Be prepared
Few things have contributed to the decline in face-to-face interaction as much as e-mail and BlackBerrys. As an old-school guy, Case still prefers to write things down in a notebook to stay tuned in to what is happening in his business.
When you don’t know what’s happening, your employees will quickly lose confidence.
“I like to have it right in front of me every minute,” Case says. “If I’m at my desk, it’s in my binder. If I’m in a meeting, it’s in my coat pocket. I can write things down right away that I need to know.”
The notebook allows Case to be away from his office but still have easy access to important matters that need to be on his radar.
“You can’t take your computer with you when you’re walking around the dealership,” Case says. “I can check what I did the previous day and what didn’t get done and what needs to be done. I can write down my managers I need to call and things we need to go over with them.”
This information enables Case to be better prepared to discuss situations with his people, another behavior he hopes to convey to employees.
“People need to be organized,” Case says. “We try to motivate our people to know what our plan is and how you’re going to implement your plan. You just need to prioritize. What are the things that are important? Prioritize the things you need to get done and get them done as soon as you can.”
By using his notebook, Case can effectively demonstrate leadership from anywhere in the office. If it’s something that can wait, he can jot down a note and get to it later. If it’s more urgent, he’s there to deal with it straight away.
The key to dealing with it effectively often comes down to your ability to be tactful.
“If we see things in dealerships, especially things that may be negative, we try not to bring it up at that point with the person,” Case says.
“As the owners of the company, you have to manage a little differently than the managers do. Everything you say, it’s so important to them. You have to be careful because if Rick or Rita Case say it, if it’s a negative thing, it’s really devastating to them. On the other hand, if you keep it positive, it’s really positive for them. It goes a long way.”
