A new friend asked me recently, “Where do you find your inspiration”? As per my usual method of communication, the truth spewed out. My answer was simple, however likely not the response he was looking for, “The shower!” The shower is where inklings of ideas transform into full-blown thoughts. It’s where there are no distractions, and my mind is as clear as it gets. I can focus and fill in the missing pieces. I won’t go so far as to say that the tendrils of steam produce a vision. That would presumably make me less credible as an expert in anything. Yet I will give credit to the steam for clearing not only my sinuses but also my mind, allowing creativity and inspiration to bloom.
Getting inspired has a creative connotation to it. You can be inspired to bake beautiful works of confection, to construct entire cities out of garbage, and even to write a few well-placed words on paper. Yes, I bake, and make garbage art. And I have written a time or two. While the inspiration occasionally does come straight from the faucet, often it comes to me in pieces – something someone said, an interaction I had, or sometimes even a dream.
The people surrounding me and the work that I do frequently provide my inspiration. I become inspired to do something or make something or to fix something simply to make that something better for the teams that work alongside me.
At times inspiration is bred from desperation or even despair – from identifying a problem that needs to be solved, for example. Besides playing with frosting and garbage picking, I work for a large Reman company, ETE. I’m the manager of process for our sales and service team. I’m also the feared escalation manager. Additionally, I create content for our online learning platform. Before all of this, I was the product support manager. While that role no longer exists, I still consider the tech team, my team – my guys and gal. I call myself “The Octopus,” as I have my tentacles in many aspects of the business, which allows me to find inspiration almost anywhere and everywhere.
I was recently inspired by my desperation and that of the tech team to rework our entire workflow for initiating a warranty claim. When I stepped in to assist the tech team, what I saw caused that proverbial lump in the back of my throat to form. I had a choice to make; projectile vomit or do something about it. Seeing that I would rather eat mud than puke, I was inspired to make a change.
I identified what was wrong, and I knew what needed to be done to correct the problem. Our Customer Service Representatives (CSRs) were not taking notes uniformly. They weren’t gathering the same information each and every time, nor were they asking the right questions. This caused a slow down for the technicians. When they should be able to jump into a claim, review the information and contact the customer for further diagnostics, they were wasting their time figuring out who they had to call, what the complaint was, and where the vehicle was located. They were jumping in headfirst while blindfolded.
Fast forward to three weeks later, and we have a workflow that lives within our system. This flow is based on “fill in the blanks,” and it prompts our CSRs to provide complete and correct information every single time. While it can’t eliminate human error, the new flow system saves the team many minutes for each claim they touch. It’s reduced frustration and ill feelings towards and within the customer service teams. A little bit of inspiration made work-life better for the team and, in turn, inspired them to provide feedback and give kudos to CSRs that were going above and beyond. We’re now in a continuous cycle of getting inspired, being the inspiration, and reaping the benefits.
That sounds great, right? But what does that have to do with you? You’re not baking bread or embarking on a journey to paint the next Mona Lisa. You’re rebuilding a transmission or putting together an estimate or answering the phone. You’ve done that task hundreds of times, it’s second nature, and you could accomplish your mission with one eye closed. So, what the heck does inspiration have to do with you?
Everything!
Inspiration is what pushes people to create change, to build, and to grow. Inspiration fuels the desire to find new and better ways of doing things. Inspiration pushes us to think outside of the box. Inspiration breeds innovation. Without inspiration, we become stagnant. We stop learning and stop growing. We become obsolete. We might as well be Betamax.
So, where might you find this inspiration? It could be anywhere if you look close enough and keep your mind open to accept what’s just below the surface. Your overcrowded yet “well-organized” toolbox – right. Standing under a customer’s car that’s dropping a mixture of salt, snow, and road dirt on your boots, why not? (Guess where and when I’m writing this.) Definitely, the customer at the counter that’s hollering and threatening you all while sobbing can for sure be an inspiration. These events that happen so often (hopefully not the screaming patron) become so mundane that we don’t see the value in them anymore. They’re nuisances and just part of the job. Or are they? I dare you to let them inspire you.
Actually, I double-dog dare you. Here are some tips to help you embrace those AHA moments.
- Get a bigger magnifying glass – look deeper. The problem you’re facing is not really a problem; it’s an opportunity to invent a better way. Let the salty snow water run down your face; let it transform this gross cold moistness into a solution. The inspiration will flow into you once you’ve found your why, and potential solutions will arise.
- Play the What-If game: What if every tool I ever needed was at my disposal? I would surely be more efficient. What if the shared shop tools were always put back in their proper space, and I didn’t have to search all of the other bays just to get what I needed? I could spend less time on a scavenger hunt and more time doing my job. I would be guaranteed to beat book time. Playing What-if usually causes a bout of anxiety for me, but that’s only because “What if I’m dying” is my favorite game. But dream big; let those frustrations become inspirations. Use your imagination; let the idea be grandiose. Innovation can always be trimmed to fit.
- Listen with more than just your ears:
- “Betty Big Mouth” might be angry, she might have a reason to be, or she might just be delusional. But she’s at your counter presenting you with a gift. Betty didn’t understand that when you said her Jaguar would be ready on Tuesday, you meant next Tuesday. Create a way to update and maintain contact with customers as repairs progress. o Another Betty is beside herself that you didn’t buff and polish her Miata; you simply washed it as stated. She inspired you to hang the “what’s included” sign in the showroom.
- Yes, Bettys can be real pains, but they can also spur change.
- Be inspired to stay inspired: Once you know where to look and how to look, you won’t have to look very hard. Being inspired will become second nature and will attract you like flies on… well, you know where I’m heading.
I hope that, at the very least, you’ve been inspired to bake a cake. But I’m anticipating that you’ll find your oomph and turn your next “insurmountable” hurdle (Maybe its name is Betty.) into nothing more than a speedbump.
About the Author
Sari Rivera is a transmission industry veteran. You might recognize Sari as the “Siren of Support” for ETE’s Reman U where her cleverly creative writing style makes her articles both fun and helpful.
This is Sari’s first article for GEARS Magazine. We welcome Sari’s insightful creativity and look forward to future articles. Let us know how much you enjoyed Sari’s article by sending an email to rbland@atra.com.
You can also reach out to Sari by emailing to srivera@etereman.com.
