As we begin the second entry into our series on the 7 Habits of an Effective Lube Manager, look back at what we discussed in the first section. Be proactive. What changes did you put in place in 2025 to set yourself up for success? Once you get a hold on how to act more in advance and less shooting at the hip, you can start to plan out your decisions. So, with that, we move on to the section: Begin with the end in mind.
What does this mean? In the original text, “7 Habits of Highly Effective People,” author Stephen Covey discusses envisioning what one wants in the future so one can work and plan toward it and understand how people make important life decisions. To be effective one needs to act based on principles and constantly review one's mission statements, says Covey. He asks: Are you—right now—who you want to be? What do you have to say about yourself? How do you want to be remembered? If habit No. 1 advises changing one's life to act and be proactive, habit No. 2 advises that "you are the programmer." Grow and stay humble, Covey says.
Briefly, you need to determine your personal mission statement. Every company has a way that they go to business. It is a paragraph about the type of business they plan all their decisions around. Ours is as follows: We are raising the bar to become a fast, clean, and profitable franchise that exceeds customer service expectations. We can and will become the top franchise in the Jiffy Lube system by following and accepting the process. We make decisions with the end in mind. We use this credo for hiring, firing, and making day-to-day decisions. Our managers know this and work toward their own goals, intertwined in this mission statement.
So, make your own mission statement and set yourself up to build off this. In our case, we are looking for customer service skills for all our people. We want everyone to be able to put a smile on someone’s face and build a lifelong customer. We all know that this generation of customer has less brand loyalty than in the past. So, we go to business with making the customer the most important thing in the business. What does your company set as your core value? That is where you start.
Once you know, then you look at your own location as a starting point. Do all your people, processes, and surroundings move toward that goal? If not, begin with the end in mind. Covey says that all things are created twice: Before one acts, one should act in one's mind first. Before creating something, measure it twice. Do not just act; think first: Is this how I want it to go, and are these the correct consequences? What can you do to reach the goals that your company has set for you this year? “Begin with the end in mind” means to look out across the coming hours, days, weeks, months, and years with a sharp vision of your desired destination—and then to proactively pursue that future. Even if your vision for the future changes, having an end in mind for a meeting, project, or a lifetime gives you more clarity about where to start and how to adapt. There is no better time than today to decide where you want to be tomorrow.
So, for our second submission in the 7 Habits of an Effective Lube Manager, create your own personal mission statement that you can work daily. Own your world, your team, and your way of doing business. You now can think proactively and make decisions to create the environment that makes you a success.
Our third rule, put first things first, will be discussed next time. Until then, analyze and amend yourself and those around you. Are you seeing positive changes in the way you think and manage yet? That is the “first” step!
