Do you service your Car regularly?

Would you treat your £100k car like you treat your people?

Let me ask you something.

You’ve just bought a shiny new car – let’s say a £60,000 BMW, a £75,000 Range Rover, or maybe you’ve gone all out on a £100,000 Porsche.

What do you do next? Check the service history - if its not new - or check out the service plan the garage offers. The purchase negotiation may even include a service plan And when you do service it, you get the book stamped. You book it in when the light flashes up to remind you for the next service. You make the time. You wouldn’t dream of ignoring it, would you!

Why? Because you know it’s an investment. And because there’s a manual, with a clear schedule. There’s a clear plan. A structure. Something that tells you what to do, when to do it, and what happens if you don’t. And because not servicing that car might cost you. A lot.

And it’ll impact your resale value.

Now, let me ask you this… If you’re the sort of leader who’d never miss a car service, MOT or inspection, why the hell are you skipping the equivalent investment in your people?

No service book for people?

Cars come with a maintenance schedule. Sadly, people don’t, and maybe they should.

When a car’s due a service, it beeps, flashes or even texts you. And the local dealer messages me to kindly tell me ‘service is due’, and 'can they book it in...'... they may even offer to collect it.

People? Not so much. Most don’t wave a flag when they’re on the edge of burnout, when they’re quietly disengaged or when they’re just going through the motions and giving you half ( or less!) of their potential. But the damage is still happening, its just out of sight.

When people 'break down' or start to run inefficiently, make mistakes, miss opportunities, it can cost way more than an expensive car breaking down.

When times are tight, when cashflow’s squeezed or when we’re all just “too busy,” what’s the first things to get cut...

Training. Development. Coaching. Learning. Investment in people.

Not car service. Oh no!! Those still get booked in on time, oil changed, brakes checked and tyres swapped. Business might be tough, but that company car still gets it service and MOT

Here’s the mad bit, in my view...

If your £100k car breaks down, what’s the worst-case scenario? Maybe you’re stuck on the motorway, late to a meeting and need a recovery truck. It might cost you £10k, £20k in time, hassle, repairs and inconvenience.

But if your £100k-a-year employee breaks down? If they mentally check out? If they leave? Or worse, stay and underperform? You’re not looking at £10k. You’re staring down the barrel of a six-figure or seven-figure loss. Easy.

Lost productivity, missed targets, poor leadership, disengaged teams, costly mistakes or a culture that quietly starts to rot from within. That’s the cost of not maintaining your people.

So why do we seem so bloody casual about it?

Why is it OK to service the car without question, but not the human being driving your business forward?

Is this what we’ve come to?

It seems that somewhere along the way, we’ve created a business culture that values the vehicle more than the people inside it. Think about that for a second.

Would you drive a £100k car for three years, no service, no check-ups, tyres bald, brakes shot, engine warning lights flashing, and expect it to perform at its best?

Of course not... it would quite literally be idiotic. Yet that’s what some businesses and leaders do to people every day in business. And then thery’re surprised when things break down.

'We can’t afford it right now'

That’s the line I hear too often. 'We’re cutting back on training for now,' or 'We’ll do coaching once we’ve got through the next quarter.”.... “We’re just too busy.”

Right. But you’re not too busy to take the car in for a service, are you?

You don’t say, 'Let’s skip this year’s MOT and save a few quid.' You understand the risk of that decision. You know what could go wrong.

And yet, when it comes to your people – often the most important, most powerful, most expensive asset in your business - it feels like leaders roll the dice?

I think it’s madness. ( no jokes about the 1980's pop band please!)

Let’s get real

If your business relies on people, which most do, then investing in them isn’t a 'nice to have.' It’s not a perk. It’s basic maintenance perhaps 'essential'. It’s what allows them to do their job well, consistently and safely. It’s what helps them grow, lead, solve problems and navigate change, and keep driving your business forwards.

And here’s the truth no one likes to admit.... as the cliche states, if you think training is expensive, wait until you see the cost of ignorance, disengagement or resignation. It’ll make your eyes water.

So what’s the answer?

Maybe we do need a service manual for people. Or at least the mindset that every person in your business needs regular, structured and intentional investment.

You wouldn’t wait until your car's engine seizes up to think that maybe I should have changed the oil. But too often we this is exactly what we do with our teams. We wait until someone’s underperforming, unhappy, or handing in their notice to say, maybe we should have done something earlier.

Yes, people are complex. Yes, they’re not machines. And that’s why they need support, 'serving', love, attention, training and such like.

What this means for business

If you want high performance, consistency, loyalty and growth then you’ve got to invest. This investment has to be planned, ongoing and seen as essential, not optional. It’s not just about fixing problems, its far more about keeping people running smoothly, growing and staying aligned with the business.

Great businesses don’t wait for things to break. They prevent or reduce the likelihood of breakdowns through regular, proactive support and interventions. And for the record, you don’t need costly away days, flashy workshops or yoga programmes at work.

You need the likes of:

• Regular coaching and honest conversations

• Clear development plans

• Feedback and recognition

• Opportunities to grow, stretch and learn

• Leaders who do give a shit

And you need to do it consistently, not just when things are good, not just when there’s budget. Always, always, always....

What this means for leaders

If you’re leading people, this is a big part of your job. This is what you signed up for. You don’t get to drive the business fast and hard and then act surprised when people burn out.

You have to know your people. You have to care enough to invest in them. If you don’t, someone else will.

The best talent won’t wait around for a leader who sees them as a line item on a spreadsheet. They’ll go where they’re valued, where they’re invested in and where they get better over time.

You wouldn't expect loyalty from a car you never maintained. So why expect it from people?

Final thought

If you haven't guessed, this frustrates the crap out of me, because it’s so obvious – and yet we still get it wrong... too often. And we really shouldn't.

We’ve got leaders who’d never dream of treating their cars the way they treat their people.

Who’d proudly show off their perfectly maintained machine but can’t remember the last time they sat down and asked their team how they’re doing, what support they need, or how they’re growing.

And then they wonder why performance is patchy, engagement is low or turnover is high.

Invest in your people like you’d invest in a £100k car – because they’re worth more.

If you’re not willing to do that? Don’t be surprised when things grind to a halt.

Remember, as my colleague and mentor taught me years ago...'Its people who drive a business forwards, slow it down or even bring it to a halt..'

Me

I'm PJ Stevens. I believe people are amazing. Just look at the pharmaceutical break throughs, feats of engineering, creative arts, love and changes we have delivered, for good.

There's huge potential in business, in people, that remains untapped.

But we must support and 'service' our people, creating an environment where they can be at their best and deliver change, strategy, project or growth.

Photo of Porsche motor car.