Empowering Employees: How to Raise Standards in the Workplace
This podcast episode focuses on the critical role employees play in shaping and maintaining organizational standards and culture. Jazmine Booker emphasizes that while managers set the standards, it's equally important for employees to actively uphold them and advocate for improvements in the work environment. She encourages listeners to use their voices to speak up when they see issues, as well as to embrace change and collaborate effectively with their colleagues. The discussion highlights the necessity for employees to train and support one another, fostering a sense of community and teamwork that ultimately contributes to a healthier workplace. Jasmine also explores the impact of low standards on employee morale and the importance of accountability at all levels within an organization.
As the episode concludes, Jazmine reiterates the necessity for both employees and managers to strive for alignment in their efforts to improve the workplace. She reflects on the challenges that arise when leadership fails to set a solid example, causing frustration among employees who desire a culture of accountability and excellence. Jazmine posits that organizational culture is not solely the responsibility of management but is a collaborative effort that requires participation from all team members. She encourages her audience to redefine their roles within the workplace, advocating for a culture of mutual support and shared responsibility. This holistic approach to workplace dynamics emphasizes that change is a collective endeavor, with both managers and employees needing to engage actively in creating a respectful and productive work environment. In doing so, Jazmine leaves her listeners with a powerful message: to be a part of the solution, not the problem, by embracing change and advocating for continuous improvement.
Takeaways:
- Effective communication between employees and managers is crucial for maintaining workplace standards.
- Employees should advocate for themselves and others to improve the work environment.
- Embracing change and being open to new standards can lead to a better workplace.
- Long-term employees often resist change because they benefit from the status quo.
- Creating a supportive organizational culture enhances employee morale and productivity.
- Management should model the behavior they expect from their employees to foster accountability.
Transcript
What is good, everybody?
Jasmine Booker:I am your host today for auto Talk with Jazz.
Jasmine Booker:Well, every day.
Jasmine Booker:My name is Jasmine Booker, and if you haven't already, like subscribe, follow on Instagram, Facebook, xdev, LinkedIn, anything that you are listening to this on.
Jasmine Booker:Also follow and review.
Jasmine Booker:Let me know what you are thinking or one of the things that you think that can make this better.
Jasmine Booker:I am very open to receiving the feedback, and I love the feedback because it obviously allows me to make it better and make changes and whatever else.
Jasmine Booker:What are we going to talk about today?
Jasmine Booker:Last episode, we talked about what managers can do to help the organizations, and now we're going to focus on the employees because a lot of y'all that listen are workers.
Jasmine Booker:They're not the managers.
Jasmine Booker:But you can definitely share the previous one with managers or with shops leadership and let them know about what you need in order to be successful and what you may want to in order to improve the work environment.
Jasmine Booker:What are the things that you need from them in order to be better?
Jasmine Booker:I said none of that looking at the camera, but that's fine.
Jasmine Booker:Y'all will be all right.
Jasmine Booker:So it goes back to where I said, managers have to set the standard and they also have to maintain the standard.
Jasmine Booker:Well, that also falls on the workers, because as soon as you get told what the standard is, you have to be, you have to do it too, especially the older guys, because when it comes down to it, whenever we come in, especially the newer ones, and I say we because I'm still less than, well, I'm at the ten year mark.
Jasmine Booker: he people who have been there: Jasmine Booker:What do I need to do to make this a better work environment?
Jasmine Booker:And if I come in and there are no standards, you're leaving 30 minutes early, you're coming in drunk, you're coming in late, I automatically assume that standards aren't being taken care of.
Jasmine Booker:There are no standards.
Jasmine Booker:And that whatever happens, as long as the company's making money, no one cares.
Jasmine Booker:And that is a lot of times what shops are dealing with is there is no standards to maintain because a lot of times maybe the managers have gotten over stressed.
Jasmine Booker:They no longer care about their job and therefore the workers no longer care about their job.
Jasmine Booker:And they're stressed and they're just like, no one cares, so why should I?
