Create Engagement, Improve Productivity, and Ensure Results with a Plan

You have many things to accomplish, a team that is looking to you for direction, and a need to deliver results for your business. Sound familiar? As a busy retail leader your plate is likely always full and then some. You need to work through the maze of tasks, solve problems, and perform at a high level?So what’s your plan?If that question stops you in your tracks, you’re not alone. Start with what you need and/or want to accomplish. How does that connect to your purpose? Have you established priorities? You can begin to address those by ensuring you have established a time for planning. But building a plan that can be executed to a successful conclusion will take more than just thinking about it.Here are some ideas to help build an effective plan to reach and sustain the outcomes you are looking for.

Engage the team

Involve your team, or at least a portion of them in the planning process early and often. By engaging the team you can gather valuable information about what obstacles may be faced in implementing the plan. It also ensures that the team feels as though they have a say in what is going to happen. That will create buy-in and early energy for any changes that may be necessary. It also begins the communication process in bringing these members up to speed on the future activities.

Communicate

Communication must be ongoing and varied in its application. It cannot take a ‘one and done’ approach. Avoid the mistake of having a discussion or call with all the managers and then hoping that they took everything you want from a single communication. Cascading information will need to always be a part of communication - take every opportunity you have to reinforce the message of the plan and seek feedback on progress or challenges. Your plan will only stay active if you keep it so.

Execute and Review

Having a plan is only a portion of the effort. The plan itself has to come to life in order to make a difference. Be patient initially to allow the communication to take place and make it to all levels before expecting too much from the plan. Look for subtle signs of things beginning to work and recognize that with the team. This will help to reinforce the plan and its benefits. Your behaviors and actions as a leader will be a big part of its success. Ensure you model new behaviors for your team in your role. Make time to review progress along the way and adjust as needed based on the feedback you observe and hear from the team.These three items can become a repeating loop to update and activate plans for anything within your business. Having a plan doesn’t just get stuff done. It builds a sense of community and shared success. Your team may look to you for direction and guidance, but they want to feel a part of the solution and success that comes from working a plan to completion.How would having a plan improve your outcomes in engagement, productivity, and long-term results? Click here or on the comments button above to share your thoughts.