Everyone, including your car wash team employees, wants to work for an awesome boss. True, fair wages and monetary incentives can motivate your employees. But money is not the be-all and end-all of employee engagement. According to Daily Infographic, only 12% of employees actually leave for more money and a whopping 75% of people voluntarily quit their jobs because of their bosses. So, what do you need to do to keep your car wash team engaged, motivated, and inspired? Read on to find out.

Become an Awesome Boss to Your Car Wash Team:

Always Listen to Your Employees

Listening is one of the most critical leadership skills, says a leadership management expert. It fosters a safe work environment where your car wash team members will become highly committed and motivated. This kind of working condition will make them look forward to going to work every day.

Be open to what they have to say. In fact, do your own employee satisfaction surveys, so that you know your team’s pains and fears. Ask them how they feel about working for you and their co-workers. You don’t have to fix all the issues, but it’s a good idea for you to be aware. You may not necessarily agree with everything that your employees have to say, but they will know that you are there to hear them out.

Have Fun with the Crew

“A sense of humor is part of the art of leadership, of getting along with people, of getting things done.” said Dwight D. Eisenhower. As Business Insider puts it,  people of all ages and cultures can appreciate a good sense of humor. Humor is necessary to find happiness in the workplace.

According to a Robert Half International survey published by Forbes.com, 84% of executives believe that people with a good sense of humor can do a better job than those who do not. The same article quotes a study by Bell Leadership Institute, which finds that a good sense of humor is one of the most desirable traits in leaders.

Have fun with your car wash team. Inject a sense of humor in the workplace. Great leaders know that fun reinforces work. Make sure, though, not to kid around too much – or your crew may not take you seriously anymore, warns the businessknowhow.com.

Show Your Car Wash Team What to Do

Show, don’t tell! It’s a mantra of writers, meaning they shouldn’t tell readers that something is beautiful. They should show readers something is beautiful by describing it. It works the same with leaders says the Daily Caller.

Be a mentor to your car wash team. Show them what you want them to do, how you want it done. Do not expect them to know how you want things done just by telling them. This also goes for how you want them to behave at work. You want them to be productive? Show them how to be productive. Don’t just tell them. You want them to come on time? Then, come on time yourself.

Help Your Employees Develop Their Skills

Support your employees by making sure they are fit for their jobs. Do not just hire someone and get them washing cars on their first day. Do they have the right skills? If they don’t, then provide them with proper training. Or have them buddy up with a tenured co-worker for a week. Give them time to learn the ropes. This also creates an opportunity for your tenured employee to learn how to be a mentor. Also, provide them with regular training to boost their detailing skills. And not just training for technical skills – provide them with leadership training, customer service training, and even life skills training. Find out what their career path is and help them grow as individuals towards their goals.

Provide Learning Opportunities

Once you have trained your car wash team, provide them with opportunities to apply what they have learned. After all, nothing beats experience as a teacher. At some point, you have to let go of their hands and throw them to the wolves. But be around to observe and rescue them if necessary. This will be an opportunity for them to test their abilities. It will also be an opportunity for you to find out what still needs to be improved and coached. Recruitloop.com agrees with this idea.

Give Your Team a Cause to Work for

Have a cause worth working for. Develop a noble vision and mission. For example, a green car wash that is an advocate of protecting the environment for the future generation is a good motivation for employees. It gives them a sense of working with a team that cares about car wash environmental issues, the future of their children, and the state of the world.

Img src: freedigitalphotos.net

Be the Car Wash Team’s Leader

Own the function, not just the title. Be the boss and the leader of your car wash employees! Take accountability when something goes wrong. Own up to it. Hold yourself and your team accountable. But don’t dwell on it. Find out what went wrong and fix it. Take responsibility of your employees. Get to know them personally and be aware of their needs as suggested by business2community.com.

Conclusion

You don’t have to have deep pockets for your car wash team members to love working for you. The right attitude and personality can make you the awesome boss everybody would love to work for.

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