Leaders and SLACKERS: A True Customer Frustration Story!
Leaders Make a Difference in their work and results...but when surrounded by SLACKERS the team still loses with the customer
Here’s a real-life story I just had to share with my fellow “Captains of Enterprise!”
We’re always on the lookout for a WINNER!
A sharp, personable, likeable, get-it-done individual to add to the team. I found one this week when I took my wife’s car in for a set of new tires. But I also found this dynamic young manager surrounded by a group of uninspired, uncommitted…SLACKERS who had no interest in their work or the results they produced for any manager or customer…including ME!
A sharp young guy greets me at the front counter and tells me I have to schedule an appointment to have the new tires put on. OK, I guess that’s for some reason, maybe greater efficiency and shorter wait times (I’m hoping). So I ask Zack “should I plan to leave the car or wait for it?” I’m fine with either one, but I’ll have things that have to be done that following day. “No Sir, we’ll get it knocked out in 20, 30 minutes…” Wow, great…
So my appointment happens the next day and I’m a few minutes early, get checked in, not a single other vehicle in the garage…and Zack goes to lunch! No worries I’m thinking because he has four or five other team members there. Two in the garage and another two or three putting up a display inside.
TWO HOURS LATER…I’m still there, waiting. Literally an hour went by and my car’s on the rack and NOTHING happens. The two guys shuffle around in the garage, lean on whatever’s close by and talk and complain. Nothing happens inside with the display either as that complaining and “lack of progress” party continues.
When Zack returns he can tell I’m not happy and is surprised I’m still there. “Me too” I tell him. “Zack, you are a sharp, personable young man that any organization would love to have working with them…but you are a leader without a TEAM!”
What happens next is amazing, but not surprising.
Zack pulls up a chair next to me in the waiting room and begins to share his frustration with some of the individuals there and with tasks/projects/things not getting done, workers leaving without finishing a task- or taking hours to finish instead of minutes, going on extended bathroom breaks several times a day, and talking about quitting on a regular basis.
What a shame! To have this dynamic young guy who can be a CHAMPION being dragged down by a group of individuals who have no interest in playing, much less WINNING! Just going through the motions, doing the absolute minimum work, complaining and uncaring about any customer and how they service them.
Since Zack obviously knew this was a big problem and had already pulled up a chair…and I’m still not going anywhere yet, I went into coaching mode and shared a few things with him. Which I’ll share with you in the next DRIVING BUSINESS…
See you then!
Michael