Barriers to Effective Internal Communication If communication is lacking throughout the dealership, there might be a physical or psychological barrier causing it. The cause may be deeply rooted or something easily fixable. Do any of these sound familiar? A Lack of Transparency There could be any number of reasons why staff members might not be in sync. Often it’s because nobody understands the goal. For example, if you expect your dealership to service 1,200 vehicles a month, does everybody in your service department focus on that? If so, are they aware of how they are performing? Not being transparent about information like expectations or even the vision of the business can get in the way of meeting goals. Clearly defined goals set the right expectations. There should be a process or tool to help maintain an easy flow of internal communication. Unclear Direction from Managers An easy mistake a manager can make is to point out an issue without involving employees in finding a solution. Let’s say a service manager received complaints from customers about paint scratches on serviced vehicles. Relaying this to the service staff without a prevention plan going forward may not help. Reminding employees to be careful with vehicles is reasonable, but what if the vehicles were damaged prior to arriving at the dealership? Your team may suggest implementing a more consistent checkin inspection of the vehicle’s condition upon arrival. This inspection could actually lead to higher service revenue in repairs to these damages along with more trust from the customer. Employees Can’t Ask Questions Do you remember the old saying, “There are no stupid questions”? Is that what your employees actually believe? Fostering an environment where your team feels comfortable Businesses that present more transparency and communication improve employee morale. This means more engaged teammembers. In fact, according to the McKinsey Global Institute, effective communication can improve productivity in any workplace by up to 25%. Happier employees also mean reduced turnover. Continued on page 36 Issue 1 2022 35 WVADA
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