the motivation to
learn, or make him or herself a better
technician, any effort expended on
their behalf will be wasted.
If you find someone who has great
GEARS April 2003

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A Pathway To Change? (Part Two)

core values along with significant technical ability, congratulations! Bring
them on board, and treat them like the
jewel theyll be for your operation.
These, however, are not very common,
so you need to create the solution yourself.
Im a big fan of employee development. I also believe that if the industry
is going to find a solution to the technician shortage problem, it will need to
do so itself, and with much more an
effort than weve seen to date. In my
estimation one of the best ways to do
this, and establish a solid employeeemployer relationship in the process, is
to become involved in employee development at the earliest possible stage.
Many ATRA member shops are
involved in high school or community
college school-to-work programs. As
the name implies, kids in the latter part
of their high school education will
spend part of their school day at school,
finishing a very important part of their
preparation (refer to the first part of this
series, on the importance and place of
education in establishing a base of
knowledge). Another part of their day
is spent in the shop, gaining hands-on
experience.
Without a doubt, and as it should
be, the student will start out on the
mundane but necessary tasks in a working repair shop; cleaning parts and
work areas, and simply helping out
where directed. But there must also be
an active learning process, where the
student has the opportunity to learn a
demonstrable skill.
A formalized agreement between
the school and the shop, as well as the
student, will ensure that appropriate
practical experience will incorporate
the classroom work with shop work,
and provide a grade that reflects their
degree of mastery. By the time the student graduates from the program, they
have received solid classroom instruction along with practical experience.
Despite what some of them may think,
it does not mean they are master technicians. They are entry-level technicians
who have demonstrated an interest in
the field, who have solid basic preparation, and who will be looking to you,
the employer, for additional development.
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There are some things they will be

able to do better than others. In some
areas they may have considerable skill,
and be a direct contributor to the shop
operation right from the start. Thats
great, but expect the need to work with
them and give them the additional training and direction they will need to
become what you want them to be.
An attainable and necessary goal in
every shop is to have the right people to
do the job, at all levels. Even at a minimally-trained entry level position,
thought should be given to the potential
a person may have. Developing not just
technical skills, but the interpersonal
and management skills of a new-hire
can uncover a valuable asset not otherwise realized. To do this, though,
requires an organization where lead
workers, shop foremen, and managers
arent driven by their own ego and need
for control, but have genuine concern
for the welfare of the organization. In
short, you cant reach your full potential as an organization if youre staffed
by technically competent people who
are threatened by the potential they may
see in others.
This means recognizing the individual effort made by new, and/or
younger employees who are working to
make themselves better technicians.
This also means recognizing and supporting the efforts of longer-term
employees who not only are working to
improve themselves, but are in turn
supporting and helping with the needs
of the newer employees.
The shop owner, in turn, acknowledges the efforts of all the employees by
giving them access to the training and
education they need, and reinforcement
of that effort through the award of tangible benefits; both remunerative and
humanistic.
Those comments may make some
shop owners uncomfortable, or even
give cause for irritation. Its my shop,
they may say, and Ill run it any damn
way I please. You are absolutely right;
its your shop run it as you please.
And if you like what youve experienced in the past, count on more of the
same for the future. If you want something better, though, do something better.
Because the unvarnished truth is,

