January 2014. Whew, breathe. What a year. I am not sure what really compels us to make some type of resolution. New year, new opportunity, right? Maybe it is health, maybe relationships. For sure there is more than just one thing to fix or do better. If I had to count…well, stop counting that high. In management and leadership, in our professional life we probably need to pay attention to at least one thing more carefully or in a more engaged way. And January is a great time to do that in retail store management (or really anything). We are out of December.
Isn’t that the truth? You know December will always be the hectic, trying, intense time for a retailing manager. It just is crazy. There are some who might argue Q3 is the new Q4 or that August is the new December. I’m sorry…no. You add the holiday gift giving tidal wave paired up with everything you do with and for the family, it is wonder we are still left standing. Now keep it retail oriented. Would you agree you work on auto pilot and the team does not get everything they typically get from you? It is safe to say, what you normally do, you don’t do. You just have to keep your head above water and ensure at the same time your team’s heads are up and out.
And now we are in January. Time to do two things really. Reflect and reset. We need to evaluate what happened well and what was a challenge. What did the customer need? What did the team need? What did we learn about ourselves during this hectic time? And we need to get ready for the year and tag all the things we typically did and now needs to be on the schedule and on the agenda. Yes, it is a time to breathe. It is also a time to get back into the mindset of managing and leading a team, driving the business and making sure the customer has a good experience.
What to do?
First, make a list of the things you really noticed in December and in the holidays that you did well and not so well. Consider how your retail experience measured up. Highlight your opportunities.
Second, ask your team the same set of questions and get their perspective. Have them brainstorm next steps and ways to improve the business and experience.
Third, talk to your peers. Get their two cents about the season and what they are going to target. And even if you do not have an immediate peer, ask others. Maybe other retailers you know, friends, family members or research on the web.
Lastly, make your plan for the next quarter. Yes, the quarter…not the year. Too big. List your dates (and even times if you can) where you will do “x, y and z”. Another tip, keep your list tight. Try not to solve every single retail problem possible. I would even keep it to three tactical things. Here’s why. You obviously will do all the stuff that has to be done regarding the store and team operations. That does not change and it just needs to be done. These are specific things you have tagged as those opportunities to improve in your management and leadership skill set.
I have a call next Monday with store managers. I truly love this time. I enjoy sharing time with them. Our topic is this…it’s about reflecting and resetting. I want them to know they stayed strong during the holidays and now, they need to breathe and figure out the immediate future. Now is a good time to figure a couple of things out. Retail does not stop, it slows down.
Cheers