OK, so I want to lose some weight. I am 5 foot 11 inches and weigh about 190. So I am not looking to lose a ton; maybe ten pounds. My wife says I am not that bad. Not that bad. So I have a goal.
As a store manager, you have goals. However the big difference is that you had potentially no say. You were assigned them with the bold direction of “just hit this metric:” or accomplish this “thing”. As manager, it is not so much about setting goals as it is managing goals. Therefore, my analogy about losing weight may not be in perfect alignment. It is my goal; not a given goal. And yet, they are still linked regarding what is important in meeting a goal or objective.
Perhaps the first element involves strategy. This is the “what” and “why”. In my case, I want to be healthier. I want to have more energy and be around for my wife and children later on. As store manager, you may be given goals to hit certain metrics or to perform certain standards. You know the “what”…do you know the “why”? In retail, the answer is simple. Sell stuff and create an awesome customer experience. Sometimes you may not have all the facts. I have a client who is ramping up their store manager’s awareness of profit and loss as means to create a context for hitting certain goals. Think about that. Most managers are just given goals. These managers are given the awareness of the business in conjunction with the goals. They are more invested in the process and therefore have more to gain and risk. It is making them, in effect, a little bit of an owner of the business. For me, I am an owner of my weight loss “what” and “why”. If you are a store manager, how would you assess your ownership of the goals given?
Strategy involves a bigger or broader picture. Tactics are different. This involves the “how” and “to what extent”. It is the things that make it happen and the score to know if you are there or not. For me, it is setting the clock to go off at a certain time signaling my movement towards either running or lifting weights. I also need a location and a set of criteria to meet a particular regimen. For store managers, it is the clearly defined behaviors, activities and tools necessary to meet, achieve and exceed the goals. To be tactical is to execute a series of acts in the store and with your team. Predominantly, these occur in real time. An example thus far would be, coaching one-on-one would have a strategic goal of driving performance and the tactical actions would involve scheduling the meeting, analyzing the numbers and sharing both what has happened and what needs to happen next with that individual team member. Can you see the difference?
The catch, the challenge is accomplishing your goal. In many ways and in every way, there will always be some type of obstacle…some roadblock or excuse. I cannot tell you how many times I have talked myself out of exerting the effort to do something involving running shoes or weights. The excuses range from not enough time, something else getting in the way or taking precedence and/or an overall procrastination, despite an acknowledged perception of importance. Sound familiar? Yes, store managers can easily and often default to these types of excuses. An excuse is an obstacle. We all know coaching your team yields great results; particularly if it is consistent, objective, behaviorally-focused and with fair, equitable and realistic next steps. It helps drive performance; both individually and as a team. And yet they do not seem to be done. Really? I find the firmest or most challenging of obstacles are not systems, or procedures or even other tasks, but more so…well, yourself.
Here is the golden bullet. It is belief. You get to decide that one. I have often stated that motivation is behaviors that people choose for themselves. I have recently decided perhaps a different and maybe better way to define it as “an internal desire, want or need that stimulates a direction of behavior.” It ultimately is a behavioral choice – you decide. What is fueling your decision making machine. This is tricky, because it circles back to your goal or strategy and its degree or scale of intensity within you. I believe the changes in my lifestyle by eating right, exercising and other activities energizing me and yielding my desired results. Do you believe coaching will yield your desired results? Do you believe your team has worth and time you spend with them, coaching them and sharing feedback will yield results?
As a point of reference, I have only begun to start my regimen. In my short amount of time, I have lost about eight pounds, feel stronger and more energetic, am more focused and have re-engaged my family in a much healthier way. I am happier. How are your goals going?
Cheers