Jasmine Booker:And a lot of times that usually is the reason why it's harder for people to move away from jobs is because they have been so used to the standards being so low that it's like, well, I'm not gonna let, I'm not gonna be able to do this anywhere else, so I might as well stay.
Jasmine Booker:And a lot of times that gets resentment because it's like, you're not paying me more.
Jasmine Booker:But then the managers go, well, why am I gonna pay you more if you're not going to be here?
Jasmine Booker:And it's like, well, why am I being here when you're not even here?
Jasmine Booker:And so now you have that back and forth.
Jasmine Booker:Now you have the animosity.
Jasmine Booker:Now you have this fight between managers and workers.
Jasmine Booker:And it's like, if anybody, the managers should have put the standards in place and maintained them, but the workers also should have spoken up.
Jasmine Booker:And that's actually the second thing is embracing the change, but embracing the change.
Jasmine Booker:Bye.
Jasmine Booker:Using your voice, because when you see something, say something.
Jasmine Booker:When you don't say anything, something stays there.
Jasmine Booker:And even if it's not your manager, that then makes that change go somewhere else, like go up, but also be willing to embrace that change whenever something starts.
Jasmine Booker:When you make the decision to get those changes enforced, be prepared to have to advocate for that when you use your voice.
Jasmine Booker:You are the reason why standards do go more.
Jasmine Booker:You are the reason why people can move forward.
Jasmine Booker:We a lot of times look to the people who aren't managers, but who have been there longer to see what it is that everybody can do.
Jasmine Booker:And a lot of times, the people who are older, the ones who don't want change to happen, a lot of times it's because they are the people that are, who are benefiting from the standards being low.
Jasmine Booker:They're the reason why the shop is not doing well, but they're making money, so why do they have to change?
Jasmine Booker:And it takes a lot for people who are higher up or a lot for people who've been there for a long time to make that decision to change.
Jasmine Booker:And whenever you do embrace the change, and whenever you do become the voice of reason, do it.
Jasmine Booker:That's the reason why you're there, is you don't have to be a manager to make changes.
Jasmine Booker:You are there.
Jasmine Booker:You've been there long enough for that for a reason.
Jasmine Booker:And as soon as you are the person who comes up and says, this is the reason why we need the changes.
Jasmine Booker:We don't need another manager.
Jasmine Booker:We need the manager to step up, or we do need a new manager, because this manager isn't stepping up.
Jasmine Booker:This manager is doing something illegal.
Jasmine Booker:They're not, they're just taking money, they're just doing this.
Jasmine Booker:They're just doing that.
Jasmine Booker:You are the voice of reason and therefore you should use that voice to do it.
Jasmine Booker:And another thing is, like I kind of stated a little bit ago, is advocating for others because you've been there longer.
Jasmine Booker:So whenever you see a person that maybe isn't being used to their full potential, or you're like, this person can bring, can make the shop better, but we need them to be properly trained.
Jasmine Booker:When you see that do it, say it.
Jasmine Booker:Say, hey, I'm willing to train this person to make the company better.
Jasmine Booker:Because when you do that, it shows management that you see other people have potential and you show yourself as a team player.
Jasmine Booker:There's a lot of times where we don't have that in the field and it's everybody for themselves.
Jasmine Booker: ave been in this industry for: Jasmine Booker:When I see technicians do that and they're saying, I don't care if I make money, I want to have a legacy.
Jasmine Booker:I want to be able to see this new generation have what it takes in order to keep this alive.
Jasmine Booker:And they're doing it outside of themselves, it makes me feel a lot better.
Jasmine Booker:It makes me see that not everybody is selfish.
Jasmine Booker:It makes me see that everybody does want this feel to last as long as it does.
Jasmine Booker:And a lot of the people who do it are the ones who are willing to train and willing to be the advocate for others to be successful.
Jasmine Booker:This person has what it takes to be successful.
Jasmine Booker:Let's get them up to par so they can do it and they actually do it.
