This website requires certain cookies to work and uses other cookies to help you have the best experience. By visiting this website, certain cookies have already been set, which you may delete and block. By closing this message or continuing to use our site, you agree to the use of cookies. Visit our updated privacy and cookie policy to learn more.
This Website Uses Cookies
By closing this message or continuing to use our site, you agree to our cookie policy. Learn More
This website requires certain cookies to work and uses other cookies to help you have the best experience. By visiting this website, certain cookies have already been set, which you may delete and block. By closing this message or continuing to use our site, you agree to the use of cookies. Visit our updated privacy and cookie policy to learn more.
ACHRNews logo
search
cart
facebook twitter linkedin youtube
  • Sign In
  • Create Account
  • Sign Out
  • My Account
ACHRNews logo
  • Magazine
    • Subscribe
    • Current Issue
    • Digital Edition
    • Archives
    • The NEWS eNewsletter
  • News
    • Breaking News
    • Newsline
    • FYI
    • Distribution Trends
    • Standards & Legislation
    • Manufacturer Reports
  • Products
    • HVACR Industry Store
    • Top 20 Products of 2018
    • Interactive Product Spotlights
  • Multimedia
    • Videos
    • AHR 2019 Videos
    • Podcasts
    • Infographic
    • Photo Galleries
    • Webinars
    • eBooks
    • The NEWS HVACR Quiz
    • Online Poll
  • Refrigeration
    • Refrigerants
    • Refrigerant Regulations
    • Reclaim
    • FROSTlines
  • Service
    • Testing, Monitoring, Tools
    • Duct Dynasty
    • Service 101
    • Components & Accessories
  • Business 101
    • Training & Education
    • Service, Apps & Software
    • Opinions
    • Guest Column
    • The Coach's Blog
  • Residential
    • Home Automation
    • Residential Ductless
    • Residential Geothermal
    • Residential IAQ
    • Residential Cooling Showcase
    • Residential Heating Showcase
  • Commercial
    • Internet of Things
    • Commercial Ductless
    • Commercial Geothermal
    • Commercial IAQ
    • Commercial Cooling Showcase
    • Commercial Heating Showcase
    • Marijuana Market
  • Directory
    • Manufacturers
    • Wholesalers
    • Consultants/Services
    • Manufacturers Reps
    • Associations
    • Parts & Equipment Exporters
    • List/Update Your Company
  • More
    • Editorial Calendar & Editor Assignments
    • Calendar of Events
    • Classifieds
    • Custom Content & Marketing Services
    • Continuing Education
    • Market Research
    • Sponsor Insights
    • eProduct Info
    • White Papers
    • Contests
  • Contact
    • Advertise
    • Submit a Letter
Home » ACCA Leaders Build Strong Teams
HVAC Residential MarketNewsTraining & Education

ACCA Leaders Build Strong Teams

It’s important to have company goals — celebrate every win, learn from every loss

2018-ACCA-Leadership-Conference-ACHR-News-01.jpg

BETTER TOGETHER: Every year, ACCA brings contractors from all over the country together for a few days of leadership training because better coaches make better teams.

December 24, 2018
Amy Al-Katib
KEYWORDS ACCA (Air Conditioning Contractors of America) / ACCA conference / Business Practices in HVACR / Events in the HVACR Industry
Reprints
No Comments

What’s the difference between HVAC field techs and NFL players? Or how about the difference between owners/managers and NFL coaches? Well, the answer, according to Ryan Harris, who played for the Denver Broncos when they won Super Bowl 50, is nothing, really. In both situations, success is achieved through teamwork. Harris was the keynote speaker at the 2018 ACCA Leadership Conference that took place in Fort Worth, Texas.

“When you don’t recognize you’re on a team, you fail to recognize all the work the people around you are doing,” he said.

And though the end goal may be different for football coaches and HVAC contractors, the way to get there is the same: choosing a positive mindset.

Ryan Harris, 10-year NFL veteran and Super Bowl 50 champion. - The ACHR News

SAY IT, BELIEVE IT: Ryan Harris, 10-year NFL veteran and Super Bowl 50 champion, had attendees stand up with him to say the words “I am, I can, I will.”

“When you choose your mindset, you become your best self,” Harris said. “You become the best leader you can be. And the teams you’re on go from good to great. Your mindset is the only difference between your success and your failure.”

