In our strategic business planning, we often discuss how today’s sustainable businesses are cheaters. Don’t let the title of this article fool you. We’re not talking about companies that bend the rules or operate outside of the industry’s social and ethical norms. We are talking about competitive, forward-thinking organizations that know how to build their workforce around employees who possess special “cheating” characteristics.
Character & Curiosity
One winning combination I frequently advise business leaders to use is to hire for character and train for capacity. Employees with strong character tend to demonstrate integrity, honesty and a sense of responsibility, which fosters a trustworthy work environment. When team members know they can rely on each other, it boosts morale and productivity and reduces the risk of ethical issues. Your colleagues will more likely represent your business positively, internally and externally. This approach ensures a dependable workforce and reassures you of the positive impact of your business on your customers.
Curious employees are inclined to learn, grow and adapt to new challenges. This is especially important in fast-paced or evolving industries like today’s off-highway industry. Your employees will be more open to innovation, continuous learning and problem-solving. They’re often proactive about staying informed on trends or technologies, which keeps your organization competitive and relevant.
Curious employees are often natural problem solvers who can think critically and are motivated to find innovative solutions. Paired with character, they’re more likely to tackle challenges ethically and collaboratively. This leads to sustainable, innovative solutions that can give your business a competitive edge.
Humility & Honesty
Hiring humble and honest people is crucial for fostering a healthy, productive and growth-oriented work culture. These two traits promote team collaboration. Humble employees recognize the value of their teammates’ contributions and are likelier to listen, learn and collaborate effectively. They’re not driven by ego, which minimizes conflicts and promotes teamwork. Humility creates a stronger sense of community and trust, where everyone feels valued and included. Fostering these traits in your teams can inspire a healthy work culture that promotes growth and productivity.
“Trustworthy employees create a solid reputation for the company by delivering on promises…”
Humility and honesty help cultivate a respectful workplace where employees feel safe sharing their ideas, asking questions and admitting when they need help. This openness reduces stress and encourages a supportive environment, leading to higher morale and job satisfaction. Humble employees are willing to learn from mistakes and accept constructive feedback without defensiveness. This mindset enables them to grow professionally, which benefits both the individual and the organization. It also sets an example for others, normalizing continuous learning and improvement.
Empathy & Energy
An energetic and empathetic workforce is essential for a thriving, motivated, supportive work environment. Empathetic employees listen actively and seek to understand others’ perspectives, significantly enhancing communication. An empathetic approach helps employees resolve issues respectfully and understand when conflicts arise. Adding energy to this empathy means conflicts are resolved and can become opportunities for growth and deeper teamwork.
Energetic employees bring enthusiasm and drive that can be contagious, uplifting the entire team and fostering a positive atmosphere. When combined with empathy, this energy becomes supportive rather than competitive, as people are encouraged to connect and help one another. Such an environment fosters high morale, where employees genuinely enjoy working together.
Trust & Tenacity
A trustworthy and tenacious workforce is essential for a company’s long-term success, stability and growth. Trustworthy employees can be relied upon to follow through on their commitments, providing a consistent and reliable foundation for the business. Knowing that employees are dependable reduces micromanagement and frees up leadership to focus on strategic priorities. This consistency, paired with tenacity, means employees don’t give up easily — they remain focused until tasks are completed successfully, ensuring quality and dependability.
Trustworthy team members foster an environment of mutual respect and reliability, where people feel secure relying on each other. Tenacious employees inspire others with their persistence and dedication. Together, these traits lead to stronger team cohesion, as employees feel comfortable working through challenges as a unified group, confident that everyone will uphold their responsibilities.
Trustworthy employees create a solid reputation for the company by delivering on promises and maintaining honesty in customer interactions. When they’re also tenacious, they go above and beyond to meet customer needs, providing a memorable experience that can lead to lasting customer loyalty. This reliability and dedication build a brand reputation rooted in trust and customer satisfaction.
Character with curiosity, humility with honesty, empathy with energy, and trust with tenacity (CHEaTers) are 8 foundations of the growth and sustainability of the 2nd machine-age off-highway organization. When business leaders research, recruit, reward and retain a business workforce with these 8 characteristics, the potential for growth and profitability increases. Build your workforce around these characteristics and your customer experience will be unmatched.
The parts and service business is THE lifeblood of every farm equipment dealership. With new equipment unit sales expected to lag in 2025, the strength of a laser-focused parts and service business will never be more important to your operation. Recognizing this, Farm Equipment’s Advisory Boards have stressed the paramount need for a focused forum for ag machinery dealers to share and learn key strategies and tactics to optimize their aftermarket operations — and protect every fractional percent of margin that’ll be necessary to ride out the rough seas ahead for new wholegoods sales.
That’s why the 2025 Dealership Minds Summit in Iowa City, Iowa, will focus on the theme of “The Fully Absorbed Dealer,” equipping you with everything you need to know to maximize profitability and drive operational excellence in an uncertain market. Join the brightest dealership minds from across the U.S. and Canada this summer, July 29-30, for a 2-day dealer-only event that features collaborative learning through focused general session presentations, dealer-to-dealer panel presentations, informal and interactive roundtable discussions and networking.
