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This is the Automotive Repair podcast network.
It's your weekly Blitz with Chris keeping you in the game.
All right, let me ask you something right out of the gate.
Have you ever worked your tail off to hit a goal?
I mean, really worked for it.
And when you finally got there, the person holding you accountable just said, yep, you
did it.
All right, here's the next number.
And that was it.
No fireworks, no parade, no long pause to soak it in just onward.
If you've ever felt a little deflated by that, like, hey, man, can we sit in this
for a second?
Then this episode's for you.
And if you're a coach, a leader, a shop owner or someone who holds other people
accountable, this one's definitely for you.
Because today I want to talk about coaching, celebrating, accountability, and the
tension between recognizing wins and keeping momentum moving forward.
And I'm going to tell you a quick personal story that if I'm being honest, caught
me a little bit off guard.
And as most of you know, that's where all this comes from.
Recently, I hit a weight loss record for myself.
I finally crossed the 50 pound mark.
You know, it's not a small thing, not accidental, something that required
discipline, consistency, missed meals, fasting workouts when I didn't feel like
it the whole deal.
And I was a little bit proud of it.
And so I weighed in, I shared the win with my coach and his response.
Yep, you did it.
All right, let's get 60.
And that was it.
And let me be clear, my coach is a good coach.
He's experienced, but he's results driven.
You know, if I kind of look in the mirror, he's a younger, fitter version, right?
But intellectually, I get it.
And I get what he was doing.
But being on this side of it, you know, emotionally, there was a split second
in my head that said, man, can we just live here for one more beat?
And that really, really stuck with me.
And because almost immediately after that thought comes into my head, I'm like,
Hey, Chris, you do this too.
And here's the truth.
We don't always say out loud as coaches.
Our job is not to get emotionally attached to the wind.
Just like our job is not to get emotionally attached to your employees and all
the BS you got going on in your shop.
Our job is to see progress, acknowledge it and keep people moving forward.
Because, you know, if we linger too long, if we celebrate too hard, if we let people
camp out on the wind, momentum dies and high performers don't need motivation
as much as they need direction.
And that's why great coaches often move quickly from you hit the number two.
Here's the next one.
Again, it's not cold.
It's not dismissive.
It's intentional, but, and this is the key realization for me, just because
it's effective doesn't mean it can't be improved.
So one of the biggest dangers in business and in life is what, what I call shiny
object celebration.
We hit a win.
We post about it.
We talk about it.
We relive it.
And suddenly the goal becomes a trophy, not the process, not the trajectory,
not the next level.
And as coaches, we've trained to avoid that.
I don't want shop owner celebrating one great month.
I don't want service advisors high fiving one big average repair order.
I don't want leaders getting stuck on yesterday's win because the moment you
take your foot off the gas, someone else is passing you.
So yes, coaches move on quickly on purpose.
And here's the nuance I had to confront moving forward quickly doesn't mean
moving forward emotionally.
This experience forced me to look inward because I realized something important.
I don't need to linger for 10 minutes.
I don't need balloons or confetti, but maybe just maybe I need one more beat.
One more intentional pause that says, Hey, I see you.
I see your work.
I recognize what it took.
And we all know that this didn't happen by accident.
And then, then we move on.
And I don't think that's slowing momentum.
Hopefully that's reinforcing behavior.
And as coaches, leaders and shop owners, I think that's very powerful
because people don't quit because they're pushed too hard.
They quit because they feel unseen.
So, Hey, everybody, I want to quick pause here because I want to talk
about people who get this balance right.
This episode is brought to you by shop marketing pros.
And here's why I'm proud to work with him.
Recently, I was a guest on Brian's show, the auto repair marketing podcast,
talking about a topic I'm super passionate about.
And the name of the topic was the most important KPI you're not tracking.
And what stood out to me wasn't just a conversation.
It was the fact that my marketer, yes, my marketer is actively bringing
this kind of thinking to their clients that tells me that they care,
they pay attention and they have their finger on the pulse of what actually
matters in this industry.
They're not just selling marketing.
They're helping shop owners think better and that matters to me.
If you want a marketing partner who understands shops, numbers and real
world execution, not just clicks and impressions, check out shop marketing pros.
So let's bring all of this talk about one more beat to the shop.
So how often do we do this with our teams?
And when I say we, I mean, a technician hits a productivity goal, a service
advisor raises their average repair order, a manager fixes a process issue.
And we say, good, now let's talk about what's next.
Again, that's not wrong, but imagine the difference if we added one more beat.
Hey, I want to pause for a second.
That result didn't happen by accident.
Great work.
Then we move on.
I really think that small pause builds trust, reinforces discipline
and increases buy-in for the next target.
I don't think you're lowering standards.
You're strengthening these relationships.
Here's the takeaway.
Coaching isn't about celebration or pressure.
It's about balance.
It's about recognizing progress without losing momentum.
And sometimes not always the most powerful thing you can do as a coach is
pause for just one more beat.
Acknowledge, recognize and then move forward.
As always, I want to give a big shout out to our friends at the
aftermarket radio network, grateful to be a part of a group that keeps
these conversations going and pushes our industry forward.
If this episode hit home for you, especially if you're a coach, leader
or shop owner, and if you're a shop owner, yes, you're a leader and a coach.
I want you to sit with it for a minute and then I want you to keep moving
because progress never stops, but it does feel better when it's seen.
I'll catch you on the next episode of the weekly Blitz.
Have a great day, everybody.
Remember to rise and grind.
You've been listening to the weekly Blitz with Chris Cotton on the
Automotive Repair Podcast Network.
Download our exclusive podcast app at automotiverepairpodcastnetwork.com
because the best conversations in the industry start here.
One expert advice on running your shop.
While Chris is listening, check the show notes for his email and send him your topics.
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