Applying a military setting to our branches, the Store Manager is considered a Lieutenant, the Supervisors are the Sergeants and the rank and file are the Privates or the foot soldiers. While the officers are in charge of planning strategies for the battle ahead, the people who will go out on the battlefield are the foot soldiers. They will follow your orders and even die for you - if that is part of their mission.
Before a cadet becomes a foot soldier, he has to undergo Boot Camp. There he trains to be in top physical shape and is subjected to numerous training exercises in tactics, cover and concealment, using weapons, etc. Thus, a soldier is a product of years and years of training. And this training is what separates a professional soldier from a rebel with a gun. Reading stories of men who have done heroics in battle, or even in emergency situations such as 9/11, the 'heroes' say that during those times of extreme stress, the training just took over enabling them to do the things they did.
The point: As officers, you should train your foot soldiers well - in discipline, product knowledge, store policies and customer service. This training is what separates a good store from a bad one. Of course, good lieutenants lead their men from the front -in other words, by example.
Wednesday, July 8, 2009
You're the boss, but are you in charge?
Enter a store and observe the employees and you will immediately see who the officer is, but it takes a keener eye to find out who really is in charge. Here are some of my personal insights as to what makes one not just a Manager, but a Leader.
-Don't think of your rank and file as pawns. They are the ones who make (or break) a sale, and thus have a bigger contribution to the bottom line than you or I. Our role is to equip them with knowledge, discipline and self respect for them to be effective frontliners. And never, ever insult them, period.
-Your subordinates will always respect the position, but do they respect the person? They will if you are authentic. "Trust is the end result of a relationship, not an ingredient." And as in all things, it does not come automatically - it is earned.
-Don't be more concerned with the position than the job. Don't be a billing-conscious diva who demands to be acknowledged by his subordinates or is offended when he is not recognized by new employees. "The role of a leader is not to make himself powerful, but to make OTHERS more powerful."
-Get down and dirty with your employees. In every store that I opened, Mr. Philip Go, our VP for Operations, carried boxes of deliveries and even acted as a bagger in the counter. Lead by example and your people will follow.
-Be open to your employees' ideas, and listen to what they have to say. We always tell our staff to "think out of the box", but when they come up with an idea, we still insist on using ours, even if the new idea was better. Be open to the fact that there will always be a better way to do things, and that you will not always be the person to come up with them. As a leader, you always have final approval; but don't insist on always having the final say.
-Be as generous with praise as with criticism.
Remember, the role of a leader is to make more leaders out of his people. If you take charge this way, you won't have to remind your staff who's boss - they will look up to you, regardless of your position.
-Don't think of your rank and file as pawns. They are the ones who make (or break) a sale, and thus have a bigger contribution to the bottom line than you or I. Our role is to equip them with knowledge, discipline and self respect for them to be effective frontliners. And never, ever insult them, period.
-Your subordinates will always respect the position, but do they respect the person? They will if you are authentic. "Trust is the end result of a relationship, not an ingredient." And as in all things, it does not come automatically - it is earned.
-Don't be more concerned with the position than the job. Don't be a billing-conscious diva who demands to be acknowledged by his subordinates or is offended when he is not recognized by new employees. "The role of a leader is not to make himself powerful, but to make OTHERS more powerful."
-Get down and dirty with your employees. In every store that I opened, Mr. Philip Go, our VP for Operations, carried boxes of deliveries and even acted as a bagger in the counter. Lead by example and your people will follow.
-Be open to your employees' ideas, and listen to what they have to say. We always tell our staff to "think out of the box", but when they come up with an idea, we still insist on using ours, even if the new idea was better. Be open to the fact that there will always be a better way to do things, and that you will not always be the person to come up with them. As a leader, you always have final approval; but don't insist on always having the final say.
-Be as generous with praise as with criticism.
Remember, the role of a leader is to make more leaders out of his people. If you take charge this way, you won't have to remind your staff who's boss - they will look up to you, regardless of your position.
Company before Ego
It is endemic in corporate life that aside from the usual pressures of hitting targets and such, we also have to deal with personalities and egos in the office; so let's check ours, in particular. Are you the type of leader who has these expectations from his people:
-that they not just support you, but worship you?
-100% obedience and never disagreeing with anything you say?
-that they get all nervous and rattled when you enter the store, which you secretly derive pleasure from?
-that they grovel and always apologize when you call their attention?
-ask for your approval for every little thing, never allowed to make their own decisions?
-praise your shirt, your haircut and your generosity?
-'in awe' of your knowledge and experience?
Do you refuse to listen to your people's opinions which may be contrary to yours; and in fact, take it as ungratefulness or insubordination? Would you rather have people who always refer to you for small decisions than smart, self-driven individuals?
Then I have news for you - your insecurities are showing. You want your people to become good servants- not good leaders - to make YOURSELF feel powerful. If that is the case, then you will be left with no one but sniveling sycophants. But don't rest on the fact that these people follow you around and nod profusely at everything you say - they just want to get on your good side so that their careers can move forward; but they also talk about you negatively behind your back.
Validation from your subordinates is nice; but if they don't think you're omniscient, don't exact revenge by giving them ‘special treatment’ or giving them low performance appraisals. Remember that you are not paid to be liked by everyone, but to lead them.
The higher the tower you make for yourself, the smaller the people below will look to you. But in the end, you realize that the only person on that high pedestal is just you..all alone.
-that they not just support you, but worship you?
-100% obedience and never disagreeing with anything you say?
-that they get all nervous and rattled when you enter the store, which you secretly derive pleasure from?
-that they grovel and always apologize when you call their attention?
-ask for your approval for every little thing, never allowed to make their own decisions?
-praise your shirt, your haircut and your generosity?
-'in awe' of your knowledge and experience?
Do you refuse to listen to your people's opinions which may be contrary to yours; and in fact, take it as ungratefulness or insubordination? Would you rather have people who always refer to you for small decisions than smart, self-driven individuals?
Then I have news for you - your insecurities are showing. You want your people to become good servants- not good leaders - to make YOURSELF feel powerful. If that is the case, then you will be left with no one but sniveling sycophants. But don't rest on the fact that these people follow you around and nod profusely at everything you say - they just want to get on your good side so that their careers can move forward; but they also talk about you negatively behind your back.
Validation from your subordinates is nice; but if they don't think you're omniscient, don't exact revenge by giving them ‘special treatment’ or giving them low performance appraisals. Remember that you are not paid to be liked by everyone, but to lead them.
The higher the tower you make for yourself, the smaller the people below will look to you. But in the end, you realize that the only person on that high pedestal is just you..all alone.
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