Marinucci: Topics for new manager's first team meeting

New bosses should state their expectations and requirements to the workforce as soon as practically possible.

They also should take pains to describe their expectations as clearly and specifically as possible. In other words, never assume that the staff knows what you mean.

Instead, spell it out — even if it risks insulting workers' intelligence.

The sooner new bosses clarify their expectations, the smoother their transition to a leadership role occurs.

This person may be an owner, manager, supervisor, foreman or some combination of these roles.

But workers are much less concerned with titles than they are with potential changes throughout their workplace.

For instance, what rules — if any — will change?

Will a new boss heavily revise or perhaps eliminate any existing shop procedures?

"Leveling" with the staff is a critical first step toward earning their trust and respect

Employees' trust and respect have an immeasurable impact on the success of any business — including tire dealerships and service shops.

An old adage warns us that the dumbest question is the one that's never asked. Similarly, the most-elusive, confusing expectations are ones that bosses neglect to explain to the staff.

During my travels throughout the auto repair industry, I have observed this predicament. Frustration mounts and tempers flare because new bosses and existing employees are not communicating effectively with each other.

Some of the new manager's mandates may be so simple — so concrete and straightforward — that any worker could complete the tasks correctly.

For example, many automotive service facilities have a tool crib or back room where technicians keep shop gear.

The new boss may provide a list of shop equipment that must be locked up in the tool crib at quitting time. For all intents and purposes, there should be no guesswork about completing this assignment every afternoon.

But other edicts may not be nearly as straightforward as stowing equipment at the end of the work day. I have heard new bosses insist, for instance, that employees constantly strive to make the company proud.

Or, they demand that workers behave professionally at all times.

Many techs I have worked with believe they have made the company proud whenever they repair a vehicle correctly the first time, but leaving grease marks and cigarette stench inside a customer's car is not part of that deal.

Instead, stains, scuffs and odors are unavoidable collateral damage.

At some businesses, meanwhile, "professional" behavior means drinking your beer out of plain sight of customers. But boozy, obnoxious breath supposedly doesn't impact the overall business plan of a tire dealership or service shop.

What do workers need to hear from the new boss? The answers that employees have given me may or may not surprise readers.

For openers, people appreciate reassurances that bosses are decisive, responsive and take-charge types of people.

In other words, the boss captains the ship; captain's word is law. Any chicanery or shenanigans that occurred under the previous boss are yesterday's news.

Henceforth, the captain's word really is law.

Where relevant, workers want to hear the chain of command. For example, new bosses should establish one or more "lieutenants" who helm the business if they are absent or unusually busy.

Unquestionably, then, a lieutenant enforces all rules when the boss cannot.

What is more, decisiveness and responsiveness means the boss will laud good work and kind gestures publicly and promptly.

It also means halting unsafe, careless or shoddy work the moment they see it — not to mention correcting inappropriate behavior.

These themes matter: Many employees told me that they have endured bosses who allowed transgressions to occur repeatedly, only interceding when a situation was out of hand.

For example, a tech with a history of recklessness sets a vehicle on fire or starts a fire elsewhere in the service department.

Perhaps short-tempered techs, whom the boss had tolerated in the past, begin trading punches or hurling tools at each other — in full view of the business' customer lounge.

Capable and level-headed employees recognize the potential unintended consequences of these calamities. They value a boss' pledge to prevent them.

Furthermore, workers welcome bosses' commitment to praise in public and reprimand in private whenever practically possible.

Many employees in our industry have emphasized that they hope to hear a boss' commitment to dignity. For instance, they expect bosses to cite their mistakes but to do so in a professional way.

They cannot and will not, however, respect managers who publicly and needlessly belittle or insult them in the process of correcting mistakes.

Take heed, bosses: Workers seem to value old-fashioned manners, courtesy and overall civility more than ever before.

They crave your commitment to these values.

Workers repeatedly have told me that they will respect and hustle for tough bosses who treat workers fairly.

Most of these folks have kids, they recognize the challenge of trying to treat all their children fairly.

Likewise, they realize that it's difficult for bosses to treat all workers the same. (Realistically, caring and cooperative employees earn more favors than cantankerous and cranky workers do.)

People tend to abhor favoritism — particularly obvious and unearned favoritism.

Therefore, they welcome bosses' commitments to practice fairness over favoritism.

Teamwork, a corollary to fairness, is another trait workers want bosses to discuss. Surely, capable workers recognize teamwork when it occurs.

Typically, they have witnessed tire dealerships or service shops that thrived due to teamwork or suffered due to a lack of it.

Workers usually realize that they either rise or fall together — as a group. So, they welcome bosses' assurance that they will foster a teamwork environment.

None of these themes are revolutionary by any means, but inattentive or obstinate bosses often overlook them.

Listen, react and then repeat the process as needed.