Managing Smart people

What if he or she, meaning the team member, is smarter than you?  Really, yep…what if?  They do this and that.  They make really great decisions and you look at them and think (please don’t say out loud) “you are pretty amazing, please don’t leave.”  By the way, they will.  Retail is not the industry […]

Management from weird places

OK, I am going to attempt something a bit odd.  I am going to weave three, initially non sequitur completely random things into a management point of view…sleeping downstairs, my cat sneezing and a haircut.  Wow, even I think this seems daunting. I sleep downstairs sometimes.  Yes, my basement bedroom.  I snore on occasions; especially […]

managerial face

OK, hang on…this could be quirky.  I was watching the movie Brave.  Scottish, animated and about arrows.  That is really not all the movie says.  Although my daughters now each have a love for archery.  I did to and still kinda…OK, the topic.  The voice of King Fergus is Billy Connolly.  He is a Scottish […]

Management Musing: I want to say this!

Once, I was out with my mother.  We were shopping for “whatever”.  I was a teenager.  That should be enough said to consider how this unfolded.  My mother said she couldn’t find the “whatever”.  Breathe.  I said, “Umm Mom, here’s an idea.  Do you know they hire people to work in the store?  Why not […]

sales & service: the 10% factor

I had a manager once who said something which surprised me.  Not the idea.  Just that it came from him.  He wasn’t that witty.  Well, perhaps that is a bit harsh.  Sorry.  He said that (paraphrasing mind you), “where we must excel is involved in the 10% we do.”  Now stop for a second and […]

sales & service: when the holidays create pain

“I’m at my limit.”  What does that mean?  What is your threshold for a job?  The term threshold comes from, I think, well: “The floor was dirt. Only the wealthy had something other than dirt. Hence the saying, “Dirt poor.” The wealthy had slate floors that would get slippery in the winter when wet, so […]

sales & service: selling in seconds

As sales reps we have been trained and trained again to do certain things when a customer shows up.  We all know the five steps in selling: Hi, what do you need, here it is (with some extras attached), buy it and thank you (tell others how awesome I am).  What if the customer is […]

Sales & Service: Right or Rich?

Let’s talk sales.  I was reminded of something today about sales and customer service.  Oh yeah, question, are they different or the same?  This is something I love to ask my learners in sales training.  I love the debate which ensues.  There will inevitably be one group who are convinced it is separate.  They are […]

Standard; to be or not to be?

I was preparing for a client’s presentation and happened to mention to my wife that I did not really agree with one of their standards.  Now, please note…my wife is easily one of the best managers I have ever known.  Wait for it, there will be heck to pay.  The standard was to greet the […]

Managerial Moment

Have you ever just stopped and paid attention to what was happening around you?  Have you ever been so wrapped up in stuff, you forgot the reality?  You were trying to meet “x” and then “y” got in the way and then you took a pause and then there was “z”? You have one of […]