Hooray, you got the job. You managed to sell yourself to a parts store manager as a knowledgeable, enthusiastic hard-worker with motivation and a desire to better yourself. We are pretty sure that you even believed that too…we know that you really meant to inform the fine folks at (INSERT STORE HERE) that you really needed the extra income, know enough about cars that this gig should be easy enough, that the employee pricing scheme is too good to pass up, and that you knew getting hired was as sure of a shot as putting in an application at McDonald’s, but whatever. You’re getting the work shirts, you’re standing behind the counter, you’re quickly realizing that the customer can be a pain in the ass and that you might not have known as much about cars as you initially claimed. But you’re also getting paid, so it’s all good.

Allow me to play the devil’s advocate for a minute and explain management’s way of thinking: you have bought into the company and they seriously think that you are 100% Team (STORE).  You bleed O’Reilly’s Green, NAPA Blue, AutoZone Orange. (We will skip Advance here, ok?) But there is this issue: unless you are the most doe-eyed, naïve individual out there, chances are good that you will exhibit personality traits that are…well, unacceptable. That’s where such management tools as behavior and culture management tools come into play. Any military members might recognize the leadership mantra of “Be, Know, Do”. In seriously shortened terms, it breaks down like this:

BE: Believe in the organization, learn from a role model, show commitment, become a leader/mentor/trainer, be a person of your word, and be an honorable, trustworthy person who isn’t afraid to act.

Know: Be a subject matter expert, knowledgeable in your tasks and responsibilities, improve on your skills, learn history and stay current on information.

Do: Maintain yourself, be timely, know when to listen, when to teach, when to act, and strive to advance from your current position.

Sounds easy enough, right? It works well enough for the military, but what about in the real world with old-timers who aren’t interested in what a motivated young buck has to say, fresh young workers who aren’t knowledgable but seem to not want to learn, and professional idiots who have spent years perfecting their craft? To rip from the military again, you “break it down, Barney-style”…that is, with pretty pictures and small words. I’ll be honest: every time Store Manager would take a couple of minutes to explain the store’s “culture” to me, and how I needed to fall in line with their line of thinking. After years in the military, I was not going to be told how my behavior didn’t conform to a parts store’s expectations of behavior. I intended on showing up at least ten minutes before my shift, intended on leaving only when my shift ended or the store was properly closed, and in-between, would strive to serve the customers accurately and correctly without losing my temper. Doesn’t that sound reasonable?

What does your store provide as guidance for the workers? Ever think about it? I promise it looks or sounds something like this:

Here’s how this breaks down: Box one signifies someone who is only there for a paycheck. They aren’t helpful, they aren’t earning their way. They are worthless. Box two is for those who can earn their way, but tend to have conflicts outside of set behavior areas. And that’s pretty vague…it could mean someone who can sell well but occasionally steals from the company, or just someone who takes one too many breaks. Box three is the ideal employee, except they aren’t meeting the performance requirements. They get along, they have excellent customer interactions, but can’t sell, get lost easily while hunting parts, or maybe lied more than a little bit about their car knowledge. And, of course, box four: the ideal employee. You are kind, you are courteous, you are knowledgable, and best of all, you’re a 100% committed company employee who believes the hype and propaganda that comes down from Regional and above.

As a customer, if you want to help a good counter clerk and understand this overall layout, here’s what you do: ignore the box 1 and 2 types. They will get fired or quit soon enough. If you can’t find a #4 who isn’t a complete and total corporate brown-noser, look for someone who really wants to help you, but might be struggling a bit because they bit off more than they can chew. Chances are good that this will be a young kid who is trying to make it by faking it and is realizing that they are over their head. I know, it’s not your job and that the store workers should be teaching them, but news flash: they aren’t. So give the kid pointers. Don’t get exasperated because they don’t understand. Ask if they have looked in catalogs. See if they are on the right track when hunting parts. And don’t tell anyone I suggested this, but if you really want to see a new kid come to life, tell them to whip out their phone and look it up…chances are good that a quick Google search will tell them more than the 30-year-old software in the store ever will.