- Make sure each role in your flowchart is clearly defined without overlaps with other departments.
- Allow leaders to exercise authority over employees with minimal interference.
- Have staff acknowledge flowchart and hold each person accountable.
First, create your flowchart, defining the different roles at your Dealership.
The Owner is at the top of the flowchart, the Owner may also be the General Manager. The General Manager is responsible for making sure each department works efficiently and should address issues between the departments if necessary. The department managers report to the General Manager; Sales Manager, Service Manager, Part Manager and Accounting Manager. A general manager should meet regularly with department managers regarding planning and any issues within the Dealership. They should also listen to the advice of the department managers when making decisions.
Non-leadership employees will be listed below the department managers. All employees should be on board with the vision and goals of the Dealership. They should understand their roles clearly and avoid crossing into other roles unless it is necessary.
Here are a few other tips for creating and using your flowchart:
- Complete all leadership roles with name and title
- Fill non-leadership roles with just the title, unless a worker has unique responsibilities
- List responsibilities with bullet-points, under each role
- Post the chart in an area accessible to employees, not customers (i.e. office or break room)
- Have each employee sign an acknowledgment of the chart
- Present a copy of the flowchart at each meeting for accountability
Organization, communication and morale are all vitally important to the success of your Dealership. Defining a clear chain of command is one way to increase your overall efficiency. Just as importantly, all roles should be understood and respected, this saves everyone time and energy that could be spent serving your customers.