Owl Chores

My wife and I have a neighborhood owl. Well, it’s not our owl.

Every night, right after sunset when the trees are still and the orangy-pinky hues have just disappeared from the sky, the owl starts to “hoot.” Based on the behavior, we believe he is marking his territory but we’re no National Geographic experts. (Though based on a hat I wore on the beach one day, a woman did ask me if I was a marine biologist.)

He is very diligent, precise, and on-time about this hooting. He just goes about his business routinely and without complaining (now, that part I made up since I don’t speak owl.)

And some owls are silent and go about their business unnoticed.

Do these sentiments echo and represent a good employee at a dealership?

I think so. Let’s explore.

You may recall in a previous article where I discussed a new definition of compliance: someone has to do “a thing,” at some point in time, and then prove it was done. This task has to be completed periodically (daily, weekly, monthly, etc.) and the employee has to provide proof the task was completed. (There is software to make this record-keeping more automated and simplified.)

Why should an employee bother with all these items we are asked to do?

(Yes, they do get paid “to do the things,” but “why” do they have to do “the things?”)

Employees may not see it, or may not remember it, but company policies exist to protect them, their job, and the business. There are rules to follow because something tawdry or dangerous happened (or almost happened) at some point and cost the company a lot of money. I am certain of this, as I see it in my daily consulting practice. If you think about your policies and procedures, you’ve likely developed them in the same vein.

If an employee doesn’t know “why” they are doing “the thing,” consider having someone take the time to explain it. This may seem simple, basic, and not necessary. I disagree.

In my experience, this will (1) help the employee’s morale because they will have a full understanding of “why,” as they are not simply performing rote activities, and (2) help the employee prevent and eliminate other problems before they become outsized.

This is the essence and nature of good risk mitigation at a dealership.

Everyone’s job involves preventing problems before they start.

Consider automating some of “the things” to create fewer touch points and therefore less administration effort. There are risk and compliance software packages that eliminate time, hassle, and energy. Installed correctly, they can make employees more efficient and create one source of truth, one “neighborhood,” if you will, where all the dealership’s compliance data can be collected and held for review. By maintaining these kinds of digital records, there is less manual recordkeeping and more productive time “doing the thing,” which is primary for the employee. Then, there’s less nagging and asking for “the thing.” I’ve seen it work and it’s a beautiful thing.

Like our friend the owl, these tasks fly by quietly and without much intervention when your employee is motivated to get it done right, on the first pass, and without extra hooting. Encourage your employees to be more efficient, and more observant, bobbing and twisting their heads, gathering information, and then reporting what they can see and hear from different perches, as an owl would. Owls can rotate their necks 270 degrees by the way, so they can see a lot. In my article, “Run With Bad News and Walk With Good News,” I describe the best risk mitigation practices where employees bring unusual issues to your attention promptly.

It’s important:

• to have clear company policies
• to clearly communicate the “why” things are done
• to track activities so the company can prove “the things”
• to encourage employees to run with bad news and walk with good news

Having policies provides the necessary wisdom that helps employees go about their owl chores on a daily basis. Some will hoot in complaint about these tasks while some will stay silent; importantly though, the owl chores will be completed and, as an owner, you can rest easily with your feathers unruffled.