Imagine learning about your dealership’s culture from a Koi, a red-gold carp.
The ultimate size (and sometimes colors) of a Koi is determined by the environment in which it resides. What does that phenomena tell you about the effect of your dealership’s culture?
Let’s begin this journey by considering a dealership’s culture that embraces authoritarian or centralized control. Senior leaders make decisions and tell their employees what to do. Often times the mantra within this culture is, “I will tell you what to do, how to do it, and when I want your opinion I will ask for it.” Employees are often fearful of being punished should they make a mistake. Consequently, creativity and production are stifled.
Let’s contrast this culture with the dealership that completes regularly scheduled employee surveys to monitor employee morale and conducts customer service surveys to monitor customer satisfaction. This dealership expects their empowered employees to make independent decisions. No, this dealership is not perfect but is striving to create a culture that challenges and values their employees because the CEO understands such a culture promotes productivity and net profit. Before proceeding consider two questions. Of the two cultures we’ve discussed, which one would you prefer working in? Which one do you think is more productive?
Western Equipment Dealer Magazine Winter 2017 Issue
by Larry Cole PhD
