Navigating Management Transition

Struggling to find skilled HVAC technicians or plumbers? Facing the home services labor shortage head-on? In this episode of the To The Point Home Services Podcast, Kevin Comerford (Founder of Service Champions) and Jonathan Bancroft (President of Morris-Jenkins) reveal how building internal training academies and technical trade universities helped them overcome the skilled labor gap, scale operations, and build a leadership pipeline within their companies.

🔧 Whether you’re in HVAC, plumbing, electrical, or any home service business, this episode is a masterclass on workforce development and scaling through in-house training and manager development systems.

⏱️ Timestamps:

 00:00 – Why create a home services university?

 00:02:28 – "Sweat in peacetime" mantra & its impact

 00:04:34 – Building Champions University: Solving the HVAC tech shortage

 00:06:14 – Training curriculum: What worked and what didn’t

 00:07:29 – The real reason Morris-Jenkins started their university

 00:10:04 – Turning plumbers and HVAC techs into managers

 00:12:15 – Solving organizational conflict with real training

 00:14:52 – Jiffy Lube vs Bob's Auto Shop: The scalable model

 00:18:32 – How to start small with leadership development

 00:21:15 – Overcoming the "ceiling of complexity"

 00:24:23 – Monthly bonus structures that drive growth

 00:26:22 – KPIs, team incentives & positive reinforcement

 00:27:18 – Are your leaders reward-driven or responsibility-driven?

 00:28:09 – Weekly accountability meetings: Structure & success

 00:30:09 – Why your business might lack urgency and accountability

 00:31:21 – Real-world financial meeting frameworks for trades

 00:35:11 – Grants for company training programs (and the red tape)

 00:37:01 – Final thoughts on scaling home services companies

📚 Resources Mentioned:

First, Break All the Rules – Marcus Buckingham - 

https://shorturl.at/YgSql

When Goliaths Clash – Howard M. Guttman - 

https://shorturl.at/tvyGm

Bringing Out the Best in People – Aubrey C. Daniels - https://shorturl.at/XwcpB

The Motive & Five Dysfunctions of a Team – Patrick Lencioni - https://shorturl.at/kIx6z

💬 Got questions or building your own HVAC or plumbing training academy?

 Drop a comment below. 👇 We’d love to hear about your journey and answer your questions.

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