Mentoring master: Helping others unlock the door to their true potential

A journey of discovery

Why Scott became so interested and focused on other people’s development is explained as you delve into his younger years.

Growing up in a household with an older brother and younger sister, they often watched and appreciated the hard graft their parents put in to provide for them.

Seeing his mother do two jobs, while his father drove trucks for a living, often away for seven days at a time, he subconsciously built a solid understanding that success in this world is down to hard work.

By the time he was 16 and finished school, he followed his father into the trucking world as an apprentice for the same local haulage company, as he explains:

“I left school on the Friday and was plummeted into a world that I wasn’t ready for. But I remember seeing my dad reversing lorries and I was amazed. How does he do that? Reverse this big lorry into such a tight space?

“Then I started to think about how things work. How things were put together. And how this big lorry can pull this massive weight. When the opportunity came up it wasn’t a eureka moment, but it felt right. Even though I was young and was very raw, something at the back of my mind said I can make a good living out of this.”

Never one to shy away from a challenge, Scott soon understood the value of hard work and persistence. On his first day, he struggled to replace the brakes on a trailer in a freezing workshop in the middle of November. It was more than being dropped in the deep end, it was more like an ice pool.

The experience shaped his character, as Scott was determined to succeed and was adamant that nobody would work harder than him. That persistence alongside his parents’ strong work ethic, provided the foundations for a fruitful career.

Moving on up in the world

After spending more than 14 years servicing and repairing an ageing fleet of trucks, trailers and vehicles, and learning how to keep them on the road, it was time for a change.

But he’s never forgotten his upbringing. He learnt skills that he uses to this day, including being able to weld and fabricate parts and tooling to keep those wheels moving.

Scott says: “There wasn’t much more I could do there. We had an old fleet, and we’d managed to maintain it to such a high standard that we didn’t receive a vehicle prohibition notice for more than 2.5 years.

“It was only when I came to Scania to collect spare parts, the General Manager at the time – Fraser Dominic, offered me a job. I remember thinking in the meeting I’m going to take it.

“I phoned my wife, and I told her I took the job – and she said: ‘You’re kidding? This is the best news I’ve had!’ The job at Scania gave me a better work life balance.”

Ahead of starting, Scott was a mix of emotions. He was excited, like a child on Christmas morning, to get started and own his own pair of Scania-branded overalls. But on the flip side, he was worried about whether he could cut it at such a big, global brand.

By the end of the first day, his worse fears were unfounded. He discovered this was where he was meant to be – his new spiritual home. In fact, he made such impression on his first day that his Workshop Foreman told him to slow down, because he was rattling through the jobs.

It was a period of transition for him. He learnt how to do things the Scania way, and perfected his skills and took them to a whole new level.

Scott says: “From the first day, I was learning instantly, and it hasn’t stopped. It was a massive moment for me because I realised, I’m not out of my depth – this is where I’m supposed to be. It felt right.

“When I got my overalls with my name on, I felt like a Formula One driver must feel when they get their first set. I was buzzing.”

Six months later and well bedded into the team, Scott got the opportunity to grow and progress. Stepping up to Workshop Chargehand saw him discover and reveal a whole new skillset. One he hadn’t realised he possessed.

It’s all about ‘we’, not ‘me’

Scott’s new role meant he took on added responsibility. Not only down in the workshop but also the administration that goes with keeping a workshop running efficiently. These came naturally to him. What was an unknown was his leadership skills.

He quickly established himself as a smooth operator, knowing instinctively how to best support his team and get them focus on the same goals and high standards that he demands of himself.

One of the areas he improved was limiting the negative fallout of handing over jobs between shifts, where the likelihood of delays or errors increases. By becoming Day Shift Supervisor and managing both team’s workloads – Scott could make sure that maintained the smooth flow of work better for his team.

He also got them to focus on their due diligence ahead of MOTs. So much so, it’s now common practice to double check the quality checks to ensure the probability of a vehicle passing is high.

It’s something Scott is proud of, but he acknowledges the team’s willingness to adopt these measures, despite numerous new starters joining the business. It’s also testament to the spirit of the team and the respect Scott has and naturally demands.

He says: “When I first started at Scania it certainly was all about me. I needed to make sure I was showing myself in the best light and that I’m learning to be the best I can. Within nine months, my focus shifted to not be about me, but we. And that’s something that’s never left me.”

These natural people skills emanate from Scott. To the point, he has been harnessing his talents to mentor and encourage apprentices and technicians from other industries to be the best they can possibly be.

Where did this passion for people come from? He attributes a large part to his mother. Someone who took pride in helping and being there for others, but also his first apprentice he had working with him.

When Kenneth arrived as a 16-year-old – Scott saw a lot of similarities between them. A raw young man with the right attitude, an appetite to work hard and get stuck in, who had all the hallmarks to become a talented technician.

It was this moment in time that has provided Scott with his calling, as he felt guilty leaving a promising talent like Kenneth behind. There was a sense of unfinished business.

“I had to put myself first, because it was time to move on. I’ve never forgotten that feeling and it might be that that inspires me. Mentoring is my biggest passion, and it’s not just the younger ones, it’s even those who are new starts.

“I’ve been mentoring a couple of car technicians we’ve got. It’s such a thrill seeing them pick the job up and learn how to do it. I love it – it’s the best part of the job when I see people progressing and learning how to do the job by themselves.”

Such is the character of Scott; he imbues the values of Scania through his actions. For him, success is only achieved if the people around him are happy and feel they are succeeding.

When asked what attributes you need for the world of work, Scott’s advice to anyone is: “Show everyone that you’re enthusiastic, willing to learn and be part of the team – that’s all you need. Work hard and good things will come.”

We couldn’t put it better ourselves.