July FAQ — How Do I Effectively Create Accountability in My Store?
One Friday each month, I dedicate the post to looking at some questions I have heard recently from developing leaders. Sharing those questions and my thoughts about them is a way for me to spread the information to as many leaders and future leaders as possible. If you have a question about leadership, or just a situation you would like some additional insight on, please email me at Effective Retail Leader. Let’s take a look at this week’s question.
How do I Hold My Team Accountable and Not Make Them Want to Quit?
The current hiring and employment climate is challenging to say the least. Finding quality talent for your retail business has always been an obstacle to overcome, but the current hurdles facing most businesses may seem insurmountable. Between this and the difficulty that comes with filling open positions, let along replacing someone, can lead to poor decisions in the everyday business.
First, if we dissect the question, the assumption is that holding people accountable leads to dissatisfaction and the likelihood of someone quitting. However, if you have strong talent already in place, I would argue that not holding people accountable, or better yet, not having a culture of accountability will lead to even more turnover. In a recent series on accountability, I shared thoughts on what accountability is and then provided ten steps that can be used to support a culture of accountability.
For retail store leaders, accountability can be scary because the fear of people quitting at inopportune times is real. Sadly, in a lot of the ways, the ‘body’ you have is better than the one you don’t. The work needs to get done. However, that is a recipe for short-term dissatisfaction and long-term disaster. Shifting course from this will require planning and thoughtfulness.
I would recommend you begin by identifying where the biggest opportunity areas are and why they exist the way they do. Does everyone know what it should look like, do they know the expectations, and are they clear? Share with your team what it means when it works the way it should (positive outcomes), as well as the impact it can have when it does not go as planned. Engage them. Put it in their perspective. Ask them, ‘what impact does that have on you when (insert your situation here)?’ You may be surprised at how attuned to the consequences of their actions they are.
Make sure you are providing feedback to the team and following up on the direction you have provided. For new team members, you may need to spend more time with them to coach them along, so they understand what good looks like. Don’t be afraid to try some different approaches. It is ok to make adjustments to the plan along the way. You’ll want to be consistent in your messaging and treating the entire team fairly. The standards for one person must be the standards for everyone. You can personalize the approach, but you want to avoid compromising the outcomes you are seeking.
You’ll want to remain involved in the different activities that happen in your location. Ensure you are building in time for you to connect with your team and understand what challenges they may be facing along the way. Don’t assume anything; keep communicating, engaging, and working with your team. Your coaching and development of the team will pay off. When you see positive things happening, celebrate that success. Whether it is an individual win or a team win, ensure the team knows this is precisely what you are looking for.
The entire time you are working through these different activities, keep looking for new and great talent. This search is both internal and external. As you are coaching and engaging with your team, you may discover people who are stepping up, or performing at a new level, this can give you additional options down the road if another leader in your store leaves. Externally, keep interviewing and looking for future potential. Even if you do not have the opening right now, you’ll want to have as many avenues as possible to pursue. You don’t always know when you’ll come to the realization someone on your current team no longer is a good fit for the needs, or expectations you have set for your business. Having a pool of strong potential candidates will always make that decision and process easier.
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