Is there value in change – absolutely, is there value in change for the sake of change – doubtful!  Change for the right reason is always good; some will say if you are not changing you are not growing and I can agree with that.  The problem lies when change happens for the wrong reason which affects stability and this is especially true in personnel changes.  Something isn’t going right so you make a personnel change and hmm, that didn’t work, let me make another change.

A big issue in a collision center is management changes.  Changing a manager is a big disruption to an organization and goes deeper than most think.  It usually sends shockwaves through a shop, technicians slow down and production is reduced to a crawl.  Another effect of a management change is in insurance relationships.  Insurance companies will put you lower on their list or stop work flow all together.  If you have more than one management change in a year an insurance company will take a serious look at the value of your shop.  Insurance companies want stability, and will move their business to a shop that has proven to show consistency in their operation.  Those actions will hurt the workflow and ultimately the bottom line. 

At times reviewing the processes and working towards stability is a better option than making a personnel change.  Most of the problems lie in a failed process rather than a failed person.  People in general want to do a good job and quite often coaching can move a person to the next level.  Employing a coach to work with a manager to help overcome deficiencies can provide the stability needed to allow a company to grow.  Together you can check the processes and identify whether it is a knowing problem or a doing problem to determine the best action to take.  This investment can prove to be more beneficial than making a change that might not be right and impact your business adversely.  If a coach finds that a change is necessary they can help orchestrate the change to minimize the impact.

Stability is the key to success; the consistency it brings will increase morale and make your business more visible to your insurance partners.