Engagement doesn’t just happen. It is usually the result of an intentional strategy. Dealers can raise workers’ engagement levels by focusing on the six drivers of engagement: • Connectedness • Importance • Control • Competence • Clarity • Fairness While each driver has its role, they’re all interrelated and additive — getting the engagement you want comes from working on all six in concert. Learn more about each one and the actions you can take to keep your dealership team engaged. 1. Connectedness: “I belong.” Connected employees know they are part of a team. They trust the people they work with and feel supported by managers and company leadership. Their managers value their abilities, strive to provide what’s needed to grow and develop their skills and trust them to successfully perform their jobs. Research shows that employees’ perception of a company’s executive leadership has roughly the same impact on engagement as their perception of an immediate manager. As a leader, staying connected means listening and being tuned in to what workers need while providing clear guidance on their job goals and honest feedback on their performance. Action: Stay visible to employees through meetings, social gatherings, email and dealership visits. Make a point of connecting with employees even when there’s nothing new to report. 2. Importance: “My work is meaningful.” Employees who find meaning in their work are more engaged. They understand how their job has a positive impact on people’s lives, and they can see where their contributions support your dealership’s goals and purpose. The sales you make and the service your dealership provides allow your customers access to the fundamental need of transportation — getting people to work, helping them get their kids to school, enabling them to go shopping and providing a means for people to socialize. For many dealerships, this is the core component of their purpose, the core reason for being and the source of their positive impact on the world. One southeast dealer regularly reminds his team, “We’re not just selling someone a car. We’re actually helping improve how they live.” Engaged employees find merit in the work they do and look to align their work values with their personal values. Demonstrating your business’s purpose and framing the way your dealership does business in terms of its meaning to your community allows employees to see your values in action and embrace them. Action: Elevate your dealership’s purpose and its goals. Make them visible and communicate them often through internal meetings and informal one-on-one discussions and externally in social media, in the press and in your marketing and online presence. WVADA News 25
RkJQdWJsaXNoZXIy ODQxMjUw