Readying the workforce for today’s customer
LSH Auto Australia’s managing director, John Good, shares how the country’s leading Mercedes-Benz retailer is building a culture of resilience, flexibility and growth.
What does AQ and EQ mean in the LSH Auto workplace?
“The terms refer to adaptability quotient and emotional intelligence and both are a measure of how our team members respond to new circumstances. Equally, as a business, it’s about how we accept change and look for new opportunities for growth. At a managerial level, we’re working to create greater organisational resilience.”
Can you share a time when the business has shown this resilience?
“The Mercedes-Benz business has pivoted from a traditional retail model to an agency model, which has changed the way we operate in various sections of our company. This has involved
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for more information. adopting a growth mindset, from senior leadership team to frontline staff, while ensuring a focus on excellence. The industry is going through its biggest and fastest changes in years.”
What training does your leadership team receive?
“We’ve spent a lot of time on leadership development programs, courses and retreats focusing on what makes a resilient organisation and the traits needed to adapt to new challenges. These include having a positive growth mindset and looking at problems as opportunities to find solutions that drive the business forward.”
How do team members benefit from a culture focused on EQ and AQ?
“Emotional intelligence is a vital tool for bettering how we work with others and interact with our customers.
It’s one of the qualities that helps LSH Auto differentiate itself from its competitors and build long-term customer relationships. Team members also have the benefit of working for an organisation that has a culture of positivity and has been recognised as one of the best places to work in the automotive industry.”
How does all this lead to a better customer experience?
“Our culture is such that the team is a family of employees and the customer is treated as an extension of our automotive family. Having EQ is essential because you’re dealing with individual customers in a luxury environment and part of our brand ambition is to deliver a world-leading customer experience.”