Have you ever wandered into a retail store, looked around, and thought, “Who is running this place? It is a mess!” Or, as you look around, you think, “Man, whoever is running this place really knows what they are doing!”
After spending most of my professional life in and out of retail stores, I can’t help myself. I walk into a store and immediately assess the store’s condition and interact with employees. With that little bit of information, I know whether they have effective managers in place.
A Tale of Four Managers
Our son, Justin, loves to help me with projects around the house, so we regularly visit the nearby home stores. The frequency of visits over the years provides a sound basis for my claim that it is surprisingly easy for consumers to spot effective managers.
To prove my point, let me share with you a story of four managers—two from an “orange” home store and two from a “blue” home store.
Orange Home Store #1
The minute I walk into this store, I am greeted by a smiling employee whose “May I help you find anything?” actually sounds genuine. The store is neat, clean, and free of needless clutter in the aisles.
As I walk the store, I notice nearly every employee greets me with a smile and hello, and most ask if they can help. These greetings are genuine, and the desire to help is sincere.
The store manager, AJ, is young (to me at least, probably in his 30’s). As Justin and I visit the store week after week, I notice AJ is on the floor most of the time. As AJ walks the store, he greets every customer he sees and asks if he can help. At this point, he knows Justin and me well enough to wave from across the store and say, “hi” to Justin.
The employees I see are all busy stocking, cleaning, or assisting customers. As I talk to employees, I find them knowledgeable, helpful, and happy. When probed, they say they love coming to work because AJ makes it a fun place to be.
Orange Home Store #2
Mo is a seasoned manager who took this store over after the previous manager was terminated. He had a lot of work to do to clean up this store, but it is looking much better. Mo told me he loves the challenge of rebuilding hurting stores.
Mo recognizes us and always stops to say, “hi” and asks how we are doing. I’ve noticed the employees are also now in the habit of greeting us and offering help.
There are a lot more smiling employees at the store since Mo arrived. Employees tell me Mo really cares for the employees. Larry, a beloved manager of the garden department, is a testimony to Mo’s caring leadership. Larry recently became disabled and is now confined to a wheelchair. Instead of terminating Larry, Mo wisely placed Larry at the store’s front, answering garden questions and directing people around the store.
Blue Home Store #1
Walking into this store, you get the sense that someone understands the art of creating a pleasant, engaging shopping environment. The store is clean, and the displays are well placed and organized.
The manager, Ken, is on the floor talking to employees, greeting customers, and helping anyone who needs assistance.
It seems like every employee is smiling and happy to be there. As we pass them, they greet Justin and me and offer to help. Employees tell me Ken is a bit of a stickler for detail, always reviewing their departments for ways to improve. Employees respect Ken a great deal because he doesn’t just boss people around; he jumps in and helps his employees get work done. One day, I noticed a mess from a broken light bulb on the floor, and there was Ken with a broom and a dustpan cleaning up the mess.
Employees are fiercely loyal to Ken, and they love working at this store.
Blue Home Store #2
Walking into this store, I notice that there is no one to greet me or offer assistance. While the store is clean, it is packed with displays of merchandise haphazardly placed with no sense of purpose. For example, tool displays are in the seasonal aisle, and folding chairs are next to light bulbs.
I know the manager is named Steve, but I only know that because he has his picture on the store wall. Occasionally, I see him on the floor. Steve has never greeted me or offered assistance. He passes by employees and customers without making any comment. Employees tell me he prefers to hide in his office doing paperwork rather than deal with customers.
Passing employees, I note that no one is smiling. No one acknowledges my presence, let alone offers to help me. I regularly spot employees who sequester themselves out of sight in corners of the store, chatting amongst themselves doing all they can to avoid actual work. Most senior employees who are experts in their trades have been let go, replaced with young folks with little to no practical experience. The turnover of employees is high. Most employees see this as just a job they put up with until they can find something better.
Can You Spot the Effective Managers?
I bet even from these short descriptions, you can tell which of these four managers are effective. AJ was promoted to another even larger store after a few months. Mo is still at his store, but he will likely be transferred to another hurting store that needs a turnaround manager before long. Ken’s store has been made a pilot for the chain testing new concepts. Steve is still in his store, but my bet is he won’t be there much longer.
In every case, the store’s condition and the employees’ attitude reflect the manager’s leadership. Employees care about what the boss cares about. If the boss is engaging and customer service oriented, then the employees will be. If the employees feel the boss cares about them as people, they will care about their jobs, morale goes up, and turnover goes down.
On the other hand, when a manager has little concern for customers or employees, employees have little motivation to do a good job, customer service plummets, and turnover subsequently skyrockets.
Whenever I think about great managers and employees, I am reminded of Paul’s instruction to the Colossians. Paul said,
“Whatever you do, work at it with all your heart, as working for the Lord, not for men, since you know that you will receive an inheritance from the Lord as a reward. It is the Lord Christ you are serving” (Colossians 3:23-24).
This is the way every Christian worker should approach their work.
More Articles
I have written many articles on our team building and human resource development. You can find them by typing “Team Building” or “Human Resource Development” in the search bar. Meanwhile, here are several of my favorites.
- #271: What Are the Essential Elements You Need to Build A High-Performance Team?
- #276: What One Thing Do the Best Leaders Do More Than Anyone Else?
- #250: Is Mentoring A Rewarding Strategic Choice Today?
- #219: Can Feedback Really Help Drive Growth in My Business?
Join the Conversation
As always, questions and comments are welcome. Can you spot effective managers based on how a store looks or observing employees? Do you see the connection between a manager’s leadership and the impact on the business? Have you worked for any AJ’s, Ken’s, or Mo’s? Or have you worked for Steve’s? How did their leadership impact you as an employee?
I’d love your help. This blog is read primarily because of people like you who share it with friends. Would you be kind enough to share it by pressing the share button?
Category: Skills | Team Building
Thanks Ron! Great insight as usual!
Thanks, Jim! Good to hear from you–hope all is well!