Retail store managers have a quite a large job to do. They are making sure the store is opened, closed and never on fire. They have to oversee scheduling, inventory, store operations and merchandising. They have to hire, train, coach, praise, recognize, discipline and communicate with, in many cases, a very diverse group of team members. And each of these team members come with varying degrees of behavior, attitude, knowledge, intention and, yes, motivation. Oh yeah, then there is the whole sales and service thing. No pressure. It is a wonder anyone would want to be a manager.
This is part one of a series of posts designed to look at creating some therapy for one of the hardest jobs in retail. Therapy? Well, not the kind of therapy where you will sit in a nice warm room with soft light, calm pictures and a box of Kleenex. It will be a chance for you to be introspective. To think about what you need to fuel you as manager, to fuel your managerial mindset. Typically, my posts have a tactical feel; like how to coach performance. It will still have ideas and tips or things to do and try. And management is getting things done through others. It will not focus on you and “others”. Not directly. It will impact and perhaps amplify your abilities when dealing with others. It is just that this series is squarely about you. Call it Managerial Therapy.
I have mentioned often that when I started as manager, I did not know what I did not know. When my learners hear that, they inevitably think or say “oh, yeah”. I wonder if they are thinking about the job or about what they experience personally in job. One might say that is one in the same. I disagree. The job from my perspective represents the processes and expectations in accomplishing your responsibilities in the post. When you execute your responsibilities, you, the human being may very well go…sorry, you will go through a range of emotions, feelings, excitement, despair and moments of “what the…you know what?”
So shall we?
The first part is about questions. Questions one asks themselves often enough in a particular context. This time they come with the intention of asking you very directly and then having you think about your answer. These aren’t earth shattering questions. Quite the contrary, they are, well…they are basic. They are common sense. I have found common sense and being honest, authentic and true to your belief structure works. I love questions.
I have designed something odd. The questions will be in an invisible table. There will two columns. The left side will ask the question. The right side will house a response. Now here is the part that may make you go cross-eyed. They are random responses. The response is not necessarily associated with the question AT ALL. They are only meant to provide a secondary consideration to the primary goal which is how you would answer any of these questions. If you have been to any of my workshops, this may be familiar as I do love to create a bit of conflict and chaos. It is meant to provoke.
| How does it (the job) matter? | My choices determine my future. |
| What matters most in the job? | Sometimes the little things really matter. |
| How do I respond to the demands? | Being calm is like being open to anything. |
| How do I determine my best or worst? | Life is not always easy. |
| Who is leading or in charge in your life? | Success is wanting what you have. |
| When did you start and when will you leave? | Thoughts turn into patterns. |
| What would others say about your abilities? | Every decision has a consequence. |
| What needs to change? | We must never lose hope. |
Weird, huh? Good. Some of the questions on the left may work very nicely with what is on the right. But maybe not…not at all. Maybe you could switch up or down to match. That wasn’t the objective. This is about your answer and your awareness. It is about your perspective, priorities and personality.
No one said managing others would be perfect and neither are you.
Cheers