Thanks again to David Friedman for sharing such an important fundamental:
FIND A WAY. Take personal responsibility for making things happen – somehow, someway. Respond to every situation by looking for how we can do it, rather than explaining why it can’t be done. Be resourceful and show initiative.
I presented this to our team in a group email and asked a specific member of the team to take the lead and start a conversation. Then asked the others to ‘respond all’ with follow-up discussion. Here is some of what we got back. No edits, just raw personal insight and collaboration.
Brett W: I think whenever we see something that needs done during our day we should take the opportunity and initiative to get it done. There are many issues we encounter that seem too difficult or impossible when we first encounter them. We have to realize that there is almost never one single solution to an issue. Whenever I start on a new project in the office I immediately begin to think of the different programs and ways that I could handle the task. I then start to work through the process of each one and try to determine which solution will work the best for that particular task. I also try to get input from people with experience in areas that I may not be as familiar with. They may give me a different perspective of the issue than what I am able to see on my own.
Alex B: For me it comes down to “Focus”. If I can break that one issue out of the crush of things to do I can usually make it happen.
John H: To me I think we are all good at tackling the things that fall within our wheelhouse. The challenge comes down to recognizing what is not in our wheelhouse and how do we handle that. Not everyone has the skills to do everything. I don’t like spending time spinning my wheels on something I don’t know how to approach/do. I prefer to approach others for advice or team up with them to accomplish the task/challenge which helps me grow/learn and conquer the task next time.
Robert G: I was always taught to never use the phrase “I don’t know.” Replace it with “I’ll find out.” Not a single one of us has all of the answers. That’s why it’s important to use the resources available, whether it be a coworker, a contact, suppliers, the internet , etc… We are only limited by our willingness to pursue those answers. Granted we won’t always get the answer we want but that’s not the point. The point is to be our customers “go to” source for not only parts, but for answers also. You never know when that extra effort will result in extra sales.
Kevin P: I couldn’t agree more. It goes back to the old adage, “nothing is impossible, If you just put your mind to it”. If it seems to impossible, “two heads are better than one.”
Jim S: As our product ages it loses its sparkle to our dealers and their customers. It’s up to us not to see this as a problem but be the one to motivate, educate and mentor. Our positive attitude will drive WE the team forward.
Ryan B: Great answers and I especially like Robert’s answer; “I’ll find out for you.” Learned that many years ago and have stuck with it. I think “thinking outside the box” goes along with “find a way”. I remember an example that happened at a dealership a couple of years ago. A gentleman wanted a King Ranch hat but Ford didn’t have one on any of their sites. “We don’t have any” is what the counter person said to the customer. Another person suggested looking on the internet because “the internet has everything”. It was an easy solution to an easy problem but it went a long way with the customer, instead of “we don’t have any”.
Reading responses like those above are quite humbling to me. It is encouraging that we have individuals with this much depth to them. A special thanks to our team for their participation. We believe it is a privilege to learn something new each day. For more information, contact OCP here.