Leadership Lessons from Benny's Car Wash.

Allie describes her world of work as a "balancing act,” especially when it comes to the temporary pains of a fast-growing business while striving to maintain the family culture. "Not being from this niche industry, I'm learning and developing simultaneously." 

"It is always funny to me when people say 'It's just a car wash,' but there is so much to learn about, and working with some of the industry's biggest influencers is truly incredible."

After the formal training, employees begin their hands-on experience, observing and working alongside experienced employees, and gradually start to perform tasks themselves. As they gain confidence and competence, they are given more responsibility.

In this on-the-job training phase, MITs learn how to operate the equipment, provide excellent customer service, and work efficiently to meet the company's expectations. By understanding the center's standard operating procedures, MITs are equipped with the skills they need to demonstrate their proficiency.

Here's Allie's take on the MIT Program: 

Our 'process walks' are our SOPs come-to-life.

"We take the SOP (standard operating procedure) and turn it into a form that allows us to observe processes. These cover positions, procedures, and information necessary for day-to-day operations. We use them for training, coaching, and certifying. Our process walks have standardized expectations throughout the company. Alongside our process walks, we utilize our in-house subject matter experts. MITs spend time with department heads to learn the 'whys' behind processes. Not only do we take advantage of the knowledge they can gain, but more importantly, we emphasize the relationships being built between departments."

One of the key factors contributing to the program's success is its emphasis on hands-on training in that it has: 

• Helped to ensure that all employees have consistent training and knowledge.

• Enabled employees to perform their duties more efficiently, resulting in excellent customer satisfaction.

• Created a culture of continuous learning, where employees are encouraged to develop their skills and pursue advancement opportunities.

Another contributing factor to the program's success is the leadership's commitment to providing ongoing employee support and feedback. Employees receive regular coaching and feedback, which helps them identify improvement areas and build upon their strengths.

The MIT program has been a resounding success for Benny's Carwash. Many of the program's graduates have become successful managers within the company, and some have been promoted to senior-level positions.

Allie and the training team at Benny's have even bigger plans for leadership development. The next edition will focus on seven major business areas: Training, Leadership, Labor, Scheduling, Sales, Volume, & Retention.

The Benny's Training team has opted out of the Peanut Butter Spread Approach to learning, so they are on a mission to make the most meaningful, high-impact program the company has seen yet. This was determined by a "Know-Do-Feel" exercise conducted over Miro to map out the learning experience for future MITs. It goes something like this:

• What do we want the trainees to KNOW after the MIT program?
• What do we want the trainees to DO during the MIT Program?
• How do we want the trainees to FEEL during and after their MIT Program?

So what's next for the MIT Program? 

This teacher may have left the classroom, but the classroom never left the teacher. To elevate interest in learning and development at the company, Allie has tapped into her strengths of instruction and created edutainment for all Benny's employees and leaders. She co-hosts a weekly company broadcast. Benny's Vision, a highly entertaining and informative brand communication channel that has been widely adopted.  

But, wait, there's more! 

This driven leader, Allie, also aims to incorporate behavioral insights into the program by leveraging the Management Strategy Guides, Personal Development Charts, and Relationship Guides offered in PI Inspire. There are no limits to what Benny's can achieve.