Building high‑performing dealership teams through cross‑department collaboration.
AS INDUSTRIAL TRUCK dealerships expand across branches, field operations and specialized divisions, misalignment between departments can quietly affect performance. In this session at the 2026 Convention, award-winning author and speaker Steve McClatchy and a panel including Toyota Forklifts of Atlanta, Lift Power, Morrison Industrial and Gregory Poole Equipment, will discuss practical ways leaders can eliminate silos, strengthen collaboration between sales, service, parts, rental and support teams and build systems that drive accountability.
TMJ: What are some unintentional ways silos are created within dealerships?
McClatchy: Silos are rarely intentional. They form because departments are designed to specialize. Sales has its goals. Service has its metrics. Finance, HR and marketing each have their own expertise and performance pressures. That specialization is a strength, but it also creates blind spots.
Over time, those differences can create emotional, physical and organizational barriers. Teams become focused on delivering their own metrics without fully understanding how their work intersects with others. The result? Missed opportunities, duplicate efforts and a lack of strategic alignment.
It’s similar to the human body. If your leg hurts, you might want a quick fix for the leg. But often the issue is systemic: diet, exercise, lifestyle. Organizations do the same thing. They treat a “department problem” when the real issue is how the entire system works together.
When internal metrics and rewards are disconnected from the end customer, silos naturally form. Instead of shared objectives, you get competing objectives.
TMJ: How can leaders intentionally strengthen relationships across departments?
McClatchy: First, leaders must lead by example. If leaders say collaboration matters but don’t collaborate themselves, the message falls flat. Employees model what gets rewarded and promoted. If a leader earned their position through collaboration and transparency, others will follow. If they advanced through information hoarding and independence, that’s what gets replicated.
Second, leaders need to think in terms of systems, not motivation. You can’t simply tell teams, “Collaborate more.” Willpower and enthusiasm last about two weeks. Systems last for years. If workflows don’t lend themselves to collaboration, it becomes “extra work,” and extra work never sticks.
Instead, build collaboration into the structure of how work gets done. For example:
• A standing weekly cross department meeting with consistent questions;
• Shared dashboards that require interdepartmental input;
• Clear handoff processes between sales, service and rental.
When collaboration is embedded into the workflow, it becomes permanent rather than optional.
Finally, celebrate the results. When improved coordination produces faster turnaround times or better customer outcomes, point it out. If no one connects the new system to measurable success, people will drift back to old habits.
TMJ: Where do miscommunications and assumptions typically show up?
McClatchy: They often appear during handoffs, when a project moves from one team to another.
Departments focus on their deliverables, the checklist of tasks. But what’s often missing is clarity about the why behind the work. If people only understand the “what” but not the business outcome the project is meant to achieve, engagement drops when challenges arise.
Leaders need to clearly communicate why the project exists, what business results it’s meant to produce, how it impacts the customer and how it fits into the dealership’s broader strategy.
When people understand the bigger picture, whether it’s protecting revenue, improving response time or outperforming a competitor, they’re more equipped to make smart decisions when things get messy.
Without the “why,” teams simply complete tasks. With the “why,” they make judgments aligned with business outcomes.
TMJ: During transitions or new team structures, how can leaders build trust?
McClatchy: Three things matter most. The first is to explain the why behind the what. Don’t just hand off a project plan. Explain the business results it’s designed to deliver. Tie daily tasks to the bigger picture so employees understand the stakes.
The second is to connect work to customer impact. Every dealership ultimately sells time and reliability to its customers. Whether you’re in parts, service or sales, your work should improve speed, quality and profitability for the end user. When internal goals fail to align with that reality, silos emerge.
And, finally, to create shared goals. Instead of separate department metrics that compete with each other, establish overlapping goals where multiple departments are jointly responsible. Shared ownership reduces friction and increases accountability.
TMJ: What is one simple change leaders can implement immediately to prevent silos?
McClatchy: Create explicit ground rules for how teams will work together, and get everyone to agree to them. Before diving into the technical details of a project, gather input from all participants. Ask them:
• What behaviors derail projects?
• What drives you crazy when working cross-departmentally?
• What behaviors lead to success?
Collect the “pet peeves.” Turn them into a list of agreed-upon ground rules. Then get a verbal commitment from everyone.
Explicit agreements make accountability easier. If someone misses deadlines, fails to communicate or doesn’t follow through, you can simply say: “We agreed to this behavior. Here’s the current reality. Can we recommit?”
Most project failures aren’t due to lack of expertise; they’re due to breakdowns in communication, responsiveness and respect. Establishing clear behavioral expectations up front dramatically reduces friction.
If you want to be on the most successful project you’ve ever been part of, don’t start by talking about the project. Start by discussing how you’ll treat each other while working on it.
TMJ: What can MHEDA Convention attendees expect from the dealer panel?
McClatchy: The panel will provide real-world examples of systemic collaboration: what’s working, what isn’t and how shared goals and structured communication have improved performance inside their dealerships.
The focus isn’t theory. It’s practical application: shared metrics, structured meetings, ground rules and leadership behaviors that eliminate silos and drive results.
Learn more at MHEDA’s 2026 Convention Community Conversation, “Industrial Truck Community – Silos to Alignment: Strengthening Cross-Department Performance in the Dealership,” on Tuesday, May 5, at 1:30 p.m. in Nashville. Presented by Steve McClatchy, award-winning author and speaker.
Article Takeaways
1. Explain The “Why” Behind The “What.” Tie daily tasks to the bigger picture so employees understand the stakes.
2. Connect Work to Customer Impact. Every dealership ultimately sells time and reliability to its customers. When internal goals fail to align with that reality, silos emerge.
3. Create Shared Goals. When collaboration becomes systemic – not situational – dealerships improve execution, reduce revenue leakage and deliver a more consistent customer experience across every department.
