In most organizations, roughly 10 to 20 percent of people are top performers, and about the same share sit at the opposite end. Everyone else is in the middle. Ironically, companies tend to pour their time and resources into trying to fix their lowest performers, which leaves that large middle group unattended. Debbie Muno calls these overlooked employees the “Jan Bradys” of an organization.
In part two of her conversation with Kim Hickey, Debbie, Managing Director of Genos North America, explores what talent really is, why culture is the real competition for workers, and how customized jobs and flexible schedules can help shops attract and keep good people after the changes the pandemic brought to the workforce.
What You Will Learn
- What is talent, and what makes people successful?
- The blood, sweat, and tears none of us see. What we need to do to create a real change in our culture
- About the Jan Brady’s of our organization
- The real competition. Companies compete with their cultures to attract internal customers
- What is a competitive advantage in today’s market
- Companies should seriously consider customized job positions and flexible working hours
Questions Asked in This Episode
- Some companies have pizza parties or bowling nights, and they think we have an engaged culture and a great place to work. Do you see that? In the professional world?
- What can you say about the “Jan Brady” effect in an organization?
What Talent Really Is
Debbie opens by asking what talent is and what makes people successful. Talent is not just technical skill. It includes how people manage themselves, work with others, and respond to pressure. Many employees have more potential than their current performance shows. Whether that potential is realized depends heavily on the environment they work in.
Talent is also contextual. A technician who struggles in a chaotic shop with poor leadership might thrive in a well-organized shop with clear expectations and good mentoring. Before concluding that someone lacks talent, leaders should ask whether the environment is helping or hindering their performance. Often, small changes in training, tools, or management unlock abilities that were there all along.
The Jan Brady Effect
Fans of The Brady Bunch will remember Jan, the middle sister who always felt overlooked. Debbie uses that image to describe the middle performers in a company. They are steady, reliable, and often capable of much more, but they rarely receive attention because leaders are busy celebrating top performers or managing problem employees.
In a repair shop, the Jan Bradys might be the B-level technician who could become an A-tech with the right training, or the advisor who quietly handles customers well but has never been offered a path to grow. Investing in this group can raise the performance of the whole shop. ATI’s Here’s How to Get More ‘A’ Techs in Your Shop and How to Leverage Your Long-Time Techs offer practical ways to develop that middle group.
The middle group often represents the greatest return on development investment. Top performers are already performing, and low performers may need more help than a small business can provide. Middle performers, however, frequently have the ability to improve significantly with targeted coaching, clearer goals, and recognition. Even a modest improvement across that group can have a bigger impact on the shop’s overall results than focusing only on the extremes.
Leaders can start by meeting individually with middle performers, asking about their goals, and identifying one or two specific skills to develop. The attention alone often boosts engagement.
Pizza Parties Are Not Culture
Kim asks Debbie about companies that hold pizza parties or bowling nights and believe they have an engaged culture. Debbie’s view is that real culture change takes much more. It requires the “blood, sweat, and tears” that nobody sees: consistent leadership behavior, honest communication, meaningful development, and accountability. Perks can be nice, but they cannot replace how people are treated every day.
Perks are not bad, and people usually enjoy them. The problem arises when perks replace the harder work of good leadership. A pizza lunch cannot make up for unclear expectations, unfair pay, poor communication, or a manager who belittles people. Employees see through perks used as a substitute. When perks are added on top of strong leadership, they reinforce a culture that already works.
A useful way to tell the difference is to ask what employees would say about the shop if the perks disappeared tomorrow. If the answer is that they would still feel respected, trained, and heard, the culture is solid. If the perks are the main thing people mention, the foundation needs work. Owners can find out by asking directly in one-on-one conversations or through a short anonymous survey.
Companies Now Compete With Their Cultures
Around the 15 minute mark, Debbie explains that the real competition is no longer just about wages. Companies compete with their cultures to attract internal customers. Workers have more choices than ever, and many will leave for a place where they feel respected and supported, even for similar pay.
That is especially important in the auto repair industry, where technicians are in high demand. The U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics projects tens of thousands of openings each year for automotive service technicians and mechanics. Shops with a strong culture have a clear advantage in that market. Roy Keiser explores this in Using Culture and Reputation to Build a Bench for Your Auto Shop.
Online reviews have extended this competition. Sites like Indeed and Glassdoor allow employees to share their experiences publicly, and technicians talk with one another constantly through social media and tool vendors. A shop’s reputation as an employer travels quickly. Shops that invest in culture find it easier to attract candidates, while shops with a poor reputation struggle no matter how much they advertise.
What a Competitive Advantage Looks Like Today
Debbie discusses what a competitive advantage means in today’s market. Products and services can be copied. Culture is much harder to replicate. A shop where people want to work, and where customers feel that energy, has an edge that competitors cannot easily match.
Many traditional advantages, such as location, equipment, or pricing, can be matched by a competitor with enough money. Culture, relationships, and a reputation for treating people well take years to build and are nearly impossible to copy quickly. That is why so many successful shops point to their people as their greatest advantage.
