Clear Visions Make Great Leaders

I worked at a retail company for six (6) years; from age 20-26 at the same company (while going to school). Why would I stay there and why did I leave? Answer: Leadership.

Story Time

When I started working for this large retail company, there was turn over of staff and management within my first 3 months working there. This did not bother me because I was new and not attached to old management or their ways of working.

The impact the new manager had on our store is why I stayed at this company for most of my twenties. We became #1 in sales and #1 in customer satisfaction. I took pride in working there and for that manager and most of the assistant managers. I was promoted and able to learn from other departments. During this era, I was earning customer service awards all the time, won cashier Olympics, and was proud to work hard for the managers that led with great examples and cared about my success.

When he was promoted, we were given a new manager and there was a second process of turnover. I watched the store change with the team and not for the better. We were no longer #1 in sales or in customer satisfaction; to parallel this, I was no longer proud to work at this store, for that manager, or for the company. I would see this new manager ignore customers! Something my old boss would have never done! It spread and it spread fast. This attitude soon turned my otherwise positive and friendly co-workers into complaints and griped I would see each day I had to clock into a place I no longer loved. 

Examples

“All you do is stand there and answer phones” an assistant manager once said to me. Yes, my job is to answer the phones in the phone center…but I also do returns, complete reports, and special order products from vendors for customers. I went to lunch with no coverage due to callouts. The same manager had to watch the desk while I was gone. When I returned, he said, “I am so sorry that I said all you do is answer phones. I was so wrong.” You were and you didn’t take the time to listen to your employees when they needed help.

“You always call out, so I am not surprised,” she said, signing my sick hour form. I’ve been here for five years. “I had a 103-degree fever…and I have the sick time.” Isn’t that sick time, legally mine to use? “Whatever,” she signed the paper. She was a big factor in why I left after 6 years. Little did she know, I would call out whenever she was the manager on duty because she did not treat me well. This is just one of the examples where she talked down to me.

I quit, one month before my 6-year anniversary. Yes, staying one more month would have given me more money, a bonus, and all of my vacation time would have paid out at a higher rate, but I couldn’t stand it any longer.

Clear Vision

A great leader/manager has a clear vision/goal and is able to share the context of this goal with their team. The mission of the company and the store is communicated to everyone on the team. During meetings, we celebrate our wins and talk about how to raise the bar. A good leader lets you know how you can contribute to the progress of the collective goals. 

Context & Purpose

What is your role in this success? How can you make a difference? What makes your extra time and effort worthwhile? All of this can make good employees see the value in hard work and give them a sense of pride in their work. Where do I fit into the larger impact of the company?

Growth

Strong leaders will motivate, train, and nurture good employees. They will talk with you and your team about effort, strategies, progress, and how you can work toward results. They will offer you training, help, support, and the tools required to succeed in your role and take an interest in where you want to grow and what your next career goal is. They will listen to employees and are not focused on always being right or who is to blame. Great leaders are those who jump in and show you how to be successful.

Passion and Empathy

When leading passion and empathy can make an impact on so many people. Students love teachers who are passionate about what they teach; employees want to see leaders caring for the mission of the company. It should not feel like a secret to know that employees work harder when they like the manager on duty. When that manager is a great leader when they respect you and your identity and refuse to talk down to you… If there is a leader that works to understand you on a personal level, that’s a leader I would work hard for and would work 6+ years for. 

Conclusion

Employee turnover is a costly mistake. Sometimes employees are not the right fit for a company. I have seen far more people quit a job due to poor management than anything else. If you want longevity and employees who work hard and want to stay with your company, pay them well, motivate them to grow, and hire great leaders.