Harris shared several personal stories from his time in the NFL — not all of them were good.

“You’re not going to be happy every day,” he said. “You’re not going to be excited every day. Things happen. Life happens. But you choose how you react to those situations.

 “I chose my mindset, and so can you,” Harris added.

He introduced a mantra, so to speak —“I am, I can, I will.”

Everyone in attendance stood on their feet to practice reciting the words “I am, I can, I will” with conviction.

“When you speak the words ‘I am,’ you immediately get to take stock of who you are, where you’re at, what you’re feeling,” Harris said. “I am happy. I am angry. I am the king of mac ’n cheese. I am good enough.

“Immediately after you do that, two things happen,” he continued. “One, you start to build resolve because we’re faced with situations every day that we can’t control, that we didn’t know were going to happen. We also get to be honest with ourselves. A champion also takes ownership of the negative … ‘I am not listening. I am not working hard enough.’”

When someone speaks the words “I can,” it allows them to highlight the opportunities in front of them instead of the past behind them.

“The words ‘I can’ saved my career,” Harris said.

But being honest and having a willingness only goes so far.

“You must actually do the work,” Harris said. “You must pick up a shovel and dig. When you speak the words ‘I will,’ you put a person, a place, a thing, a time, an atmosphere around your success.”

 

DON’T LEAD BY EXAMPLE

After introducing attendees to the power of mindset, Harris brought up a concept that pretty much everyone is familiar with: leading by example.

“It’s old ... stale,” Harris said. “When we lead by example, we fail to give context to those we lead. We miss an opportunity to make those we lead better.”

Since people tend to think leaders have everything figured out — that they never made mistakes — it’s more effective to lead with an example that’s relatable.

Harris told a story about a rookie teammate he had who kept making mistakes. Other players, even the coaches, would yell at him. So one day, Harris told him about how his career started. How no matter what, he always seemed to make mistakes … until he started taking notes. He told him that every practice, he would write everything down. Then, he would go home and review it. He told him that he went from making three to four mistakes a game to three to four mistakes a year.

“And I left it at that,” Harris said. “The very next day, he had a notebook and three pens on his desk. See, when you lead with an example, the example you give will be the example you see.”

 

MVP

Speaking of fantastic careers, during the conference, Eric Bridgeman of Classic Air’s One Hour Heating & Air Conditioning in Virginia Beach, Virginia, was named ACCA’s 2018 Service Manager of the Year.

Eric Bridgeman of Classic Air’s One Hour Heating & Air Conditioning in Virginia Beach, Virginia. - The ACHR News

MVP: Eric Bridgeman of Classic Air’s One Hour Heating & Air Conditioning in Virginia Beach, Virginia, was named ACCA’s 2018 Service Manager of the Year.

“It is an honor,” said Bridgeman, who’s worked in the industry for 40 years. “This honor would not be possible without the entire Classic Air family supporting me as I work to ensure we deliver superior customer service and support to our community and the industry.”

Barton James, interim president and CEO of ACCA, presented him with ACCA’s American flag that was flown over the U.S. Capitol Building on June 22 — National HVAC Technician Day. The flag was flown by Rep. Markwayne Mullin, R-Okla, president of Mullin Plumbing, Heating and Air.

 

TEAM CUSTOMER

With better coaches come better teams, and with better teams come better customer experiences. At least, that’s what’s expected nowadays.

In a session titled Consumer Trends and Evolving Customer Expectations for HVAC Companies, Edward McFarlane, vice president of learning and development at Haller Enterprises Inc., which has five locations throughout Pennsylvania, discussed the need to adapt to these new expectations in order to stay successful.

“If you want the fruit, you have to take care of the tree,” he said.

As other industries increase consumer expectations, it creates a blanket effect that covers all industries. For example, two-day shipping has become the standard, and now, even that seems long. People want instant gratification, and they will keep looking until they find it.

“The marketplace decides how you do business,” McFarlane said.

And according to him, contractors suffer a 40 percent decrease in their odds of qualifying in just five minutes. That means that no matter what day or time, when customers make contact — via phone, email, text, web chat, or social media — they expect to hear back in less than five minutes, or they move on to find a company that will reply. So even though the HVAC industry tends to be slow to adopt new technology, the consumers won’t accept that excuse anymore.