Jasmine Booker:Not them just saying the worst, but they truly do it.
Jasmine Booker:And don't see, don't become selfish because, oh, this person's fast.
Jasmine Booker:Let me make them give me their hours.
Jasmine Booker:No, I'm a train them as a technician.
Jasmine Booker:I'm going to teach them how to diagnose, I'm going to teach them how to look for signs of issues.
Jasmine Booker:I'm going to teach them how to actually tell customers the truth about their vehicles and move forward with that.
Jasmine Booker:I'm going to teach them how to maybe just share the load and be able to ask effectively and be able to collaborate effectively, these are things that technicians, especially the older technicians who actually taught me, that's what they taught me how to do.
Jasmine Booker:And whenever they did allow me to do that.
Jasmine Booker:It taught me to be a better technician, and it taught me to be a better claims adjuster.
Jasmine Booker:A better customer service writer taught me to be better, and it allowed me to not only make mistakes, but it allowed me to just be better in this field.
Jasmine Booker:And it made me happy at my job.
Jasmine Booker:To be who?
Jasmine Booker:To be a technician or to be a claims adjuster whenever I was able to help others was whenever I was at my happiest or whenever I was able to learn or teach, that was where I was my happiest.
Jasmine Booker:And I think last thing that I did say for, well, this wasn't.
Jasmine Booker:It was the second to last thing, but the last thing I definitely did or one of the things I did say for managers that workers do need to do is being a part of making the organizational culture better.
Jasmine Booker:And what I mean by that is, when people come in to work, do they feel like they can come in and not be judged?
Jasmine Booker:Can they come in and feel like they are part of a good work environment?
Jasmine Booker:Do they feel supported?
Jasmine Booker:Do they feel like they are being listened to?
Jasmine Booker:Do they feel like people are coming in and actually doing what they're supposed to?
Jasmine Booker:And whatever you do, you need to make sure that other people are doing as well.
Jasmine Booker:If you're coming on on time, if you're coming back from lunch on time, if you're leaving on time, if you are helping other people, if you are sharing the load, if you're doing all these other things and you see someone is maybe taking advantage of their training or taking advantage of, you know, someone's having a hard time, and next thing you know, they're taking all the gravy work.
Jasmine Booker:Or maybe they are making it harder on other people.
Jasmine Booker:So instead of them actually doing their own warranty work or their own screw ups, they just send it to someone else so they can do gravy work, they're, you know, talking bad to the other service writers.
Jasmine Booker:The new service writers that are coming in are old ones and making other people lose work because of it.
Jasmine Booker:Say something.
Jasmine Booker:Because when you don't say something, you are a part of the problem and you are the reason why that person is no longer working there or you're the reason why this person doesn't feel adequate.
Jasmine Booker:So, yeah, and then, you know, I said embrace change, but I didn't really state what that means.
Jasmine Booker:And what that usually means is going back to my four steps, do it, fix it, or do it, critique it, fix it, repeat is whenever you are in the midst of fixing it once you've stated that something needs to change.
Jasmine Booker:Change that.
Jasmine Booker:I mean, there's nothing else that you can say or do.
Jasmine Booker:You have to change just like the manager does.
Jasmine Booker:And if you are not willing to change, if you are not willing to at least allow it to manifest to see if it's going to work, then you are a part of the problem.
Jasmine Booker:Therefore, do not be upset when the manager goes, okay, I've given you a warning.
Jasmine Booker:I'll give you a warning.
Jasmine Booker:I'll give you a warning.
Jasmine Booker:And they finally decide to let you go.
Jasmine Booker:It's because you're not willing to be a part of the change, but you're willing to complain about not making hours, or you're willing to complain about someone else, but you're not willing to put the same work in to make those changes.
Jasmine Booker:You just want to complain.
Jasmine Booker:So do not be upset when someone comes in and makes the changes.
Jasmine Booker:And if the changes don't work, okay, say something so that way we can change it again or that way it can be discussed and fixed.