the answer to any and all the problems

experienced by the industry can only be
found through efforts initiated by those
within the industry the professional
trade associations, the shops, suppliers,
manufacturers, training and education
programs, and the people who comprise
those entities. Its OUR problem, and
its OUR problem to solve. No one else
has an interest in doing it for us.
More often than not Ive found that
employee-centered shops have already
found the benefit of operating in ways
that cultivate employees, make them an
active part of the operation, and reward
them for their productive efforts. Many
of these shops start out by being actively involved in local school-to-work programs, or vocational training programs
that begin at the high school and/or the
community college level. The new
employee is cultivated through a mix of
classroom instruction and hands-on
shop work; which, as we already know,
serves the different learning types.
The shop owner gets a chance to
assess the young persons personality to
see if he or she is the type of person
they would like to make an investment
in. If they are, the transition from
school to work is smooth. Generally,
such shops are also progressive enough
to offer a reasonable starting salary,
assist with the purchase of tools, and tie
measurable, progressive job standards
and production to pay raises. This is the
shop that will also emphasize the
importance of continuing education and
technical training, and pay at least part
of the expenses involved in the process.
They do so because they know it to be
an excellent investment that will pay
real dividends.
Access to basic automotive repair
technology, through either public or private vocational/technical training programs, is available (for a look at one
exceptional publicly-funded program,
read the related article in this issue on
Greenville Technical College, page 66).
The more advanced programs that
focus specifically on automatic transmissions tend to be a product of private
training efforts, or what seems to be a
diminishing effort by Original
Equipment manufacturers.
Some private, for-profit programs
will tailor training on specific transmisGEARS April 2003

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sions by request. Trade associations

such as ATRA offer advanced training
on specific transmissions, diagnostic
issues, and a host of other topics. A
great benefit to ATRA-sponsored training is that the technician gets the latest,
most comprehensive information available from top-notch professionals. The
downside is that the seminars can cover
only so much geographic area in any
year, and often requires attendees to
travel considerable distances.
As a side note: to make the effort
associated with that type of travel more
beneficial, ATRA has begun holding
TransCon events throughout the U.S.
These events are essentially miniexpos and combine seminars with a
trade show attended by suppliers and
manufacturers. They represent a great
opportunity for shops in different
regions which might not otherwise be
able to attend the annual Powertrain
Expo.
Even with graduates from the best
of public or private training programs
that offer specialty training in transmission rebuilding, there still is a significant real world learning curve that
must be negotiated by the new-hire.
This need can only be met by on-thejob experience, which in most shops
means the assignment of a lead-person
or builder to closely supervise the work
of the new technician. Of course this
has an effect on production, as you lose
the output of the trainer-supervisor during this time; more at first, then less
(hopefully) as the new technician is
able to work with greater independence.
Of course, because the young person is new to the field, they will start at
the bottom of the pay. Benefits, if ever
made available, probably wont be part
of the new-hires benefits package for
some time; at least until theyve
proven themselves in the shop.
Though there are exceptions, most
employers expect the new-hire to have
at least a basic set of tools with which
to work. And a basic set in this business means an outlay of several thousand dollars with the promise that the
purchase of new tools and equipment
will probably never reach the enough
point.
There will also be the necessity for
the new-hire to stay current on changGEARS April 2003

ing technology; more often than not, at

their own expense. One way many
technicians are doing this, particularly
if they are truly motivated, is by spending many off-hours on-line in one of the
many tranny forums that are popping
up on the Internet. The shop owner will
be the ultimate benefactor of this effort,
but it wont be something they pay for.
Im not saying that an employer should
pay for an employees at-home Internet
service. Im saying that there are many
motivated employees that will find a
way to make themselves better technicians, given any opportunity. If and
when the employer recognizes they
have that kind of person in their employ,
supporting them in a tangible way not
only helps build a positive relationship
between the two, it will pay real benefits to both.
In an effort to summarize so much
of whats been said over these two articles, as well as the side-bar on the
Greenville program, let me offer the
following: in this industry, there will
always be a need to learn, adapt, and
remain flexible. Those people who are
capable of doing this best, and who are

capable or representing your business

in the most positive fashion, are ones
that possess the positive core values I
have spoken about.
Relationships between employers
and employees run both ways. Efforts
made by shop owners to develop the
potential of their employees, and use
those opportunities to build positive
relationships, will also develop loyalty.
As a rule, those shop owners who enjoy
a loyal workforce, and deal with them
on a more humanistic level, have a
more productive workforce that experiences less technical problems as well as
a lower rate of employee turnover.
In short, those who expend the
time, effort, and money to develop
employees enjoy a greater level of success and have a much better chance at
meeting the challenges of the future.

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