Taking my truck to Work?

[BC119]

I guess it depends on the industry. Driving clients around? Sure. Managerial position in an office environment, meh...arguable. 20+ yrs in the military, I can guarantee my guys/girls could care less what I drive.

If a car buying decision affects the cohesion of your team at work, you have much bigger problems - as other have suggested.

Fair point. I'm client facing, and a younger guy in an industry where experience is gold, so I needed all the help I could get with keeping a low profile. My truck is cool to someone who knows, and blends in for someone who doesn't.

I got comments from coworkers and clients alike when I brought my F150 to work the first time, and not many are car people. I think people are much more attentive than we generally give them credit for. The Raptor is a vehicle that just stands out more than most cars on the road. Even most similarly priced sports cars, an Audi S4 for example, fly right under the radar.

I personally wouldn't let a vehicle purchase, or any purchase for that matter, dictate what I thought of coworkers or upper brass, although I think its short sighted not consider your optics from others points of view.

Different strokes for different folks. A lot of guys on here have already made their eff you money. There are those of us starting out in great jobs trying to climb the corporate ladder, where optics above and below matter. I'm unequivocally myself, I work hard and I work well with the team I'm on, but you can't tell me that my coworkers or boss wouldn't notice a new truck or an omega speedmaster on my wrist and have a response to it.

 

[RickHdz36]

I don't know... I think most folks missed the point (and maybe you made that easy to do). You don't care what people think in general of your expensive truck, you care what your employees think about your expensive truck. You recognize you've come in to a dysfunctional situation created by your predecessor. You understand that leadership isn't about positional authority but about the ability to win the hearts and minds of your employees, and you recognize that jealousy is real and can't be dismissed simply because it is immature.

You are wrestling with whether the potential envy exhibited by some of your employees will interfere with your new mission. That you would even consider to forego driving that beautiful machine to work because it might interfere with the mission, regardless of the reason, is evidence of the character your new boss has decided to pay a premium for.

Despite several claims to the contrary in this thread, the evidence of maturity is not lack of concern for what others think, but rather the willingness to defer some of your rights for the greater good (of your employer, in this case) because your mission is to get the most productive value from that group of people, and that is much easier to do when they respect you.

Having said all that, my sense is that your character will more than offset any initial envy shown by your team, especially if you've already given them a chance to know you before they meet the truck.

This is exactly it! Thank you for this response. Like you said if my predecessor did not leave such a toxic mark on my team this would not even be a question. But I have already gotten such positive feedback from my boss and other supervisors that my team is already turning around. So from a team that had such a low moral and negativity on a daily basis, I did not want to throw a wrench in there when I have already started breaking down barriers. From most of the responses in this thread, I took them with a grain of salt. Its the people like you who I actually pay attention too. Thanks again!

I think OP should go to his boss and get all his direct reports a raise, sounds like they need it.

Believe me, I am working on it! That was my first concern when I started my position. Getting it approved through corporate is my current battle. I already got my boss on board, so its a matter of time.

 

[Denvertaco07]

Believe me, I am working on it! That was my first concern when I started my position. Getting it approved through corporate is my current battle. I already got my boss on board, so its a matter of time.

ok, well as long as your team knows you are fighting for them and care about them and their futures (i.e. being a leader) then I don't think they will care what you drive.

 

[David1986]

Humility....I totally understand where the OP is coming from. There are certain family functions and places I don't take my truck to. Not that I'm worried about what someone thinks of me, just don't want to come across as too proud.

Try to put myself in others shoes and be humble sometimes.

To the OP it's very kind of you to have compassion for your Team!!!!