Jasmine Booker:There's no way to fix a situation if you don't say something, and that's something that happens all the time.
Jasmine Booker:Okay, well, this didn't work.
Jasmine Booker:Okay, so let's see if we can change it.
Jasmine Booker:Well, this didn't work either.
Jasmine Booker:Okay, well, how long did you allow it to try to work?
Jasmine Booker:If you didn't allow it to work for more than a week or more than two weeks, then obviously you're not going to see changes, especially stuff that people, people regress back to.
Jasmine Booker:What they do.
Jasmine Booker:People regress to, you know, their old behaviors give people time to change.
Jasmine Booker:People don't change overnight.
Jasmine Booker:People don't change in two weeks if they've been doing it for years.
Jasmine Booker:You got to let them make the mistakes, correct them effectively, and then allow them to grow.
Jasmine Booker:The problem, the issues with this industry is you don't allow people to make mistakes.
Jasmine Booker:And you, instead of, you basically destroy them by telling them that they're horrible or whatnot, or you made this mistake, but you don't redirect them.
Jasmine Booker:There was a book that I read called the new 1 minute manager.
Jasmine Booker:And in the 1 minute manager, they actually talk about 1 minute redirection.
Jasmine Booker:Redirecting someone does not mean that you only point out their faults.
Jasmine Booker:Redirecting means, well, maybe let's try this instead of doing this.
Jasmine Booker:Let's move.
Jasmine Booker:Let's redirect yourself.
Jasmine Booker:Let's try this instead of doing this.
Jasmine Booker:Okay, I see there was a problem here.
Jasmine Booker:Maybe we need to do this.
Jasmine Booker:Even redirection means maybe switching them to a different job, because you see that this is an issue, this is a struggle.
Jasmine Booker:And maybe you see that there's a strength in this and this is where you need them to be instead of right here.
Jasmine Booker:Or if you don't have what it takes to keep them there, then let them know.
Jasmine Booker:Maybe this isn't the best thing for you.
Jasmine Booker:Do not keep people where they are because you're afraid of telling them they are not there because you are going to do them a disservice by keeping them in a situation that they cannot deal with.
Jasmine Booker:But also, don't be rude about it.
Jasmine Booker:And also do not blame them for their shortcomings because they can't do something that you felt like they could do.
Jasmine Booker:Because sometimes people aren't perfect for every position.
Jasmine Booker:That's just, it is what it is.
Jasmine Booker:Not everybody's going to be for everything.
Jasmine Booker:Maybe they have something here that's great and not here, and you need to be honest with them and they need to be honest with themselves.
Jasmine Booker:So embrace the change.
Jasmine Booker:Help with organizational culture.
Jasmine Booker:Be part of the solution, not part of the problem.
Jasmine Booker:Use your voice, be an advocate for others.
Jasmine Booker:You collaborate effectively and help maintain the standards.
Jasmine Booker:That is what a great employee does.
Jasmine Booker:Opposite of great manager, great leader.
Jasmine Booker:Not saying you got to do it yourself because you can't be great if your leadership isn't great.
Jasmine Booker:And obviously it starts from the top.
Jasmine Booker:And excuse the expression, but this is something that I've heard multiple times, and that's shit trickles.
Jasmine Booker:So it starts from the top.
Jasmine Booker:When the top doesn't do what they're supposed to, how do you expect your workers to do what's supposed to?
Jasmine Booker:And with that, I hope y'all, like y'all are following this.
Jasmine Booker:I hope y'all this helped you in some way.
Jasmine Booker:If not, I do apologize and maybe the next episode, so it will help.
Jasmine Booker:If so, I would love to hear your feedback.
Jasmine Booker:I would love to hear stories of maybe how your workers helped, benefited, and maintained and impacted positively your organizational culture and how maybe you can see workers in the future doing that, especially in your shops or in your stores.
Jasmine Booker:And hope to hear from y'all soon.
Jasmine Booker:Bye.
