When was the last time you were a part of a great team? What were some of the qualities that made it a team you remember? Excellent teams don’t just happen, they are developed over time, and typically, their creation was given much priority. Now, think about your current team at your dealership. Do you feel it currently contains many of the qualities of great teams you have worked with in the past? If not, don’t fret, because you are not alone.
A survey of over 1400 corporate executives by Salesforce revealed that 86 percent of this group cited a lack of collaboration and ineffective communication for workplace failures. Collaboration, communication, task alignment, and many other characteristics are critical to team building. So, why is cultivating a team-mindset vital to your dealership? Because team building is one of the most significant ways to boost engagement. According to Gallup, 70 percent of today’s employees are disengaged, resulting in an approximate $500 billion hit to the U.S. economy. So, how can you jumpstart the process of re-engaging your employees through team building? Read on for tips.
Remind Employees of the Dealership’s Ultimate Vision and Goals
One of the best ways to rally employees into a team-like atmosphere is to remind them of what they are working towards. Communicating a consistent message of the principles and goals the dealership stands for brings home the message that everyone is on the same team. A great way to do this is to always end meetings with a reminder of the company’s vision, and how each employee plays a part within it. Another excellent method for this is to place verbiage around the workspace as a reminder. The goal is to let employees know that regardless of their functional area, they are all working for the same thing.
Emphasize the Importance of Communication
As stated in the study above, communication was one of the reasons executives felt collaboration was lacking in the office. Keeping up dialogue is paramount to team building. So, work to create solutions for communication problems. Are specific departments not speaking to one another as often as they should? Could you use a technology solution to help your company talk in real time? Are employees given enough time to meet and collaborate? Find out where your communication problems are, and work with each functional area to resolve them. It is likely either an issue of time or lack of resources.
Create Team Goals
While individual performance is significant, evaluating your company as a team should also be a priority. To do this, you may want to have overall dealership goals, and then benchmarks for each functional area. It drives the point home that while each worker had individual contributions, their work is a part of a more extensive system. Make a point to meet with the entire dealership team to discuss overall goals, and how each functional department fits within them.
Give Employees an Opportunity to Discuss Non-Work Topics
There is something to be said for that “time around the water cooler.” Humans are social beings. We thrive when we have social bonds and friendships in places where we spend most of our time. Recent research reveals that worker satisfaction increases 50 percent when individuals have friends at work. So, one of the best ways to encourage non-work interactions at your dealership is to take the lead. Make sure you are greeting employees in the morning, asking them about their weekend or evening, and getting to know some of who they are outside of work. This tactic will likely influence other workers to do the same.
Host Non-Work-Related Events
Creating social bonds at work are critical for team building and engagement. In addition to the previous entry, hosting informal events is an excellent way to encourage a team-mindset. This can be something as simple as having a catered lunch or breakfast that allows workers to sit and talk with one another. Events with an emphasis on team building are even better. A volunteer service project, scavenger hunt, and even escape room are excellent ways to encourage your dealership staff to interact as a team.
Final Thoughts
Developing an efficient team does not happen overnight. It is something that takes time to cultivate. It is a culmination of a set of deliberate steps. Team building works best when you identify the strengths and weaknesses of how your staff works together. From there, you can begin to set a strategy in place that uses some of the tactics above to develop your team. If you create the right formula for team building, you can likely expect increases in engagement and a lower turnover percentage which allows you to keep your best talent.
