Make Room for the Fun

By: Beth Mach, WIA Board Member

Between the budget meeting, the campaign deadline, and the third conversation about finishing the year strong, it’s easy to forget we’re allowed to enjoy the people we work with.

October arrives, and everything gets a little more urgent. Dealerships are focused on sales goals. Marketing teams are juggling holiday campaigns and next year’s plans. Calendars fill up, and conversations get straight to business.

We can spend an entire week working alongside someone and never ask them a question that isn’t about work. That feels like a missed opportunity.

So much of our day happens behind a screen. We move from email to video calls to messages, sometimes communicating with the same person three different ways without having an actual conversation. We know what they’re working on, but we may know very little about them.

Time face to face gives us a chance to change that. Put the phone down, look up from the laptop, and be curious. Ask a question you don’t already know the answer to. Then stay long enough to hear the story.

Think about a team you loved being part of. You probably remember more than the results. Someone who could make you laugh on a difficult day. A small celebration that became a tradition. A conversation that helped a colleague become a friend.

Those moments are what make the work worth showing up for. And we don’t have to wait for the holiday party to have them.

Start with something small in a meeting you already hold. Ask what everyone is looking forward to outside of work this fall. Invite people to tell you the first car they drove and the story that came with it. In an automotive crowd, that last one could easily need a time limit.

You might learn that your quietest colleague restores old trucks or your sales manager is an excellent baker. Follow up with, “How did you get into that?” A little curiosity can take a conversation somewhere much more interesting than “How was your weekend?”

Then give the everyday wins a little more attention. A customer sends a lovely note about a service advisor. Someone solves a problem that has annoyed the whole team for months. A campaign goes live after a lot of work behind the scenes.

Read the note aloud. Thank the people who made it happen. Take ten minutes to enjoy the result before moving on. There’s plenty to celebrate before the final numbers come in.

And bring together people whose paths rarely cross. At a dealership, that might mean someone from marketing having coffee with someone from service. For a remote team, leave a little room in a call to catch up beyond the project list. Give people an opening without making sharing another assignment.

As leaders, we help set the tone. We can be the person who notices a win, asks a thoughtful question, or makes room for a laugh. This month, create one moment you’d actually look forward to yourself. Share a coffee. Celebrate something small. Ask someone about the story behind the photo on their desk.

Give your team something to smile about before you give them the next thing to do.

Beth Mach, WIA Board Member, has a passion to challenge the status quo and deliver value for all stakeholders while fostering an inclusive and empathetic culture, a competitive and rewarding workplace, and a sustainable and scalable business model. She also leverages her diverse skills and interests as a public speaker, an investor, a mentor, a volunteer, and a voice artist to empower, inspire, and connect people across categories and geographies.