You Gave Them the Process. They Ignored It. Now What? | The Operator’s Edge Ep. 5 — Transcript

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1. 0:00The Operator's Edge, episode five: You gave them the process.
2. 0:03They ignored it.
3. 0:04Now what?
4. 0:06It's the third time you're sitting across from the same person.
5. 0:09You set the standard.
6. 0:10You had the talks.
7. 0:12You built the ritual, and here you are again
8. 0:15The first Conversation we have is the on the fly during the
9. 0:21shift, ending with a coaching conversation at the end of the day.
10. 0:25The second, the walk around the shop to discuss the issue in order to try
11. 0:31to gain a deeper understanding of why there's little to no improvement, ending
12. 0:36with another quick recap in the office.
13. 0:39And now here we are, the office sit down, the formal conversation.
14. 0:45Same sinking feeling, except now you're asking the question you
15. 0:48don't really wanna say out loud.
16. 0:50Is it them or is it me?
17. 0:53You gave them the process, they ignored it.
18. 0:55Now what?
19. 0:57Before you walk into that room, you need to know which
20. 0:59conversation you're actually having.
21. 1:01Because if you walk in ready to address someone's attitude when they never
22. 1:04understood the expectation, you're about to damage trust and leave the
23. 1:08real problem sitting right where it was.
24. 1:12Start with one question.
25. 1:14Did you document the process?
26. 1:15Was there a documented process?
27. 1:18Can you point to what was expected, who was responsible,
28. 1:21and who completed the work?
29. 1:23What that all looked like?
30. 1:25Was that process available to the person doing the job?
31. 1:28If the answer is no, start with a process conversation.
32. 1:33That's yours to own.
33. 1:34I expected this, but I didn't make it clear enough.
34. 1:37Here's how we're gonna do things moving forward.
35. 1:42Get it written down.
36. 1:43Show them.
37. 1:44Let them show you, then review it together.
38. 1:46A document nobody can use doesn't finish your job.
39. 1:50If the process exists, ask the second question: Is this the first
40. 1:55occurrence or is there a pattern?
41. 1:59For an ordinary first miss, start with training.
42. 2:02Ask what they understood and where the work broke down.
43. 2:08Even with a repeated pattern, check whether the training happened and
44. 2:13whether the process was workable Did they have access, enough
45. 2:16time, conflicting instructions?
46. 2:19Were you following the same standard?
47. 2:23A repeated pattern after a clear process demonstrated training
48. 2:26in workable condition calls for direct performance conversation.
49. 2:31You can address the behavior without deciding the person's character.
50. 2:34And don't use this sequence to delay an urgent safety response
51. 2:37or a serious misconduct review.
52. 2:39Handle those properly through the right policy
53. 2:43Now let me talk to the person who's running this thing by themselves.
54. 2:46You're the owner, you're the manager, you're the backup when somebody
55. 2:50calls in, you're the one apologizing when the customer gets a different
56. 2:52answer for, from three people.
57. 2:55You hired this person, you train them, you set the standard.
58. 2:59So when it breaks down again, it doesn't feel like a misstep, it feels
59. 3:01like a judgment on you That's why you rehearse this conversation in the car.
60. 3:07That's why you put it off or why you walk in carrying three weeks of frustration
61. 3:14and try to unload all of it in 10 minutes.
62. 3:17But the standard and yourself are two different things You can own
63. 3:21the system without taking every breakdown as a personal attack.
64. 3:26Accountability is a conversation about the work, the expectation,
65. 3:30and what change is next.
66. 3:32It doesn't have to be confrontation
67. 3:35Holding someone to a clear standard can be a form of respect.
68. 3:40You're saying, "I believe you, you're capable of better, and I'm willing to
69. 3:44be clear about what better looks like." When you avoid that conversation,
70. 3:48the expectation doesn't disappear.
71. 3:50The strongest people pick up the slack.
72. 3:53The person struggling keeps guessing, and you get more frustrated with a
73. 3:57problem you haven't clearly addressed Respect means telling the truth, hearing
74. 4:03their side, and following through.
75. 4:04It doesn't require you to promise endless chances.
76. 4:08So how do you actually start?
77. 4:10You don't need a speech.
78. 4:12You need a structure let's use an example at the end of the shift handoff
79. 4:17Open repair order needs a written status, a next action, and a named
80. 4:21owner before the advisor leaves.
81. 4:23That keeps the next shift from rebuilding the story while the customer waits.
82. 4:28You've shown the process, watched the advisor do it, and
83. 4:31discussed two earlier misses.
84. 4:34Now it has happened again.
85. 4:36Before you call the meeting, make sure those facts are there so you
86. 4:40can Make sure they're supported.
87. 4:45Then tell them what the conversation is about.
88. 4:47Give them a private setting and a real opportunity to respond
89. 4:50Conversation in the room.
90. 4:53You could open with, "I wanna talk about the closing handoff.
91. 4:57We agreed that each open repair order would have a status, a next
92. 5:02action, and an owner before you left.
93. 5:04I want to understand why that hasn't happened.
94. 5:07It hasn't happened consistently, and we need to agree on what changes today."
