Business leadership is discussed everywhere online, in print, on television and in auto industry trade journals.

The best dealer principals and their general managers do not work alone. New- and used-car sales managers, fixed op managers, service managers, F&I and Internet managers have a huge impact on the day-to-day operation of the dealership. But, in reality, employee motivation and teamwork make the success of the dealership possible.

This is especially true in the automobile industry: no manager of any dealership department can complete a full day of work without dependable employees.

No matter how smart, experienced or dedicated, a manager might be, they depend on employees to get the job done.

In short, a good manager must hire quality people, make sure they are on the same page, and convince them all to work together.

Even in these tough economic times, there are steps that can help all dealership departments to do well.

Yes, without question, the process of finding new employees and motivating them seems like a daunting task, yet the excitement created by a well-functioning team is worth the effort.

The Problem

The problem for almost all dealers is the detailing department. Why? It’s simple. No dealer principal or general manager pays the same kind of attention to the detail department that they do to other “more important” departments.

That is right; the entire automobile industry views the detail department as a “necessary evil.” They pay lip service to its importance; but in reality, they devote little time, money or attention to insuring the detail department functions as well as the other departments in the dealership.

There is no “real” manager. The department is given to the used-car manager, the service manager, the fixed ops manager or the body shop manager — all of whom are busy operating their primary department, and do not really want the job, but take it because the dealer principal or general manager says to.

Worse yet, they do not even know what to manage. They have no experience or skill to know what it takes to have an efficiently functioning detail department. The “experienced” detailers do not know either, so what you have is a rudderless detail shop “floundering in the stormy sea”.

What the dealer principal or general manager MUST DO is commit to putting a competent manager in charge of the department and insuring he/she is elevated to the same status as any other department manager with set performance goals. This person needs to know nothing about detailing, and all about managing, hiring, training, motivating, etc.

Once such a manger is in place, you can begin the process of hiring competent employees for the detail department.

Detail Employees

If a dealer wants to eliminate the problems they have in their detail department, the one thing they must accept is “do not hire experienced detailers.”

 Why? If they were good, they would already be working since there are so few good detail employees.

Second, their experience is only good if you let them do what they want. Then it is the inmates running the asylum.

Finally, in most cases people who apply for a job as a detailer are a “type” that you would not hire for any other department in the dealership. What you want are career-oriented people looking for a career in the automobile industry.

The following is an example of a good “help wanted” ad to assist you in attracting the desired employees:

AUTO SERVICE TRAINEE:  XYZ Motors has immediate openings for career-oriented individuals in a new service department. No experience necessary, will train. Individuals must have a stable work history and be a team player. High school diploma, valid driver’s license, and clean driving record required. Interested candidates should apply to: (name a person they are to contact for an application at the dealership).

When they apply in person, you can screen them out by their appearance and grooming. While it is true that clothes do not make the person, it can sure speak volumes in some cases. Once candidates are screened, bring them in for the interview.

The Interview

Once specific applicants have been selected, the interview process is the next important step to finding the best employees.

Have a preset list of questions to make sure you do not miss the important attributes you are looking for in an employee.

Building a Successful Department

Once the detail manager has done their best to hire good employees and has a detail team in place, management must encourage the detail team to push for exceptional results on a day-to-day basis for the detail department.

Rich Karlgaard (www.RichKarlgaard.com), Forbes publisher and author of the book “The Soft Edge: Where Great Companies Find Lasting Success,” offered several tips in an article he wrote.

The article presented various steps to help managers reduce employee cynicism and build a successful department that operates on trust.

The most applicable tips to develop a strong team and retain quality employees are:

1) Never lie or hide the truth.

There are many things a manager is thrilled to share with employees. For a detail manager they would be things like, “The used-car department had zero complaints this week,” or “Our retail customers are all completely satisfied,” or “Our labor cost to production is down.”

Karlgaard states, “Even when the news is bad, people should never feel they’re being kept in the dark; transparency and trust must coexist”.

2) Show employees that you care.

When people do not believe their superiors care about them, not just as workers, but also as human beings, trust cannot thrive.

While it is true that fake or contrived caring only increases cynicism, genuine caring dissolves it.

This means leaders must be “people persons” who stand up for their employees’ best interests and do not mind showing (appropriate) affection.

3) Aspire to predictability.

A good manager should want to be known as a creative, outside-the-box thinker.

They should not be bound by routine or limited by “the way everyone else does it.”

Karlgaard says that is fine: embrace innovation to your heart’s content in areas like development and marketing campaigns; just do not be unpredictable in your behavior, priorities and values.

“Unpredictability destroys trust,” he explains. “As a manager, your team should have total confidence that you’ll do what you say you will. They should have no doubt that you’ll keep your promises, act with integrity and look out for their best interests.”

4) Make it safe to speak up.

When your employees make an honest mistake, can they admit it without being scolded and belittled?

What about input and ideas?

Can they share those things and expect to be taken seriously?

Hopefully, the answer to these questions is “yes”.

Karlgaard states that everyone should feel confident that they can participate in meetings, say what is on their mind, be respected for their opinions and ideas and admit mistakes.

Either trust or fear rules an organization, and Karlgaard says managers and owners have to choose.

Fear-based culture can kill employee curiosity, dull creativity and stunt growth, according to Karlgaard.

In climates of fear, people are afraid to make mistakes, and fear saps performance, teamwork and morale.

5) Celebrate grit and gumption.

If a manager wants employees to be worker bees — performing the tasks that management designates, on a set timeline — compensate them with paychecks only.

If an operation wants employees to be partners, they have to reinforce employees when they act like partners, Karlgaard states.

In other words, take notice when they display passion, motivation (grit), initiative and guts (gumption).

“When employees do the things you want them to do — persevering through tough tasks, innovating, taking calculated risks — reward them,” Karlgaard instructs. “A simple ‘thank you’ can go a long way. So can public recognition at a meeting or through a company-wide email. The point is, notice and celebrate the behaviors you want more of. ”

6) Constantly drive home the “meaning” of the work people do.

One of the best methods to increase trust is to identify a greater purpose, your operation’s “true north,” as Karlgaard calls it.

Why do you exist?

What meaningful value do you offer to employees, customers or society?

A great purpose should be aspirational, not merely financial.

It should create a common cause and promote a collective effort.

It should answer all the tough questions of why:

• Why commit?
• Why persist?
• And, most importantly,  why trust?

“Figure out what meaningful things your company provides customers, whether that’s peace of mind, easier lives, reliable support, or something else, and look for ways to convey that purpose at your company,” Karlgaard concludes. “It’s hard to be cynical about your work and your customers when you actually do believe in what you’re doing.”

This may be a huge departure from the way most dealerships operate their detail departments, but I present it to make you realize that if you keep doing what you have always done, you will get what you always have.