One of the most famous quiz shows in history was You Bet Your Life, created especially for Groucho Marx. At the beginning of each show, Groucho told his contestants: “Say the secret word and a duck will come down and give you $50.” It may not sound like much, but back in the late ’40s it was a bundle!
At Expo this year, we had our own “secret” word; one that was mentioned in every management seminar, plus many of the technical seminars and the new Transmissions 101. The secret word was “mentoring.”
Okay, maybe it wasn’t all that secret — and no one received $50 for saying it — but it certainly got a lot of attention.
The question that was probably asked the most was “How do we mentor a new technician?” That had me scratching my head because, if you think about it, virtually every person in the working world had at least some form of mentoring to help them learn their jobs.
Whether you’re working as an auto mechanic, a plumber, an accountant, or even a CEO of an international association, someone, somewhere took the time to help you learn to do your job today. It’s not a secret technique by any stretch of the imagination.
Why has mentoring become such a stranger to our business? I think it’s more about where we have to begin. If you talk to any of the older techs, you’ll learn that they had someone who took them under their wing and helped them learn the business. I know I did.
What seems to be different is that now we’re trying to start teaching our techs from the beginning, instead of picking them up after they have some experience. Here’s what I think happened:
Back when a lot of us got started, there was a business model called a “gas station.” I know, we have gas stations today, but they’re nothing like the gas stations from when I was young.
Back then, most car repairs were done in gas stations. A young guy without a lot of experience would take a job at one of those gas stations. He had to learn to check under the hood and check the tires as part of his job.
And, if he was even a little interested, it wasn’t long before he learned to mount and balance tires and perform oil changes. If he displayed some aptitude, one of the mechanics would start showing him the ropes, teaching him how to tune an engine or replace the brakes.
That’s when we got our hands on them: They’d been working in the business for a year or two and wanted to move up. They already knew basic repair techniques: Teaching them R&R was easy. And, if they were motivated, someone would start showing them how to rebuild a transmission.
It was a natural progression. No one had to identify themselves as mentors or apprentices. It was just how we did things.
Today, someone who gets a job at a gas station is more likely to learn how to sell chewing gum or cigarettes than fix a car.
Very few gas stations fix cars anymore, so that source for new technicians has dried up.
That doesn’t mean there aren’t young people out there looking for work, and it doesn’t mean there’s no one with the potential to become a technician. It means that now, you’re going to have to start them from the beginning.
Maybe that means you’ll need to hire someone to sweep floors, empty the trash, and drive customers home. And, if they show an interest, you can let them help with an R&R and see whether they exhibit an aptitude for it. Maybe they can help wash transmission parts, and see if they take the initiative to learn to check the parts or rebuild the drums.
Of course, ATRA isn’t expecting you to do it alone. We’re working on a new program — the ATRA Virtual Training Solutions (VTS) — designed to provide technical support and help you turn an inexperienced hire into a valuable technician.
The important thing to remember is that, while mentoring may be the “secret” word, it isn’t new. It’s a matter of making a commitment and taking the time to work with young people to grow your own and create the next generation of transmission technicians.
And you can be sure, that’ll be worth a lot more than fifty bucks to you!
