Disruption is Coming! Disruption Is Coming!

6+ Reasons Why We Are Not Sounding The 'Disruption Alert' Bell

You couldn't enter a room or even the most casual conversation at NADA last month without hearing the word 'disruption.'  Some of the faces showed panic, others the "I'm the expert" sideways look, some leaned in and others, well others are still circling one of the multiple Moscone buildings looking for a place to grab lunch without a 45 minute line. Clearly some appetites and seating arrangements were suffering from disruption. Even here on LinkedIn, everyone is aligning themselves with the latest, but not really greatest, buzzword. Here's how it looks and sounds:

Fear. Gloom. Doom. Panic. Dueling Experts. Confusing Rhetoric. Mixed Messages. Buy This. Stop That. Panic 7.0...

And for god's sake... what is the plan? Perhaps every dealer should all hurry home and spend an inordinate amount of money chasing a villain we don't even have a police sketch for yet. And don't forget the other side of the plan...'hope'. Just kidding. You would never advise anyone to execute a plan involving your entire business, 100s of employees and countless millions of dollars in this manner. That would be a terrible plan, wouldn't it? But apparently it's the 'plan' we have become far too comfortable living with in our industry. Money + Hope. Are you ready to take on the 'D' word as a strategy instead?

Here are our Top 6+ reasons why we aren't panicking and how we know you can navigate this with a little help from your friends at Foster Strategies Group.

1. Attention! Apparently all it took to get many dealers to begin paying attention to the change that has been occurring, simply took changing the word from 'change' to 'disruption!' There are always changes happening from multiple fronts. We do happen to be living in a time where we have moved from a Category 1 storm to something more significant. But this is not new news...and you still have a little time to prepare. Now that we have your attention...
2. Appointment- Gather your notes, your team and set an appointment to have 'The Big Talk.' These talks might feel as awkward to start as when your dad said, "Hey Pete, let's go grab some ice cream." Trust us, although the 'Disruption Big Talk' may be uncomfortable at first, not nearly as much as that unforgettable ride home, this is about the future health of your business. So get on with it. It is imperative you find a time on the calendar for this important appointment with your entire leadership team and schedule it with 2-3 week's advance notice so everyone can be prepared. To be treated with the importance required, this cannot a last minute fire drill. Prepare a list of starter questions for the leader of each and every vertical of your business, with the requirement that everyone must prepare in advance and be astute enough about any approaching headwinds, vendor updates or other valuable insights to contribute powerfully to this critical and strategic Appointment.
3. Agenda- First, for a meeting as important as this, you may want someone to step in to moderate. To help ensure you have a good working environment and keep moving forward purposefully and productively, create an agenda which includes all topics and departments and also allows ample time for discovery...even vocabulary review. There are a lot of new words and terminologies in a rapidly changing marketplace like ours. This is no time to make assumptions that everyone understood when they nodded their 'yes', so do a knowledge check a few times to get everyone comfortable we are in a safe, growth and learning dialogue. It is your job to ensure no one dominates, all are heard, everything is on the table and understood.
4. Ability- As your meeting progresses, it will most likely be punctuated by enthusiasm or exciting discoveries. Caution and patience will need to reign for the moment. This is not a time for knee-jerk reactions or supposed quick-fix solutions. Listen carefully, gather information and ask questions around 'Ability':

• What do we have the ability to learn right now?
• What is our opportunity and what are we comfortable investing financially to reach it?
• Who do we need to bring into this conversation, internally or externally, prior to going forward?
• Do the people we have currently in specific roles have the ability and capacity to do more or learn these new processes or tools?
• How much of the changes suggested can this leadership team absorb and coach?
• Is every individual leader on the team capable of making these changes?
• What other questions should you be asking yourself and others?

5. Accountability- Change is constant, especially today and this environment requires a continuous improvement commitment from your team. No exceptions. Make sure you design a process to make it clear and achievable for all in leadership to truly lead in words and in their actions. Doing this prior to any changes may be uncomfortable for you at the onset, but will save you endless hours of time you can no longer afford. Your coaches must be coachable to ever be fully effective. Let everyone know your clear expectations and hold them accountable.

6. Action- Get going! Even with the best preparation, you will almost certainly make mistakes or at least missteps. If you did your homework and delivered on your strategy, you should easily be able to pinpoint what you missed or what failed. Identify it, fix it and move forward. This is far better than dying in a pool of analysis paralysis. Fail less frequently as you fail your way upward, and keep taking Action!

Now that we have laid out 6 of the most important ways for you to take on the 'disruption' conversation, we hope you don't see it as disruptive. Anything is manageable if you take it seriously and allocate the time and resources responsibly.

Wait, before we close out! We told you there was a 'Plus' to this how-to list. These pluses are two of the most important items regardless of your initiative.

++ Acknowledge and Award++ Acknowledge individuals, teams, targets, creativity, innovation, accomplishments, successes, 'best failures' and so on! Go overboard in your celebration of the spirited environment of relentless pursuit of change! Let everyone- including your customers,your employee's families and your vendor partners- know that these people and their contributions made towards taking 'disruption' head-on were necessary, appreciated and absolutely were rewarded.

We love the automotive industry and the people in it. Keep watching as we look to drive positive and profitable change, starting right here with you today.

Disruption??? You've met your match. All the best as you take on the Big 'D'!

[email protected] www.fosterstrategiesgroup.com

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