Being a Leader

I have taken many courses on leadership over the years. I have spent over a decade in sales and retail management. I have wished for a course on middle management leadership. As a retail manager you can’t always control what you pay your team or how the commissions work. There is a different kind of leadership needed when you work with your associates everyday often doing very similar tasks as them.

Motivating a team of part-time employees making $8-$12 an hour takes a certain finesse. Here is a list of the top five skills you need to master to run a successful and profitable location.

1. Interviews

You know what the job your associate hopefuls are applying for. Seek out the talent that fits the skills you need in your store. Don’t fall prey to finding bodies to fill your shifts.

Lord knows, it’s very tempting to hire anyone willing to work for short hours and low pay, but those people won’t increase your profits. They won’t help you get your promotion or make your monthly bonus.

So make a list of attributes of your best employees and create your interviews based on looking for those attributes and the skills required to do the job. I am fortunate enough to have employees in my location that have been with me for five, seven, and nine years! It is possible to hire the right people that will stay with you. Hopefully, you’ll watch as they get full time hours and promotions along the way with the help of your leadership.

2. Make friends with your team.

You work on the floor with your team every day. You should want them to like and respect you. Take the time to get to know your employees: who are they, what are their goals, what are their hobbies, do they have families? Share your goals and hobbies with them as well. Just as you want to build a great rapport with your customer to create loyalty, you want to create loyalty with your team.

This doesn’t mean you won’t delegate to them. It doesn’t mean you won’t write up a corrective action form when needed, but it does mean that when you do these things, they will see you as someone who knows they can do the task assigned, or someone who knows they can perform at a higher standard.

3. Create a team atmosphere.

There are 15 women in my location and 2 men. I have worked in many places where working with that many women can become a very catty and toxic environment. That type of environment is not an option in my store. Be a good coach and cheerleader!

We work as a team and are rewarded as a team. We have individual competitions in the location based off sales or customer survey scores weekly or monthly; however, if the team doesn’t win the week there’s no prize. When we do win a week, the whole team gets lunch or a Jean’s day and the individual winner gets that plus their gift card or whatever else the winner is offered that week/month. Create an environment that makes your associates want to work together.

4. Be the positive energy field.

Have you ever walked into a room where people are fighting, and you could cut the tension with a knife? That’s negative energy you’re feeling. So, before you head into work for the day, drop your baggage outside. Smile as you walk in and be excited as you talk about your goals for the day.

Listen to great music on your drive to work. Work out in the morning, watch motivational videos (don’t laugh I absolutely do this!), or meditate for 5-10 mins before getting into your car. Do whatever you need to do to be the inspiration your team needs to drive high energy into the store.

5. Plan the day.

When your employees walk into work for the day make sure they know what is expected of them. Assign each person with their tasks for the day, let them know how many customers you want them to be working with, and give them direction. People want direction, people want to know what is expected of them. This allows them to feel accomplished when they succeed. It also allows you to see how your team is executing their goals.

Being a leader in a retail sales setting isn’t always easy. Middle management isn’t always the funnest place to be. You can make a difference in the team's life. You can help them grow as people and teach them skills that can help them in their future careers with your company or the next. Wanting to help others succeed is what leadership is all about!