Shared Responsibility: Why Workshop Success Depends on Everyone Playing Their Part

In this episode of The Friction-less Workshop, we tackle the age-old complaint that echoes through workshops everywhere: "There are no good people anymore." But is it actually true? Andrew Uglow reveals the uncomfortable reality - yes, it is true, and here's why.

The automotive industry faces a dual crisis: a people shortage (not enough workers) AND a skills shortage (workers lacking necessary abilities). This isn't just about technical skills - it's about foundational values, behaviors, and people skills that previous generations possessed but today's workers often lack.

Andrew explains why this problem is uniquely challenging in automotive: • The industry has experienced exponential technological change unlike any other trade • Cars transformed from mechanical systems with electrical circuits to networked vehicles with mechanical components • New technicians face "drinking from a fire hose" - massive information overload • Cultural clashes and different worldviews compound the skills gap

THE TWO CRITICAL FACTORS:

1. ENVIRONMENT PROBLEMS Workshops often apply financial management methodologies to humans, which simply doesn't work. People need leadership, not just management. The environment must be suitable for humans, considering people factors alongside profit.
2. THE INSTALLATION PROBLEM Modern workers genuinely lack foundational skills and values. If you want people to hold certain values and behaviors, you must actively "install" them. The industry lacks systems and processes for this installation, particularly for people skills versus technical skills.

THE MISSING PIECE: FOREMAN TRAINING

Andrew identifies the critical gap: foremen are trained for technical ability but not people ability. They have face time with technicians, influence with technicians, and the ability to install values and culture - yet they've never been trained how to do this.

The result? Foremen default to "telling" repeatedly, which doesn't work. They lack frameworks, tactics, and good practices for installing information into people who don't have it. They're using a hammer for everything when different situations require different tools.

INTRODUCING THE PROFESSIONAL FOREMAN METHOD:

Andrew unveils his solution - a comprehensive foreman school launching end of October. This program teaches foremen: • How to lead people, not just manage them • How to install culture and values • How to have challenging conversations • How to influence millennials and modern workers • How to do micro-learning effectively • How to facilitate rather than push

The episode emphasizes that quality technicians are directly proportional to business profitability. You need good systems, efficient management, and great customer service - but without good techs, you're nowhere. And developing good techs requires foremen with people ability, not just technical ability.

Key insights include: • Why "bad company corrupts good habits" - underperformers harm team morale • How the 30-year cycle of complaints reveals systemic problems • Why repeating the same explanation doesn't help learning • The difference between pushing people and leading them • How shared responsibility transforms workshop culture

Perfect for workshop owners frustrated by staff quality, service managers dealing with underperformers,

Andrew has a variety of free downloads and tools you can grab.

Discover if your workshop is Retention Worthy© here or visit his website, https://www.solutionsculture.com where the focus is on bringing reliable profitability to automotive workshop owners and workshop management through the Retention, Engagement and Development of their Technical...

In this episode we explore the twin complaints that plague automotive workshops: "I don't get good information" and "I don't get enough time." Andrew reveals why these complaints are interconnected and introduces the Quality Information Model (QUIM) - a three-part framework that transforms communication between customers, service advisors, and technicians. The discussion covers why technicians speak "technical" while customers speak "non-technical," creating a translation gap that leads to frustration on all sides.

Andrew shares practical solutions including pre-booking questionnaires with menu-style options that help customers describe problems accurately, and explains why these complaints often mask deeper fears about making mistakes or disappointing customers. The episode emphasizes shared responsibility - workshop success requires professionalism from management, service advisors, and technicians working together.

Andrew has a variety of free downloads and tools you can grab.

Discover if your workshop is Retention Worthy© here or visit his website, https://www.solutionsculture.com where the focus is on bringing reliable profitability to automotive workshop owners and workshop management through the Retention, Engagement and Development of their Technical Professionals.

Production:

This podcast was produced by 'Podcasts Done for You' https://podcastsdoneforyou.com.au.

"My foreman doesn't teach me anything" - is this about lazy teachers or unclear expectations? Andrew Uglow reveals why this complaint stems from broken systems and mismatched expectations, and shares practical frameworks for creating effective mentorship that actually works in busy workshops.

• The "foreman doesn't teach me" complaint diagnosis
• Teaching vs. mentoring: understanding the difference
• Why foremen are promoted without teaching training
• Unclear expectations on both sides
• Classroom learning vs. workshop learning
• Why Google can't replace hands-on mentorship
• Generational differences in learning expectations
• Creating structured mentorship systems
• Setting clear learning expectations
• Teaching moments in busy workshops
• Balancing production demands with training needs
• Technician ownership of learning journey
• Documenting tribal knowledge
• Creating effective training protocols
• Building a culture of continuous learning
• Measuring training effectiveness

1. Expectation Mismatch - Technicians often expect classroom-style teaching (spoon-feeding information), while foremen expect self-directed learning (asking questions). Neither works without clear communication about expectations.
2. Untrained Teachers - Most foremen are promoted for technical excellence, not teaching ability. They've never been trained in how to mentor, coach, or transfer knowledge effectively.
3. Teaching vs. Mentoring - Teaching is structured information transfer. Mentoring is guiding someone's development journey. Workshops need both, but often provide neither systematically.
4. Google Isn't Enough - While information is freely available online, context, application, and hands-on guidance can only come from experienced mentors. Knowing what to search for requires understanding you don't have yet.
5. Shared Responsibility - Effective learning requires both parties: foremen must create teaching opportunities and be approachable, while technicians must actively seek knowledge and ask questions.

• The Promotion Without Preparation - Real examples of excellent technicians promoted to foreman who had no idea how to teach, creating frustration on both sides.
• The Google Generation - How younger technicians expect instant access to information but lack the context to apply it effectively, while older foremen assume "figure it out yourself" is sufficient training.
• The Teaching Moment Missed - Examples of busy foremen missing opportunities to explain "why" while showing "how," leaving technicians able to copy but not understand.
• The Question Culture - Workshops that punish questions ("you should know this already") versus those that encourage them ("great question, let's figure it out together") and the dramatic difference in learning outcomes.

The Tribal Knowledge Problem - Critical workshop knowledge that exists only in senior technicians' heads, never documented, creating vulnerability when they leave.

Get in touch Andrew:

Andrew has a variety of free downloads and tools you can grab.

Discover if your workshop is Retention Worthy© here or visit his website, https://www.solutionsculture.com where the focus is on bringing reliable profitability to automotive workshop owners and workshop management through the Retention, Engagement and Development of their Technical Professionals.

Production:

Co-host: Anthony Perl

This podcast was produced by 'Podcasts Done for You'