Every Job Taught Me Something Different
When I look back at my career, I do not think I would manage people the same way if I had spent my entire working life in one industry. I started out around cars, worked as a mechanic, moved into management, spent time in public transportation, and eventually moved into fleet operations. Each job had its own expectations, pressures, and people. What worked in one place did not always work in another.
That was probably one of the most important lessons I learned.
Early in my career, I was focused mostly on getting the job done correctly. As a mechanic, you learn pretty quickly that there is usually a reason something is not working. You have to find the problem, figure out what needs to be done, and fix it. There is not much room for guessing when someone is depending on that vehicle to work.
Management is different. You cannot simply diagnose a person and fix the problem. People have their own experiences, personalities, strengths, frustrations, and ways of looking at a situation. I had to learn that managing people required me to listen just as much as I was trying to solve problems.
Learning From the Automotive World
My time working in the automotive industry had a big influence on me. Working around vehicles taught me the importance of attention to detail and taking pride in the work. A small problem that gets ignored can become a much bigger problem later.
I still think about that when I am managing people.
At the same time, I have learned that you cannot approach every employee like you would approach a mechanical problem. That was something I had to figure out through experience. Sometimes I wanted to jump in and solve an issue because that is what I was used to doing. But if I always solved the problem for someone, was I really helping them become better at their job?
That question has stuck with me.
There are times when a manager needs to step in. There are other times when the better decision is to let someone work through the problem themselves while knowing you are there if they need help. Finding that balance is not always easy.
Seeing Management From Different Angles
Working in different industries also showed me that people respond to leadership differently.
My experience with Monterey-Salinas Transit gave me a different perspective on operations and the responsibility that comes with keeping things moving. When you are dealing with transportation, the work affects more than just the people inside the organization. There are schedules, employees, customers, equipment, and plenty of things that can change during a normal day.
That kind of environment taught me to think beyond the immediate problem.
Later, working in fleet operations gave me another perspective. Fleet work requires planning, communication, accountability, and a willingness to deal with problems before they become bigger ones. You are constantly balancing what needs to happen today with what needs to be prepared for tomorrow.
I have learned that management is often a tradeoff. You want things done quickly, but you do not want people rushing through important work. You want accountability, but you also want people to feel comfortable admitting when they made a mistake. You want high standards, but you have to remember that everyone is still learning.
There is no perfect formula for that.
I Have Had to Change My Own Approach
One thing I have learned about myself is that I can be hard on myself when something does not go right. That has helped me in some ways because I hold myself to a high standard. I believe in giving more than what is expected and doing what I say I am going to do.
But I have also had to learn that not everyone approaches work the same way I do.
That does not automatically mean someone does not care.
Sometimes I have had to stop and ask myself whether I am expecting someone to meet a standard because it is genuinely important or because it is simply the way I would do it. Those are not always the same thing.
That realization has changed how I communicate with people.
I still believe in honesty, dependability, and doing your best. Those things have not changed. What has changed is how I try to bring those expectations to the people around me. I have found that people are more willing to listen when they know you are willing to listen too.
What I Take With Me From Every Job
I do not think any of my previous jobs were wasted time, even the ones that may have seemed like completely different paths at the time.
Being a mechanic taught me to pay attention to details and solve problems. Management taught me that solving problems is not always about having the answer yourself. My experience in transportation taught me how important communication and preparation are. Fleet operations has reinforced the importance of accountability and keeping people working toward the same goal.
There have also been mistakes along the way. I do not try to hide that. I have learned from things I could have handled differently, just as I have learned from watching other people handle situations well.
That is probably why I do not see management as something you eventually master and finish learning. Every workplace has different people and different challenges. What worked five years ago might not be the right answer today.
I still try to learn something new every day. Sometimes it comes from a problem at work. Sometimes it comes from another person. Sometimes it comes from realizing that I could have handled something better.
After working in several different industries, I have come to appreciate that managing people is less about having all the answers and more about being willing to keep learning. I have brought something from every job I have had into the next one. Those experiences have shaped how I lead, but they have also reminded me that there is always more to learn from the people doing the work alongside me.