From Good to Great: The Value of Culture in Fleet Management

Have you ever been stung by surprise when a top employee quits? Have you ever found it difficult to pinpoint exactly why you think one job candidate is a good fit or why you should run like hell from another?

Does your team feel like they are running around with their hair on fire, or are they in reactive mode instead of proactive mode? Could your team tell you what makes your fleet unique or why they stay instead of running down the road where the pay is significantly better?

Over the years, as the CEO of RTA, I've visited hundreds of fleets, asking these same questions. I've seen an interesting trend between the truly great fleets and those that barely survive. It's the same trend that author Jim Collins found in his research of great businesses. It centers around the clarity of your culture.

Recognizing the Importance of Culture

Over the next few articles, we'll dive into the foundations of what makes a great culture (and spoiler: it's not just monthly BBQ in the breakroom). When done right, you'll be well on your way to being a leading fleet leader with happier team members and less stress in your day-to-day life.

For those unfamiliar with Collins' work, he's the bestselling author of books like "Good to Great" and "Built to Last," where he and his team examine dozens of different companies to figure out what separates the outstanding companies from the run-of-the-mill mediocre ones.

One of the most fascinating things he found in his comparisons was that the great companies were all fanatical about their organizational DNA. They were crystal clear about why they were doing what they were doing. They were committed to living by a set of principles or behaviors, something he labeled as core values. And they all had compelling goals and missions.

Understanding Your Fleet’s Purpose, Values, and Mission

These three things (purpose, values, and mission) form the bedrock of truly great fleets; they are the foundation of an organization's culture. As you reflect on your fleet, are you crystal clear on these things? Is your team?

Could I walk out onto your shop floor and ask your newest tech what your core values or mission are? Is everyone held to the same standards around those core values? If I looked at your hiring process, would I see you refer to your purpose and values frequently?

Do you willingly turn down candidates who don't fit the mold? Even in the face of a technician shortage?

Most fleets I walk into aren't clear on their purpose, values, and mission; several haven't even heard of them.

What's been evident to me for many years is that while Jim Collins may be common reading in the business world, most of us in fleet haven't heard of him or his research. We haven't been exposed to the work of others, like Patrick Lencioni, who focuses on eliminating team dysfunction and creating healthy organizations.

We aren't given leadership lessons on how to inspire, motivate, or coach our teams from Navy SEALs like Jocko Willink or Leif Babin, authors of "Extreme Ownership." We've never been taught how to strategize or set goals from the likes of Netflix, Amazon, or Google.

Becoming a Better Leader for Your Team

I was teaching about "The Five Dysfunctions of a Team" at our user event several years ago, and the fleet manager from one of the fastest growing municipalities in the U.S. came up, emotionally moved, in gratitude, because no one had ever taken the time to teach her about this. She'd never been to a leadership seminar and was never taught how to coach others.

She said that higher-ups get this type of education, but never us in fleet.

And it was true. I would rarely see fleet leaders get that level of investment. We could only lead based on what was modeled before us, especially those of us who came from the ground up.

It set me on a mission to help individuals in fleet leadership positions to become better leaders. That starts by building a culture they can be proud of—a culture that employees love, which helps them find joy and fulfillment at work so they can be better people at home.

As leaders, we have a tremendous duty to be stewards of those in our care. Do you recognize the impact you can have on your team members' lives? Imagine building a culture so amazing that when your employees go home at the end of the day, they still have energy and excitement to see their kids instead of being miserable and beaten down by the grind. Do you know the difference you can make for your team's families and loved ones and how far-reaching your leadership goes?

If we want to build an incredible culture like that, it starts with us as leaders being intentional and creating clarity around purpose, values, and mission, as Jim Collins wrote about in Built to Last. Of course, that's just the beginning, and it's not easy. You then must reinforce that clarity and fight for it every day.

There's no magic formula for overnight success. But, as someone who has done that work and gone through that transformation, I cannot say it loudly enough: it is so worth it. We have all seen that attracting and retaining good fleet talent is difficult, and pay is often a tough incentive for fleets. Getting your culture right is critical and will likely be the secret to your fleet's success, so get ready to transform your fleet!