No Exit

Have you ever dreamed of an exit, but haven't been able to find one nor had the courage to want to? Why are you staying in a position that is causing you to fantasize of somewhere else? Don't we owe it to ourselves to love what we do? Don't we owe it to ourselves to be surrounded by people who support us, believe in us and most of all challenge us?

“I wish I could just leave.” Said many.

If you can’t do anything to make your job life better then you have the power to leave it behind. 

But first… Ask yourselves these questions:

1. Am I doing everything in my power to be a better employee? Am I empowering those around me to be stronger? Am I invested in the well-being of those I manage?
2. What is making me feel this way? Have I spoken to anyone about my feelings? Are my feelings shared by others around me?
3. What have I done lately to contribute to the environment? Have I developed anyone? Have I exceeded a customer’s expectations? Have I exceeded an employee’s expectations?

I bring this up because it takes a lot to start over somewhere else. It is a job itself to find something new. I have found that many are just not putting forth an effort to make their jobs meaningful. They have grandiose expectations of what they should be doing without the mindset to actually achieve those expectations.

Everyday should be a learning experience, if you aren’t learning something about yourself or those around you, then by all means…find an exit. You aren’t doing anyone any favors by sabotaging their success and you sure aren’t doing yourself any good by not being the best you can be.

I have been there. It is a hard decision to make. You have a million different thought processes going on in your head. To actually come to the conclusion that there is nothing more you can do to mentally be happy in your job environment takes a lot of guts to admit to oneself. I am not talking about living on the offered salary or tired of the work load. I am talking about exhausting EVERY avenue and weighing its consequences on you, your team and the business itself. It is not easy. What you do in the end affects the entire business and YOU have to be ok with that. That is a huge burden to take on and one that you will live with. I think for this reason alone is why people stay in their jobs for so long. If you are feeling the desire to move on go back the questions I posed earlier. It will determine whether or not this decision is right for you.

O Mentor, My Mentor

Over the years, I have experienced a cornucopia of managerial philosophies, store cultures and corporate communication styles. Some of these experiences far exceeded expectations and others…well…forced me to second guess what I was doing in retail. Like many of you, I decided to stick with it. I persevered by challenging myself and watching people around me feel empowered to become leaders themselves.

As the years went by and I worked for several different companies, I always wanted to write a book or teach about real life in a store. I have developed some crazy approaches to managing people and situations through a lot of trial and error. I wanted to be the best and lead by example. I wanted those less experienced than myself to be better and more talented. I wanted them to be more aware and develop a strong work ethic.

There weren’t any blogs or the internet to go to for help when I was starting out. I only had the reference of people, trade magazines and books. I can count on one hand how many mentors I have had over the last 27 years. Some were leaders of industry like Kathy Bronstein. I idolized her. She was one of the few female CEO’s in retail during the nineties. Mr. Lamb, my college advisor. He pushed me to be better and challenged my approach to learning. My boss throughout my career with Gap. We called her JDL. She was the strongest woman other than my mother I knew at the time. Her approach to managing was incredibly refreshing. She got to know those who worked for her and valued everyone’s opinions.

Lastly, there is Leann. I don’t think I would be the woman I am today without her. I had the pleasure of working for her on two different occasions and in two different roles. She taught me a lot of things. Many of which, you will learn if we continue-on this adventure together. Just know everyone needs a Leann in their life. She truly believed in me. A powerful statement when you think about what it means. Leann let me be me and pushed me to have faith in my abilities and not second guess myself. Sometimes she would make me so mad, but it all had a purpose. She knew what I could do when I didn’t. That, my friends, is a mentor.

I think that managers and business owners today have forgotten how to communicate. I’ve seen huge divides in approach and accountability. I want to bring that back. In-this-day-and-age leadership is even more valuable. If you don’t have a strong one to look up to…you wing it. Let’s find out what you can do together.