A Tale of Two Shops—and One Breakthrough
When we look back at the early days of the Optimization Bootcamp, one particular client success still stands out—not because it was flashy or novel, but because it was so familiar. A smart, experienced business owner with solid operations in place… and yet, despite all the talent and effort, things weren’t moving fast enough in the right direction. Can you relate?
The client was Gary, a Midas franchise owner operating two automotive shops in the Ottawa, Canada region. With more than a decade of experience and a strong team, Gary had weathered the pandemic and kept both locations running. But he couldn’t shake a growing concern: one of the shops was under-performing, and no matter what solutions he suggested, they just didn’t seem to stick.
He was beginning to wonder if it was a leadership issue. But when he stepped back and looked closer, what he found was something many of us can relate to—a lack of shared prioritization across the team.
The Real Problem: Everyone Was Busy, But Not Aligned
Gary’s two shop teams weren’t learning from each other. One team had successfully adopted new processes and tools, while the other pushed back with excuses like “that won’t work here.” The reasoning didn’t hold up under scrutiny, but the bigger issue was cultural—each team was operating in a silo, making decisions independently and without a shared framework for what mattered most.
On top of that, while day-to-day tasks were getting done, strategic improvements were constantly delayed. Everyone was working in the business. No one had the time—or the structure—to work on it.
Sound familiar?
Prioritization Isn’t Just a List—It’s a Team Sport
When Gary brought both of his management teams into our Optimization Bootcamp, he wasn’t just looking for strategic alignment. He was looking for traction. The Bootcamp gave him a framework for analysis, action, and accountability—but more importantly, it created the conditions for shared prioritization across his team.
That’s what changed everything.
Instead of having two teams with different approaches, different assumptions, and different timelines, Gary and his leaders built a single, aligned roadmap—a Blueprint—for business improvement. They identified quick wins and high-value actions together, and began making progress together.
And that’s the magic. When a team agrees on what matters most, and holds each other accountable for delivering it, momentum follows.
The Results: Action, Alignment, and Acceleration
Here’s what changed for Gary once his team aligned on priorities:
Crystal-clear focus: Both shop teams now understand and act on the same business priorities.
Cross-location learning: The “not invented here” attitude faded, replaced by real collaboration between locations.
Shared leadership: Functional managers are now actively driving improvements, not waiting for Gary to step in.
Time back for the owner: Gary no longer needs to be in the shop every day—he’s back to working on the business.
What We’ve Learned
It’s easy to assume that prioritization is a solo activity—the business owner makes a list, and everyone else follows it. But real prioritization is a team discipline. If your people don’t understand the “why,” don’t believe in the “what,” or don’t see the “how,” then your priorities aren’t priorities. They’re just ideas sitting on a whiteboard.
What we’ve learned is this:
When the whole team prioritizes together,
the business moves faster—period.
So, if your business feels like it’s not moving forward fast enough… if it feels like some of your teams are spinning their wheels… or if your to-do list is the same one you had three years ago, don’t assume the answer is more effort. Maybe what you need is shared prioritization—and a structure to turn it into action.
Want to get your team aligned and moving faster on what really matters? Are you wondering whether the Optimization Bootcamp might be just what you need? Come and check out free webinar: https://optimizenow.ca/free-training