Optimists and pessimists have a lot to consider in the days ahead
As we peek around the corner to get a glimpse of what could possibly lie ahead, I think of the saying “is that light at the end of the tunnel or a freight train?”
With the ups and downs of the past few years and uncertainties currently blanketing the Canadian economy and automotive in particular, no one would blame anyone if they were a little gun shy.
Your individual outlook largely depends on whether you are short-term or long-term focused and if you are a glass half empty or glass half full person.
Those who are short-term focused and also glass half empty are having sleepless nights. As I have written recently, the short-term crystal ball is cloudy.
Much has been written about price inflation, wage inflation, interest rates, labour shortage, work from home and the looming recession. It’s true, these are all causing headaches these days.
For those who are short-term focused but glass half full, they see the supply chain issues easing, inventories begin to flow back to their stores, customers picking up their ordered vehicles, service bays full of cars, and life is looking pretty good.
They see the inflation and interest rate issue as beginning to resolve and they think 2023 will turn out to be a good year and 2024 even better.
Then there are those who are long-term focused and also glass half empty. They see lots of roadblocks ahead and insurmountable obstacles. Every bit of seemingly bad news reinforces their thinking. Planning for the long-term might involve selling their stores and retiring altogether. They have lost the ability to smile and see the good.
Then finally there are those who are long-term focused and glass half full. They see nothing but blue skies. When dark clouds do come around, as they regularly do, they put on their rubber boots, grab an umbrella, and go for a walk. They know the dark clouds will once again be replaced by blue skies and there is no use in sweating the small stuff. They are big picture people looking for opportunities.
We all know people in each of the four categories above. You are probably thinking of some now.
In short, the glass half empty folks will continue to be challenged and the glass half full folks will soldier on in search of brighter days.
From my vantage point there are many reasons to be optimistic. Perhaps it’s my 40+ years of living through the ups and downs of normal life. Life is not always sunny but it also not always cloudy either.
The sun always comes out every day, if you fly high enough. Rainy days can be some of the best days in life. What is the saying “variety is the spice of life.” Face it, you are not going to get everything right but in the end, you have to admit that you win more than you lose.
We work in a dynamic industry that many outsiders do not understand. It is darn hard to fight the battle day in and day out. Those who are successful are also lucky. They create their own luck, because their attitude pulls them through to the other side.
My mom always told me that the harder she worked the luckier she got. Sometimes you fall and skin your knees. Rather than lying there is self-pity, some of us pick ourselves up, brush ourselves off and vow not to do that again.
We figure out how to do things differently the next time. We also share those embarrassing but valuable experiences with our team, many of whom need to skin their own knees to truly understand and become believers, listeners, leaders, and teachers themselves. It’s not complicated if you have the right outlook on life.
So, whether it’s the light at the end of the tunnel or a freight train is largely up to you and how you look at things. So what if it’s a freight train? What are you going to do about it? It’s not always light at the end of that tunnel. You need to learn to deal with the freight trains. That’s reality.
Over 40 years in business has taught me that life is easy when the sun shines but it’s fun when it rains and you make the sun come out. When it’s always sunny you develop the bad habit of spilling more than you pour. When it’s raining you wish you had poured more accurately and saved some for later.
Dealers and other friends often ask me what I think of electric vehicles. I tell my friends I think they are great and for the industry folks I say it will ensure we have work to do for years to come.
Imagine the next 20 years with both ICE and EVs in our showrooms, service bays and used vehicle lots. That could be the perfect storm. It might look like dark clouds or even a freight train now but believe me, it is the light at the end of the tunnel where, by the way, the sun is shining brightly.
