Five Dysfunctions Drag Down Car Dealerships

Jeremey Beck recalls going into dealerships where employees who have worked side by side for years know nothing about each other outside of the workplace.

But they do after taking part in a team-building program. Some of them even start going out to breakfast and lunch together.

The program is designed to improve work environments, especially ones dragged down by dysfunctions. It’s not specifically intended as a know-thy-fellow- employee-better effort, but a certain amount of that enhances teamwork, says Beck, Ally Auto’s national dealer training manager.

He and Timothy Zlomke, Ally’s area sales manager, discussed the elements and success of the team-building program during a June 30 webinar from WardsAuto and Ally, “No More Turf Battles: Keeping Sales and F&I Teams Connected.” To see and hear an on-demand replay of the full event, click here.

Ally conducts the workshop sessions at individual dealerships. Employees of different departments attend together.

Part of the program centers on overcoming what’s called five job-environment dysfunctions: absence of trust, fear of conflict, lack of commitment, avoidance of accountability and inattention to results.

Asked during the webinar if some dealerships are dysfunctional almost to a point beyond hope, Zlomke cites transformations in saying those are the most rewarding to work with.

“The results speak for themselves with increases in per-vehicle retail units, CSI and overall employee satisfaction,” Beck says.

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