One area that is often not given the attention it deserves within the OEM and NSC retail space is the need for internal leadership and management training. COVID-19, and all the restrictions that came along with it, exacerbated this issue as companies shifted their priorities from development to survival.
Compounded with the exodus of good managers from the industry has caused a drop in customer satisfaction – which should be enough to emphasise the urgency for OEMs to support and establish strong leadership teams that can drive organisational change where it’s needed the most.
“Only 32% of automotive senior executives rated their own company’s leadership talent pipeline as “above average” in terms of succession readiness.”
Yannick Binvel, Vice Chairman, Global Industrial Practice
Bridging the gap
From our experience working with OEMs and NSCs, there often exists a imbalance when it comes to offering a comprehensive strategy that empowers their leadership teams with the tools and knowledge needed to analyse, design, and implement processes – processes that can improve the profitability of their retail businesses.
That’s where structured leadership and management training can help your managers to assess and execute their plans more effectively.
Drive change
OEM leaders need to continuously review and amend their processes to adapt to evolving market conditions:
- Understand the current situation – this involves interpreting financial data, both previous and forecasted to determine whether the current processes and structure are allowing the business to perform ahead, on par or behind their targets or specified comparator.
- Review and implementation – identifying concerns, analysing internal departments, determining root causes, and implementing effective countermeasures to promote growth and profitability.
- Capitalise on opportunities – managers may lack the skills to improve processes and capitalise on potential opportunities. These steps require support from stakeholders in the form of leadership and management training.
“To deal effectively with the increasing levels of disruptive industry change, automotive manufacturers, suppliers and dealers need a talent strategy that, at its core, seeks to identify and develop leaders equipped with the requisite skills and capabilities. That talent strategy must be clearly aligned with a company’s strategic objectives and the organisation’s culture.”
Yannick Binvel, Vice Chairman, Global Industrial Practice
Implementing initiatives with skilful leadership
Successful implementation of new processes and controls heavily rely on the skills and capabilities of your leaders to implement change. By understanding and applying tools like DISC profiling (Dominance, Influence, Steadiness, and Compliance), managers can gain insights into their own different behavioural styles they are made up of and tailor their leadership approach. Equipping your managers to more effectively communicate the message and future strategies that help drive organisational change.
By investing in leadership development programmes, you not only enhance financial performance but boost employee productivity and retention – providing your managers with the necessary skills and tools to lead effectively and drive business and growth strategies.
Your gateway to successful leadership
At APD, our Education & Training Academy offer a wide range of courses to help equip your leadership teams with the knowledge and tools they need to effectively delegate and manage your retail business to further succeed.
These courses include:
- Financial management for Dealer Principles, Accountants Sales and Service Managers
- Effective Sales Management
- Effective Service Management
- Sales Advisor Training
- Service Advisor Training
We provide a tailored training and consulting service to personalise our courses when developing your management staff. This includes a white-label option where we can package and even run management training on your behalf – which OEMs are already taking advantage of.
Our training programmes have been created to have a significant positive impact on the way you do business and the results you achieve.
For more information, take a look at our Education & Training Academy Catalogue.
All supported by our definitive guide to the processes and controls to increase performance and profitability, Show Me the Money!
If you’re not quite ready to roll out organisational training for your leadership teams, then why not take a look at this step-by-step guide as a standalone product to help evaluate business performance across each department of a dealership?
It provides a comprehensive look at the vital business management and operational processes that every manager in the retail automotive industry needs to know to be successful in today’s marketplace.
As the business landscape continues to evolve, it’s the OEMs that prioritise internal leadership training that will best position themselves for sustainable growth and competitive advantage.
Take the first step towards unlocking your organisation’s true potential by empowering your leaders with the training they deserve.
