A key theme for most retail leaders is focussing on building the right team, as they know their success stems from having the right team in place and keeping them.
I love this quote from a CEO about building the right team, “Hire the best people and give them the freedom to operate their business/department, demand transparent communication and hold them accountable for results.” I think this quote just about says it all. Here are my thoughts on the key parts to this great quote:
“Hire the best people”. Pretty obvious, but quite challenging to do. Although a large proportion of the workforce is unsettled according to recent research, finding the right staff is quite challenging. If you are getting enough quality candidates coming through your current recruitment sources then keep following that process – if you’re not, it’s time to change the way you do things. What’s your culture like? Great people want to work for great companies that are making a difference – are you? What could you do to improve this and therefore better attract (and retain) the best? Share your vision with your people, what is going to make it exciting for your existing team and therefore new staff to want to work for you?
“Give them the freedom to operate the business”. Set new people up to succeed by inducting and training them well, then let them have a go. Don’t micro-manage them, most people hate that, instead agree on clear goals and KPI’s and provide coaching and support where it’s needed.
“Demand transparent communication”. This is a two-way street; ensure you provide your people with the information they need to make decisions and expect the same the other way. The saying “no surprises” is also important, your team needs to be able to approach you with both good and bad news. If it’s bad news or a problem, train them to come to you with potential solutions – this is empowering your people to come up with answers.
“Hold them accountable for results”. Critical if you want a committed team who have skin in the game. If people know there is a consequence, (both positive and negative), you have much better buy-in and accountability. Again, this empowers people to make the right decisions without always having to ask you beforehand.
Roger Simpson – CEO, The Retail Solution and Author of “The Ultimate Retail Sales Experience” With over 35 years’ industry experience, Roger Simpson is recognized as Australia’s #1 Authority on customer ROI in the retail industry and as a global expert on staff coaching, customer service, and selling skills.
