Love Is in the Details
By Brian Wolff
I’ve come to appreciate in every professional scenario when champions are crowned, there’s a leader that espouses the virtue of doing the little things well as the critical component to success. In the parking industry, the grand structures and complex systems often receive the most attention. We celebrate the towering garages, the cutting-edge technology, and the seamless integration across platforms. However, this month, with love in the air, it’s worth remembering that in parking — as in life — love is in the details.
In parking, we’re no strangers to managing the small details that make a parking experience effortless and unmemorable. These small, thoughtful touches may go unnoticed by the casual observer, but in the aggregate, they leave lasting impressions on customers and elevate the parking moment. It’s little things like the placement of clear signage, well-lit pathways, the use of technology to guide cars to open spaces or facilitate payment, and, of course, the presence of staff to lend a helping hand, whether in-person or virtually. When we prioritize these details, we demonstrate not just professionalism, but a genuine concern, nay love, for the people we serve.
A foundation based on core values
Leaders are charged with managing two sides of the “people we serve” coin — our customers and those we lead. Although numerous details make a parking experience physically appealing, it’s the people behind the scenes who make the biggest difference. Leadership details include such things as building a service-minded culture, connecting the work to the big picture, expressing gratitude for the work in big and little ways, and sharing the burden of the work.
Building a great culture starts with core values. Core values help create a roadmap to finding and retaining people with aligned perspectives. We don’t have to be clones of each other, but we would do well to find people who value the same things.
For example, our company has a core value of “above and beyond.” During the interview process, we look for people who demonstrate their affinity for going above and beyond. It could be a simple thing like doing extensive research and asking deep, thoughtful questions about our company. Or they go to extraordinary lengths to follow up and stay in touch. We know if those traits are present in the early stages of the relationship, they’ll likely continue for the duration.
That kind of mentality comes in handy when someone calls off and shifts need to be filled. Or, when we ask someone to travel on a weekend or early in the morning to attend a conference, taking time away from their families.
Lessons from studying “the game”
As industry veterans, we know the importance of our work. We also know it’s getting harder to find and retain people to do the work. Those entering the workforce today need to be tied to something meaningful, and they want to know they’re contributing to something bigger than themselves. As leaders, understanding that detail, and connecting the work to the larger mission, is critical.
At our company, we encourage our employees to become a “student of the game,” be it sales, marketing, or even life in general. With this concept, we mean paying attention to situations in which they’re the customer and noting when a salesperson or other company representative is particularly effective or completely ineffective and the details that led to this outcome. We then encourage our staff to apply any lessons learned to their own job performance.
When employees connect those lessons to the work they do and their role in creating a good experience for their customers, they see how their work fits into the overall mission of providing a memorable or, better yet, a forgettable parking experience.
The value of appreciation and camaraderie
Next, the detail of appreciation can be a powerful motivator. Nobody wants to do thankless work. Recognition does not have to come with cymbals crashing and confetti. I’ve found that simple, meaningful, and heartfelt appreciation for a job well done goes a long way toward creating a loyal, reliable employee.
Finally, the last detail that supercharges our people’s motivation is when we jump in and do the work with them shoulder-to-shoulder. I’ve interviewed more than 40 leaders on my podcast this past year and the one common thread for running a great parking operation has been their willingness and conviction that leaders must get out from behind their desks and do the work with their people. By doing so, they motivate their people to do their best work and inform their perspective on the details of the operation that make a difference.
They say love makes the world go round. I would extend that to say that love of the details makes good parking operations great. The execution of details creates a parking experience worthy of our efforts through people who feel love because we care enough to love the details. So go out there and spread the love, one parked car at a time! Happy Valentine’s Day!
BRIAN WOLFF is the president & CEO of Parker Technology. He can be reached at brian.wolff@parkertechnology.com or visit www.parkertechnology.com.
