Bench

Bench is an interesting word used in management. Its definitions from the Dictionary are: a long seat for several persons; the quality and number of the players of a team who are usually used as substitutes…and so on. In any type of retail, it’s your back up to a manager. Any manager. Plain and simple. I recently read a quote that stated, “You are not a leader until you have produced another leader who can produce another leader.” These words should be EVERY manager’s mantra. Especially if you want to call yourself a “successful manager”.

Sure, having a strong business with positive comps is successful. Having a repeat customer is considered successful. Having beautiful window displays that draw in new customers is successful. Having over 10K followers, as a business, on social media is considered successful, but how are your teams?

Over the years, I have been incredibly lucky to work with some amazing and talented individuals. Many have gone on to be pretty special themselves. Nothing has made me prouder than to watch a new hire move up the ladder (this you have heard before). I have prided myself in the ability to observe a passion in someone and exploit it. I value the ability to recognize people’s strengths and push them to be the best version of themselves. This has never come easy. People need to have the desire to become a better, stronger version of themselves and YOU as their manager need to be able to assess these characteristics and develop them. Your sales team may not even know that you are doing this and that makes it even more special when they wake up and determine their own strengths and abilities. You need to be tough, direct and expectant of confrontation. To challenge is to not make friends, but to make leaders.

Asking questions of your team needs to be an ongoing theme in your life as a manager or owner of a small business for that matter. Getting to know your staff through conversation and observation are the key to their development. You need to look for another you. Someone to take your place someday. How are they with customers? Make sure they are scheduled peak hours on the sales floor. How are they with new hires? Schedule them to train on the first day of hire. How are they with store standards? Schedule them to do visual sets. How are they with organizing? Maybe they have a love of shipment processing. What do they want to do with their lives? Why did they take the job? These are just some questions you should be asking. Questions you should know the answers to and schedule accordingly.

In my opnion, managers today are getting lazy. Managers today are selfish. Managers today are missing the point in regards to what leadership is. Managers today are not being trained to make themselves a better leader. Managers today are lost without direction. Managers today are the future of business. So why aren’t they being invested in? Why aren’t your teams a priority? Remember why you were hired in the first place?

Something to think about. During your next TB or store meeting ask the questions. Ask your teams what THEY need. You’ll be surprised to know…it’s just you.

Beauty From Chaos

I have used this phrase for as long as I can remember. Those of you that have worked with me over the years have heard it a million times. These three words mean a lot to me and they can signify many different things.

When you hear the word chaos what comes to mind? Disaster? Confusion? Disorganization? I am sure you are imagining so many things and guess what? You’re right. Just the word itself screams at you. Beauty on the other hand paints a distinctly different picture. Maybe it’s a mountain view or a painting where just the colors themselves stand out. Maybe it’s fashion and everything that it represents or a poem you just read where the words leave you feeling better inside. To me, you can’t have beauty without chaos. Think about it. Think about how that relates to everything you have done, seen or experienced.

Now how does this relate to business? I started using the phrase when I was a visual merchandise manager years ago. My team and I would strip the walls of our store clean, putting clothes and product on tables, racks other fixtures and sometimes the floor (sorry it happens) just to see a blank space and wall. It would be just insane in the store during that time. Stuff everywhere…chaotic. We would then start fresh by merchandising new product first then add the old. When the wall and fixtures were where we wanted them to be, we would stand back in awe appreciating our work…Beauty. So, I started saying it. Even though there was a HUGE mess, we would make it beautiful. Meaning…don’t stress about the process. Know that in the end it will be amazing. I have taken that with me and have used it for many situations.

Now that I am out of stores and focusing on the “why” I started Managing With Purpose and the “how” I will make it successful, I find it even more meaningful. I‘ve observed it in all of you out there working your butts off to make your stores and businesses successful. I especially notice chaos in new boutiques opening all over the city. The walls are adorned with incredible merchandise and layout and design are inspiring. Customers are loving the location and the product you are offering, but something seems to always be missing. It always seems a bit off kilter.

I find it hard to fathom “out to lunch” signs on a busy Saturday during peak times or sales people acting like they own the place, but can’t answer any questions or a lack of customer service while the stores’ Instagram is incredible. Why did you open a boutique? In-this-day-and-age where stores are closing left and right, shouldn’t your business be the best it can be? Wouldn’t you like to stay open for a while and gain a positive reputation? Or if you work for a major retailer don’t you want a positive review on Glassdoor or Yelp for a change? The answer is, I hope, yes. You just need to learn process. Let me help you get to beautiful.