Jun/090
Listen and Succeed
It’s amazing how the best answers to problems can come from those who are the closest to your daily operations…your employees.
With their ear to the street, they may actually know more than you in their personal piece of the business. (scary thought huh?)
One of the most important things you can do as the leader of your store is to make full use of the experience and resources that fall under your roof.
All of the solutions to your challenges already exist… they’re locked in the heads of your team members.
Next time a member of your team comes up to you and suggests that you try putting an item in some premium space or they suggest putting a combination dinner special together, listen to them. Try it out.
Your team will take personal pride and satisfaction from seeing their ideas put into place. The more your team has a say in the store, the more engaged they will feel and the more they will contribute.
If you engage them in the conversation, you will see a shift from people asking you stupid questions to them offering you great suggestions. Of course not all of the ideas will be great, but you will have a nice pot of them to choose from.
Once they see you care and listen, they will give you idea after idea on how to make the store better and make your very own paychecks go up.
Jun/090
The Presentation: Your 2 minutes to spread Success
How can you spread success in two minutes or less?
Not by following some expert’s rules or following the herd, but by doing it in a way that works…for you.
Don’t worry about someone else’s invented standards for managing employees.
Invent your own.
Avoid obvious mistakes, but don’t always follow obvious successes.
Find your own voice.
Set yourself apart from other managers and make a real impact.
Understand that your entire success relies on your ability to hire and motivate the right team.
- Steve Jobs (Apple) is no one without his designers.
- Bill Gates (Microsoft) is no one without his developers.
- Donald Trump (Half of New York City) is no one without his architects.
- You (Awesome Manager) are no one without your “peeps”!
If your success rides on your team, how much time are you devoting to “raising them right”.
How about two minutes?
In two minutes you can have a serious impact on a team member.
How?
I thought you would never ask.The moment that you recognize a team member for an accomplishment is everything.That one moment can have everlasting or never-lasting value depending on how you do it. If you make a big deal out of the moment of the recognition, it will have one hundred times the impact of the recognition itself.
For example, John (the team member) has been working extra hard to get noticed by management. He has stayed longer, been on time everyday, and he has been doing all he can to add to the revenue of the store.
Mary (the manager) has noticed John’s effort and has decided to recognize him for his contribution.
Two things can happen here:
Scenario 1: Mary decides John is this month’s recipient of the Team Member of the Month award. She pulls John to the side and hands him the plaque. She says “thank you”, and they go back to work.
Scenario 2: Mary decides John is her man this month and decides to honor him in the next team meeting. In front of all his peers, John is boasted as the example of what they need to make their store excellent.
Mary points out specific things that John has done, and John checks them off in his own head. He is amazed that Mary has noticed his specific efforts and he has an overwhelming sense of accomplishment and contribution.
He has been craving something to put all his passion and energy into, and Mary noticed. John is fulfilled and elated.
Now the other members know exactly what is expected for achievement and they’re ready to work for someone that notices their extra efforts.
2 minutes.
That’s all it takes to help and guide someone to be excellent.
Josh Long
... your program boosts morale, not only for the person getting the actual recognition, but also for the rest of the employees because they see that the company values their contribution."
- Louie Muniz
FedEx Home Delivery #3327
...this incentive program is the most efficient and user friendly I have ever used and for the first time in 30 years I have kept our employee of the month recognition up to date, every month without fail for the last year. Keep sending the fax as a reminder this has truly been helpful."
-Steve Wessman
Chevys Fresh Mex
-Scott Stegall
Chili's Grill & Bar
-Virginia Trentacosta
Century 21 Properties Plus
-Norman Spiesky
Corner Bakery Cafe
-Becky Ketelaar Olive Garden
