Laurie Foster ✨’s Post

On The State of the Automotive Retail Business: Employees and Customers are the ones to ask. Are we doing better for our employees compared to other industries? Are we doing our very best to attract, grow and retain top-tier talent? Remember- longevity alone is not a measure of current environment requirements for a position. Are we attracting new customers- and if so, how- why? What are they saying? Have you asked? Are we retaining the goodwill of past customers? Even those who haven't been a Sales or Service client recently still recollect their experience. What are they telling others, today? Do we offer a consistent high-level of customer service and experience, or does it depend on the day, the person they interact with at your location? How do you know and how do you measure and react to this? Do your people trust you and the direction the company is going? Do they even know. or are they merely working day to day, with no real idea of the company's strength, growth or vision? How do you know any of the above, with certainty, to the point you can make sound decisions on what to do next, and next after that? The view from the top is one perspective. I hope that what you find when you go deeper is all good! But trust me, there are always dozens of opportunities once you are intentional about a clear-eyed picture of the true State of Your Automotive Retail operation. Be brave and dive in. It's not for the faint of heart. But these bold business actions are exactly what true professionals purposely choose to do. Make the assumption there is work to be done and relish the opportunity to improve your business, your team, your own life- and the lives of all of your customers. #BetterTogether #ContinuousImprovement #ConsciousLeadership #TalentOverTenure #LeadershipMatters #ImprovingAutomotiveRetail #CustomersKeepTheLightsOn

On the Books You Thought You Read My love and appreciation for books has been a lifelong pillar of learning and growth. I choose carefully as both business/professional growth books are not 'summer reading' or page flippers. It takes time...and I take an inordinate amount of notes. It's worth the investment of time, as I look at each like a master class delivered by the hands of the author. In the earliest days of covid shutdowns, I endeavored to read Ray Dalio's, 'Principles'. A rather weighty book in topic and size. And I read it. There are notes throughout proving my time inside these pages. But recently, this same tome was telling me to pick it up again. After brushing off the nudging voice for a few weeks, I did, highlighter in hand, as if only to reinforce previous notes. This journey has been eye-opening. There is the book I read 'then' and the book I am reading now. Now, is who I am after the last few years. Now, there is all I have learned, seen, applied, lived since then. It is a completely different, 10x more valuable and meaningful book to me this time through. What else in my life is like this? Did we really learn or did we learn from a specific point in time? The progression of the student meeting the same teacher makes the interaction a new beginning, a new level of comprehension, application. I'm grateful for the muse that encouraged me to go back. I'm pleased with myself for taking notice and action. And now, I'm left to wonder with these new eyes, what else I need to go back and revisit. Always stay open-minded, never assume you 'got it' the first time and enjoy your own growth journey. #BetterTogether #TransformingGrowth #LeadershipMatters #FreshEyes #RayDalio #Principles

On Showing Up, Ready or Not. 👉🏻A friendly reminder that no one else needs to know you are in a place of big decisions or questions. Stay the course with what you know to be real and true while you spend time intentionally work it out in your mind and on paper. Yes, paper! ❌This isn't 'Fake it 'til you make it'. This is strategic and logical planning at its finest. ✨Those thoughts keep showing up for a reason. Don't allow them to distract you from a great life today. But rather iff similar thoughts keep popping up, they are trying to help you, not take away from your current successes. Harness those ideas and turn them into jet fuel for your better future.🚀🧑🏻🚀👩🏻🚀✨✨✨✨ Enhance your life with focused, clear-eyed plans! #BetterTogether #ThisIsLeadership #ListenWithIntention #MakeNoSmallPlans

https://lnkd.in/eigzWqE5

https://lnkd.in/eFSyYmf6 Happy Saturday morning friends! If you have had a tough week, watch this video and I can guarantee you are going to feel better quickly. Another idea: If they offered videos of your recovery experience, it might lessen the blow of the bill you about to receive...and the painful recovery process. At least you would have something funny to preoccupy you! Have a great weekend. And has anyone seen my hat?

For all of you in automotive there are a few conferences going on right now. Love to hear your feedback. ASOTU | More Than Cars Is taking place in Baltimore. It looks like a great turn out. I had planned to attend this year and the date just got away from me. Women In Automotive is meeting up in Colorado Springs. It looks like everyone there is having a good time.

On Unexpected Challenges: The Key Bridge Incident As the bridge is carefully demolished today to extract the ship involved, we think about the heavy impact of one port in our country. As one of the largest import/export locations in the country, Baltimore is working diligently to re-open in as few months as possible. Meanwhile, Businesses including Dealerships are wrestling with multiple challenges as a result of the reduced capacities for shipping and receiving. We would like to hear how this is impacting your business and how you are addressing these difficulties. Check out our short poll and be sure to follow for more updates like this. #Transport #Logistics #Shipping #Acertus #Inventory #Vehicles Julie Lawton Trent Broberg 🚘 Paul Malone Lucas Schott https://lnkd.in/eKuAbtsM

Once you see your efforts start to make a difference, dig in. Don't wait for perfection. Go for the 80/20 rule and soon enough you'll be at 85/15...90/10 and you have your momentum.

On One test I Do for Myself Daily: Will this be 'Excellent'? Even more important, 'Will this be perceived and appreciated as being 'Excellent' to the recipient? Leadership is a POV you earn. It requires demonstrating your insistence on self-correction, pressing towards the best product, acknowledging the best work is often one more idea or piece of paper away. Here are a few of my steps to get started as you seek to 'Demonstrate Leadership'. #1 Have and hold yourself to the highest standards. Starting with you, created and redrawn by you, consistent with you, lead by you, finessed by you. #2 Be able to demonstrate 'how' and 'why' you approach the work at hand (read, ALL your work) with a Growth and Excellence mindset. #3 Empower your team to take their first steps towards your Excellence model under your supervision. Safety First!!! #4 Review their work the same way you review your own: Is this Excellent-will it received that way? #5 Set expectations and review results in a 'before and after' mode. ...more to come, but do start here. When we insist on doing our best work behind the scenes, your rate of excellence from your team in front of the scenes can only improve.