Reman U
- Subject: Listening to new ideas
- Essential Reading: Shop Owner, Center Manager
- Author: Noah Rickun
There’s an interesting thing that happens when you hire someone new.
- The new guy asks questions. Hard-hitting questions. He doesn’t know any better.
- The new guy pushes buttons. He doesn’t know any better.
- The new guy challenges the status quo. He doesn’t know any better.
- The new guy comes to the table with how things were at his last job and how he thinks things should be at your company. And, foolishly, you ignore the new guy. You dismiss his suggestions as naivety. Don’t worry, he’ll fall in line soon enough. He’ll quiet down when he realizes you won’t give him the freedom to try new things, to implement new ideas or to present his plans at your meetings.
Maybe the problem is that you know too much. You know what works, and you know what doesn’t. Maybe your knowledge of what can go wrong is preventing you from getting things right.
Instead of hoping that the new guy gets used to the way things are, work hard to leverage his excitement and ideas – they’re often more creative than anything you’ve thought of. Try looking at your business through the eyes of the new guy.
Noah Rickun, aka Captain Reman, is the vice president of sales & distribution at ETE Reman. An aftermarket veteran, Captain Reman is known for sharing his sales, business and customer-service knowledge weekly through the e-newsletter Reman U.