Customized Roles and Flexible Schedules
Debbie encourages companies to seriously consider customized job positions and flexible working hours. Not every employee wants the same thing. Some may value a four day week, others a later start, and others a path into management. Tailoring roles and training to individuals can improve retention and help each person contribute their best work.
ATI’s 7 Benefits of a 4-Day Workweek at Your Auto Repair Shop looks at one way shops are adapting.
Customized roles might look like allowing a technician who loves diagnostics to focus on drivability problems, letting an advisor with a talent for training spend time mentoring new hires, or offering a four-day schedule to someone with family commitments. These adjustments require planning to ensure coverage and fairness, but they can dramatically improve retention. People who feel their job fits their life and strengths are much less likely to leave.
How the Pandemic Changed What Workers Want
Debbie’s conversation reflects a broader shift in the workforce that accelerated after the pandemic. Many workers reconsidered what they wanted from their jobs. Flexibility, respect, purpose, and work-life balance moved higher on their priority lists. Some left jobs that did not provide those things, even without another job lined up.
For auto repair shops, which cannot offer remote work for most roles, this shift means competing in other ways: schedules that respect family time, clear career paths, supportive leadership, modern equipment, and a workplace where people feel valued. Shops that adapt to these expectations have a significant advantage in recruiting and retaining the talent they need.
Measuring Whether Development Is Working
Development efforts are easier to sustain when owners can see results. Simple measures include productivity and efficiency for technicians, closing ratio and average repair order for advisors, comeback rates, attendance, and retention. Tracking these numbers for middle performers before and after coaching shows whether the investment is paying off. Asking employees directly, through short surveys or one-on-one conversations, how supported they feel adds another valuable perspective. When both the numbers and the people say things are improving, owners know they are on the right track.
Common Mistakes When Developing Middle Performers
Even well-intentioned owners can stumble when they shift attention to the middle of the team. One common mistake is treating everyone in that group the same. Middle performers have different strengths and ambitions, and a generic training plan rarely motivates anyone. Another is promising growth without following through. When an owner mentions a possible promotion or new responsibility and then never revisits it, trust drops quickly.
A third mistake is measuring only output. A steady technician may be quietly mentoring apprentices or keeping the shop organized, contributions that do not appear on a productivity report. Recognizing those behaviors reinforces them. Finally, some owners pull back attention from low performers entirely. The goal is balance: address serious performance problems promptly while making sure the dependable middle group gets its fair share of coaching, recognition, and opportunity.
Action Steps for Developing Your Middle Performers
- List every employee and honestly place them in top, middle, or low performance groups.
- For each middle performer, identify one skill or opportunity that could help them grow.
- Ask your team what would make your shop a better place to work, and listen to the answers.
- Review whether your schedules and roles could be adjusted to fit individual needs.
Start with part one of Debbie’s conversation, Dealing With the Modern Version of Saber Tooth Tigers, and continue with Don Rheem’s How to Turn Satisfied Employees Into Engaged Internal Customers.
Frequently Asked Questions
What does the “Jan Brady effect” mean in the workplace?
It describes the tendency for leaders to overlook steady, middle performers. Attention goes to top performers, who earn praise and rewards, and to low performers, who consume time with problems. The reliable people in between rarely get coaching or recognition. Because that middle group is usually the largest part of a team, neglecting it limits the whole organization. Giving those employees attention and development often produces the biggest overall improvement.
How can a small repair shop compete with bigger employers for technicians?
Small shops can rarely win on size or benefits alone, but they can win on culture. Respectful leadership, clear communication, fair and transparent pay plans, good equipment, real training, and flexibility around schedules all matter to technicians. A small shop can also offer a personal relationship with the owner and a clear voice in how things are done. Shops known for treating people well often attract candidates through word of mouth.
Do perks like team lunches improve employee engagement?
Perks can help when they sit on top of good leadership, but they cannot replace it. Employees enjoy a team lunch, yet it does little if they feel ignored, underpaid, or unclear about expectations. Engagement grows from daily experiences: being recognized for good work, having the tools to succeed, receiving honest feedback, and seeing a future in the company. Use perks to celebrate a healthy culture, not to cover for a weak one.
How do I offer flexible schedules in a shop that has to stay open?
Start by looking at coverage needs hour by hour rather than assuming everyone must work the same shift. Staggered start times, rotating Saturdays, and four-day schedules with longer days are common options. Ask employees what would help them most, then test one change for a set period and review the results. Document the arrangement clearly so it feels fair to the whole team and customers still get consistent service.
How can I tell whether a B-level technician can become an A-tech?
Look for curiosity, reliability, and a willingness to learn. Technicians who ask questions, volunteer for harder jobs, and accept feedback well usually have room to grow. Talk with them about their goals, then identify specific gaps, such as diagnostics or electrical work, and create a training plan with clear milestones. Pairing them with an experienced mentor and tracking progress over several months will show whether they are moving toward that next level.
Resources and Links From This Episode
- Genos North America website
Connect With the Guests
- Debbie: LinkedIn