95. 5:13You name the work, you name the expectation.
96. 5:16You didn't start with, "You clearly don't care." Then put the pattern
97. 5:21on the table, Here are the three handoffs I'm concerned about.
98. 5:26On each one, the next action and the owner were missing.
99. 5:30We reviewed the first two together.
100. 5:32On the last one, the next shift had to reconstruct the job
101. 5:36before updating the customer
102. 5:39In the real conversation, use the actual dates and records
103. 5:43Share them where the employee can see them.
104. 5:45Don't build a surprise pile of unrelated complaints to
105. 5:47make your case feel stronger.
106. 5:49Then ask, "Walk me through what happened from your side. What am I missing?"
107. 5:53Let them answer.
108. 5:55Don't ask for their side while you're mentally loading for rebuttal Maybe
109. 5:59the shared system was unavailable.
110. 6:01Maybe their manager told them to clock out before the handoff was done.
111. 6:04Maybe they thought the other advisor was Accepting the ownership.
112. 6:11Or maybe they knew exactly what to do and just skipped it.
113. 6:15Those are different situations.
114. 6:17The response should reflect that If there's a barrier,
115. 6:21name your part in removing it.
116. 6:23If the system goes down, call me before you leave so we can
117. 6:27agree on the backup handoff.
118. 6:28I'll make sure both shifts know that route If the facts are disputed, check
119. 6:34them before deciding the consequence.
120. 6:37Listening is a part of getting the decision right.
121. 6:41If the expectation was clear and the conditions were workable, say it plainly.
122. 6:45"I hear you. The handoff still needs to happen. Leaving it for someone
123. 6:49else creates the problem for the next shift, and more importantly, a
124. 6:53problem for the customer." Then build an agreement you can actually observe.
125. 6:58"Starting with your next shift, every open repair order will have the current status,
126. 7:03the next action, and the named owner before you leave. If something prevents
127. 7:07that, you need to contact me before the handoff is due. I'll check the handoff
128. 7:12with you for the next five shifts, and we'll review it together after the fifth."
129. 7:17Ask them to tell you the agreement back in their own words.
130. 7:20What will they do?
131. 7:23What support will you provide?
132. 7:25When will you both check it
133. 7:29Follow through and the Ascend invitation
134. 7:32Now address what happens if the agreement isn't kept.
135. 7:37Use the next step Your policy allows and your role authorizes
136. 7:44Say it calmly and make it specific.
137. 7:47In this example, if this happens again, the next step is a formal
138. 7:51performance review under our policy, and I want you to understand that.
139. 7:55I want to give you a fair opportunity to meet the standard.
140. 7:57You got this
141. 7:59That isn't a threat you improvise just because you're frustrated.
142. 8:03It's a clear next step.
143. 8:04Don't promise a consequence you're unwilling to, unauthorized
144. 8:08to carry out Write down the agreement and share it with them.
145. 8:13Include what they said, support you committed to And when you follow up
146. 8:21Then show up for that review And if the week and the work improves,
147. 8:28recognize the improvement right away.
148. 8:31If it doesn't, make sure you follow through on the next step.
149. 8:35A conversation without follow-through becomes another
150. 8:37memory of a talk you already had
151. 8:41If you're a new owner, before you decide it's the wrong person, make sure that
152. 8:46the process isn't the wrong process.
153. 8:51If you're the one-man show, the conversation may feel very personal
154. 8:56because the standard and your identity have become tangled together.
155. 9:03Separate them.
156. 9:05You can hold the expectation without making somebody prove your
157. 9:08worth as a leader And if you're a developing leader, avoiding a needed
158. 9:13conversation that sometimes can feel kind in the moment But it leaves
159. 9:18the person without a clear feedback
160. 9:21and the rest of the team carrying the cost
161. 9:24These first five episodes belong together.
162. 9:27Grace after a mistake, honesty about the numbers, customer trust that reaches
163. 9:33the team, a communication ritual people can use, and now accountability that
164. 9:40means something after the conversation ends If you've watched all five
165. 9:45episodes, you've got five tools.
166. 9:49And if you're being honest with yourself, you may already know
167. 9:53the tool isn't the hardest part.
168. 9:55The hard part is having nobody in your corner when you have to use it
169. 10:00You've gotta make the call.
170. 10:02You've gotta walk into that room.
171. 10:05Sometimes you need someone to help prepare, challenge, think, follow
172. 10:10through That's where Ascend comes in.
173. 10:14If you want support applying this to your business and team that you're
174. 10:19actually leading, take a look.
175. 10:22Decide whether it's the right fit
176. 10:24First, DM me standard on Instagram.
177. 10:28I'll send you the one-page checklist to complete before the conversation.
178. 10:32Five minutes to get the facts, your responsibility, and the agreement,
179. 10:38and the next clear step And if you're tired of figuring this out alone The
180. 10:44Ascend link is in my bio I'm Ryan Boccaccio This is The Operator's Edge.
181. 10:49Set the standard, have the conversation, follow through Thank
182. 10:55you so much for your support.
183. 10:58See you soon