Take Your Finger Off the Trigger

When I worked in retail leadership, I would often travel to other locations and help other leadership teams. My findings were often eye-opening, and the most significant opportunity was a lack of communication.

Leaders would want to fire people quickly and without putting any real work into developing that person. They felt like it was easier to write them off.

"I think we are going to fire these two." A young support leader said to me.

"Oh, you are. Do you have the paperwork to back that up? Why do you want to fire them?" I asked.

"I don't think we have any write-ups but this guy, insubordination." He pointed to his name on the schedule with a pen as he talked to me. "Okay, and the other girl?" I asked.

"She's annoying." He replied.

"Um, okay." I looked up at him. "That's not a reason to fire someone. How long has she worked here? Have you worked with her or just written her off?"

"My store manager said she's annoying." He told me. "When she's given direction, she misunderstands."

Hold up

How often do you think this happens? I'd guess it happens?all the time. People don't want to take the time to adjust their day or their management style to accommodate someone that doesn't get it right away. They can't fathom taking ten minutes out of their day to chat with a sales associate to make them a little better at their job. A little more confident, perhaps.

I led people in retail settings for twenty years. I've seen some fantastic leaders, and I've seen some terrible ones. There are many personality types, and you have to be ready to flex your management style to accommodate everyone.

Do you want a team of people who all learn like you? That all have the same strengths and opportunities that you do? Of course, you don't. Fostering a diverse team takes time. It takes work. It means being uncomfortable sometimes. Maybe another leader can train a new person better. Perhaps they can connect differently.

Great!

You don't have to do everything. You just need to make sure all of it gets done.

How do you do that successfully without firing everyone that doesn't get it right away? I'll tell you.

Plan

Yes, I know you know. This one seems very obvious, but people don't do it, and then they don't know how they didn't hire enough people for their peak season. Plan early - as early as possible.

Planning used to be my kryptonite. I'd wait and wait and wait. I'd push it off until the last minute. It's always a mistake. Last year, I planned my hiring goals with my Co-Manager?early.?Like, stupid early. Guess what? Our rounds of hiring were so much better. We were on the same page because we took the time and got it done way ahead of time. Now we're just sailing.

Share

Now that you've planned - share the plan!

There's nothing worse than a leadership team out of the loop. Any leader that picks up the phone should be able to answer basic questions about the business. If they can't, that's your fault, not theirs. Share information daily, weekly, monthly - it all matters.

When people have the information to do their job, they are more confident and more likely to stay. They will also quickly share that information with others, so it's a win-win.

Patience

Nothing will ever get done well if you do not have patience for it.

When we rush, we mess up. When you overload a new person with information, they will forget at least half of it. They'll forget a quarter of what you told them if they're outstanding. New hires require patience - a lot of patience. Some more than others, but give them the time they deserve to succeed.

Flex your management style

"Your lack of direction is draining my patience. Can you focus and do better, please?"

I have said this to someone I worked with for years. Would I say it to a new person? No, of course not. Give new people time and space to figure things out and ask questions. Give them praise. Celebrate success!

People will not want to come to work every day if all you do is tell them what they did wrong. They will stop asking questions as well. This means they will stop learning.

Know when to train further

Smart people get bored quickly. If you have a seasoned person who has started to slip a little and get complacent, talk to them. They may just be bored. Train them on something new or have them "own" a small piece of the business, and they may soar again.

It gives them more interaction with you, and they can turn around and train others. Don't let something that's not in the job description hold you back from teaching it. Most people are more intelligent than you think.

Takeaway

Leading people is an art. Don't let anyone tell you differently.

Know your leadership team well enough to know how much they can handle without you. Know what they do well and what they don't. Know when you need to push something and when you can let it go.

Communicate all the time.

Know yourself too - be realistic. Know what you're great at and where your blind spots are. Delegate stuff to others that are better than you are. Also, your ego must ride in the backseat. She's not doing anyone any favors riding shotgun.

Too often, leaders want to give people the ax before they've done any real work with a new person. Don't rush to fire someone because they are annoying or take longer to learn.

Work with them. Give them time. Be creative with how you lead.

Your top salesperson or your next leader may be inside that person. That person has infinite potential. You have no idea. People would surprise me every day. Focus on building your team, and your people may also surprise you.

<<<<<>>>>><<<<<>>>>>

Join my free newsletter,?Traveling Money. ?Each week, I encourage you to slow down and look around. You're a human, and that's enough.