There is the old saying that one bad apple can spoil the bunch, and unfortunately, that can be true with employees in almost any business. The quick lube world is no different. In fact, in an industry where efforts are often made to help individuals turn their lives around and provide opportunities for advancement, a problem employee can still bring in workplace drama.
Other factors can result in an unproductive workplace and create unneeded strife, but the root cause of drama is all too often one of personalities.
"I would 100% agree with that sentiment," Dustin Olde, owner of Automotive Evolution in Golden, Colorado. Olde, who formerly taught anger and conflict management, tells National Oil & Lube News that even with the right skills, managers and owners can't always solve the problem. That is just a part of doing business.
"We sort of view those individuals, for better or worse, as a cancer," Olde continues. "They can even be high-performing individuals, but with the wrong attitude, they are a detriment to the team. That drags down the rest of the shop."
That isn't always easy to accept, especially today when good talent is hard to find and often harder to keep. It can be even worse when the employee is legitimately good at the job.
"If it is a cultural misfit, you need to cut ties, even if the person is a higher performer," Olde explains. "It is often best for the cultural mentality of the staff if that person just isn't the right fit. It can hurt the bottom line, and I've seen that, but that money comes back to you by not having the drama."
Course Correction
To follow with Olde's cancer analogy, the best course of action might be to cut out the problem before it spreads—yet, Lonnie Hinkle, vice president of operations at the Allied Automotive Group, says it is possible to rectify the situation via other means.
"The severity depends on how influential that employee is on the rest of the crew," Hinkle tells NOLN. "If it is a leader in the store, it can have quick and catastrophic effects on team morale. We work hard to build morale and a positive work environment. And for years we've held the philosophy of growing people through work, so we will pull an individual like this to the side and attempt to get to the root of the issues that are causing their dissatisfaction."
Hinkle says that the overwhelming majority of the time, Allied Automotive Group has been able to turn those individuals around and get them back on track. Yet, that isn't always the case.
"Unfortunately, there are times though when you simply have to remove them from the workplace when none of our efforts were effective," he adds.
Making Moves
If an attitude adjustment isn't possible, the wrong course of action would be to move a problem employee to another location, or even another shift.
"We have tried that and unfortunately, we've discovered you can move someone, but the ground has been laid from people who have worked with that individual," warns Olde.
Moving the person to another shop will make that location feel like it is a dumping ground. It may seem to fix the problem, but it creates resentment at another shop. Even when it seems to be working, there is unnecessary baggage it may bring with it.
"We have full staff meetings with employees from multiple locations, and any negativity can be brought into those events. It can impact the whole team then," says Olde.
Showtime: Watch For Drama
Sometimes the signs are hard to spot. Everyone has bad or off days, but an employee who is constantly irritable, unwilling to be a team player, and has conflict with others may be more apparent. Talking to the individual should be the first step to clear the air and see if there are issues that can be addressed.
“Regular presence in the shops is super helpful to spot these issues before they become much bigger," suggests Hinkle. "We have to engage our employees positively so they feel they can open up to us. There are some signs that we see that can indicate a little workplace drama. Declining performance, poor workmanship, and customer complaints are the biggest signs. But again, having employees that feel they can be open about what's going on in the workplace is the best way to either nip issues in the bud (or) to keep them from happening to begin with."
Olde says there are signs a shop should watch for to allow the problems to be curtailed quickly.
"I would say to watch for individuals at meetings," Olde adds, emphasizing it may not be the problem employee who stands out.
"Other employees may be quieter, and no one wants to give feedback, or 'rat' someone out," he continues. "There is an omen out there if it were. If the staff goes too quiet, you can tell something is going sideways."
Employees may not want to throw someone under the bus, or upset the apple cart, so talking to the floor managers and other employees privately may be necessary.
Customers Will Notice
The final consideration of workplace drama is how it impacts customer relations and a shop's bottom line. This is where Olde makes clear again that it can be hard to cut a high performer, but is still necessary if that individual is the source of the unnecessary drama on the floor.
"It is hard because good talent is hard to replace," he continues. "What you need to have is the staff rowing together, or else there is a real sense that something is not quite right. The customer is going to see that there is tension."
Customers will certainly see and sometimes feel drama in the workplace, and that will hurt the bottom line in the long run. They're unlikely to return if they are made to feel uncomfortable or fear that it could be the work isn't being done correctly.
"Whether it's the way our people interact with them or hearing negative chatter in the shop," says Hinkle. "it can bleed through to the front of the house."
