It has been a challenging and uncertain time for retail and Area Leaders who have had to support Store Managers whilst working on reduced hours. It has understandably been a struggle to maintain focus and motivation. And there is also a genuine fear of not having enough team members to cope with demand when the business reopens, which could lead to burnout.
The result is that retail will need to lead differently going forward, especially as we prepare for the busy Christmas season. So, the greatest focus will need to be on engagement to ensure everyone pulls together and performs at their best.
The level of engagement in your region will be in direct proportion to your level of communication.
Do you:
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Share the information Store Managers need to feel engaged and inspired?
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Support Store Managers and teams in having a level of spiritual ownership of their goals, strategies and results?
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Recognise and reward results throughout the region?
With many retailers reopening in their biggest markets, ensuring Area Leaders and Store Managers are engaged will be crucial to success, especially as we approach Christmas.
Here are some tips for Area Leaders this quarter:
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Now is a crucial time to set short-term success goals – what does success look like for your region for this quarter? Be clear on what you want to achieve.
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Engage Area Leaders and Store Managers to work towards shared goals for this Christmas.
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Give Store Managers a reasonable level of autonomy and ownership to implement strategies to achieve those goals. This is what contributes to ownership and engagement.
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Reward and recognition are crucial to success. When results are achieved, you genuinely recognise outstanding performance. What gets rewarded gets done.
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Give Store Managers a platform to communicate across your region about how they are achieving their results because this is important for recognition and significance.
When Area Leaders and Store Managers work towards shared goals, they will care about their region and its results. When we care, we strive to deliver more.
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