One of the goals of every Synergy forum is simple. We want members to leave with one or two ideas they can put into practice as soon as they return home.
At the 2026 Dispatch Forum in Chicago, members spent two days discussing communication, field productivity, preventative maintenance, technology, and the daily decisions that dispatchers and service coordinators make every day. Through presentations, table discussions, and hands-on exercises, attendees shared challenges, learned from one another, and created personal action plans to take back to their companies.
A few months later, we checked in to see what happened next. Here are four examples of how members turned ideas from the forum into action.
Stay Ahead of Preventative Maintenance
One of the biggest topics throughout the forum was preventative maintenance.
Members shared how their companies are improving PM completion by scheduling work further in advance, tracking progress with dashboards and reports, creating dedicated agreement teams, and treating PM work as a priority instead of filler work.
That conversation resonated with Shermaine Auguste of Brooks.
Her goal after the forum was to reduce her PM backlog.
Since returning home, she has reduced her backlog to just three slightly overdue PMs by reviewing the schedule every day, watching upcoming due dates, scheduling visits two to three weeks in advance, and following up with customers before appointments.
She also began making more frequent evening calls with technicians to keep everyone informed and improve communication across the team.
“Being more proactive with the schedule and addressing issues early has made a big difference in keeping the PMs on track.”
Adapt Your Communication to Build Better Relationships
Guest facilitator Lisa Withers spent much of the first day helping members understand how communication changes based on personality style.
Using the DiSC framework, attendees explored how different personalities communicate, what motivates them, how they respond under stress, and how adjusting your approach can lead to better conversations.
One exercise challenged members to think about a technician they struggle to communicate with, identify that person’s likely DiSC style, and discuss how they would approach that conversation differently after the session.
That exercise stayed with Amber Posoa of Oahu.
After the forum, Amber made a conscious effort to adjust her communication based on the person she was speaking with instead of using the same approach with everyone.
She also focused on building stronger relationships with coworkers and technicians by taking time to connect outside of day-to-day work.
She noticed technicians beginning to approach her more often with questions, ideas, and concerns because those relationships had become stronger.
“I’ve made a conscious effort to genuinely smile, greet them, and simply get to know them. I’ve noticed that it’s working.”
Balance the Workload Across Your Team
During one of the forum’s scheduling exercises, members were given a realistic dispatch scenario with multiple technicians, emergency calls, planned maintenance, and competing priorities.
The discussion quickly showed that successful scheduling is about more than filling openings on the board. It requires understanding technician strengths, customer expectations, travel time, and workload.
Jason Counsil of R.W. LaPine took that lesson back to his company.
His action plan focused on redistributing maintenance work from technicians with overloaded schedules to those with more capacity.
Since the forum, his team has reassigned maintenance contracts across technicians, and the addition of four new technicians has helped improve PM completion even further.
Rather than allowing work to pile up with a few people, they created a more balanced workload across the team.
Build Connection Beyond the Daily Work
The forum closed with a conversation about stress, burnout, and belonging.
Members talked about the importance of “personal PM,” the routines that help them stay healthy and effective, and how recognition and connection influence team performance.
That discussion inspired Cynthia Bandy of North Mechanical.
Although Cynthia’s role changed shortly after the forum and she transitioned into billing, she still looked for ways to strengthen communication and teamwork within her organization.
She became part of a newly formed morale committee that organizes events throughout the year to bring employees together. She is also involved in a committee focused on improving communication and culture across multiple divisions.
Her original action plan evolved, but the goal remained the same, creating stronger connections across the organization.
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The ideas shared at the Dispatch Forum came from contractors who face the same challenges every day. By learning from each other, members leave with practical solutions they can adapt to their own organizations. If you’re interested in learning how Synergy helps independent commercial HVAC contractors improve performance through peer collaboration, we’d love to start a conversation. Learn more about Synergy membership or contact us to see if your company is a fit.