“To be successful, you have to try new things,” Harris said. “We have to be uncomfortable.”

Other topics covered during the conference related to data and data management, safe driving reinforcement, company culture, the fundamentals of successful service managers, branding, keeping good customers and replacing the bad ones, warranties, and training.

Publication date: 12/24/2018

Want more HVAC industry news and information? Join The NEWS on Facebook, Twitter, and LinkedIn today!

Subscribe to The NEWS

Recent Articles by Amy Al-Katib

Contractors Explain How Hydronics Solutions Meet Customers' Needs

RGF Takes Care of Employees, So They Take Care of IAQ

FastPro Technology for Ductless Systems Had People In and Out of Friedrich Booth

Fieldpiece Puts Techs in the Driver’s Seat With Customizable HVACR Tools

Braeburn Boasts Affordability With Its Smart Thermostat Offerings

Amy-al-katib-head-shot

Amy Al-Katib is managing editor for The NEWS. She can be reached at 248-244-6495 or at amyal-katib@achrnews.com. She is responsible for assigning and editing stories from staff members as well as contributors. She holds a bachelor's degree in journalism from Michigan State University. 

Related Articles

HVACR Leaders Discuss Hurricane Recovery Assistance

Water the Seeds that Will Grow Your Business

2017 Best HVAC Contractors to Work For: Campeau Heating

NATE Certifiably Celebrates 20 Years

You must login or register in order to post a comment.

Report Abusive Comment

Subscription Center
  • Subscribe
  • Online Registration
  • E-Newsletters
  • Subscription Customer Service

More Videos

Sponsored Content What Is Sponsored Content

Sponsored Content is a special paid section where industry companies provide high quality, objective, non-commercial content around topics of interest to the ACHR News audience. All Sponsored Content is supplied by the advertising company. Interested in participating in our Sponsored Content section? Contact your local rep.

Close
Trane-indoor-air-quality-product-01
Sponsored By
Trane Residential

Protecting Your Customers’ Indoor Air Quality Is More Important Than Ever

From seasonal maintenance to a system upgrade, your business is actually centered around providing the best indoor air experience, with quality at the core.

Popular Stories

Breaking News - The ACHR News

Ingersoll Rand Increases Prices on HVAC products

R-22 Phaseout

Using (or Abusing) the R-22 Phaseout as a Sales Tool

Senate HFC Phasedown Bill

Senate HFC Phasedown Plan Debuts With Broad Support

Breaking News - The ACHR News

Lennox Industries Inc. Announces Price Increase

Troubleshooting-situation

Troubleshooting Puzzle: An Uncomfortable Bedroom

The ACHR News Airpod Giveaway

Events

December 7, 2019

2019 HARDI Annual Conference

The major 4-day event for HARDI members brings together distributors, manufacturers and other vendors ready to drive their businesses forward. 

September 16, 2020

2020 World Congress for Solar Cooling

IASC seeks submissions that represent the best contemporary and innovative technology and thinking about Solar Cooling from a global and diverse range of designers, consultants, practitioners, engineers, architects, educators, thought-leaders, students and other professionals concerned with cooling, people, buildings and energy.
View All Submit An Event

Poll

Holiday Appreciation

What is your preferred way to show employees your appreciation during the holiday season?
View Results Poll Archive

Products

"More & New" HVAC Spells Wealth - book

"More & New" HVAC Spells Wealth - book

See More Products
The NEWS - ACHR - Logo The NEWS - ACHR - Digital Edition
Digital Edition

ACHRNEWS

The ACHR News - December 2, 2019

2019 December 2

Week 1: December 2
In this issue of The ACHR NEWS, we look at unique applications of HVAC technology, and new markets contractors should consider expanding into.

Week 2: December 9
We also examine Variable Refrigerant Flow (VRF) technology, and the benefits that contractors can pass along to their customers through the equipment.

View More Create Account
  • Resources
    • Submit a Letter
    • Submit a Press Release
    • Mechanical Group
    • List Rental
    • Ad Specs
    • Reprints
    • eProduct Info
    • Survey And Sample
    • Privacy Policy
  • Want More?
    • Subscribe
    • Connect

Copyright ©2019. All Rights Reserved BNP Media.

Design, CMS, Hosting & Web Development :: ePublishing