Unlock Innovation: Dream, Experiment, and Progress to Break Through Traditional Boundaries

That is our policy.

That is how we do this here.

We have always done it that way.

I don’t think we have ever tried anything different.

Those are common comments you may hear in any retail environment. There are processes to follow, payroll to manage, and a never-ending stream of workload to complete. When would there ever be time to try something new or different? If it doesn’t work, we are that much further behind and even if it did work, there is no guarantee they would allow us to continue doing it that way. I have seen this scenario and I have been a part of that thought process. It can be stifling, frustrating, and certainly doesn’t encourage spontaneous improvement.

We often find ourselves wondering what it might be like if we didn’t have any barriers to what we want to do every day. I even wonder if we realize how much we can do even within those barriers. We become so accustomed to what we live within, we forget what might be possible. Occasionally, all it takes is someone challenging us to think differently and giving us permission to dream, experiment, and change the status quo.

There is no one-size fits all solution to this. Every situation is a little different, but I wanted to present an option to think differently.

Dream

What would the perfect customer experience look like? A day without barriers. Unconstrained staffing. Training available in abundance. How would you utilize an environment such as that? What could be possible in these circumstances? It is healthy to dream big and wonder about what can be.

Experiment

What small things can you take from your dreams to begin experimenting with? What if you added an extra shift during your busiest day of the week? What if you gave your team an extra hour of training each week? What if you found a candidate that was extraordinary, but wanted two dollars more an hour than you usually pay? Could that one person be equal to three average associates? What would happen if you gave it a try?

Progress

Only time passes when you are not moving. Taking chances, trying new things, and courage are what always leads to new jumps forward. Think of all the things we take for granted in our lives today that didn’t exist one-hundred, fifty, or even five years ago. Someone took a chance along the way at some point to push an idea forward. We, as retail leaders, must do the same thing.

There is no right or wrong way to go about this challenge. But I recommend starting by opening your mind to an environment where anything could be possible and begin with things that you can control in your store, district, or region every day. You can hire differently. You can pay a little more. Training is available, even if you create some of it yourself. Expectations can be set differently. Coaching can be provided. I remember when I was first getting started and the company I worked for did not have many of the resources I now have readily available, so I made my own. Even if they were not perfect, they helped my team understand certain concepts better than they would have otherwise. Risks have rewards.

Imagine the possibilities if we allow ourselves to dream a little. To experiment with something new or to push forward in an innovative way, creating new progress where stagnation had settled in. Change is never easy. Taking risks is scary. But knowing that you made a difference, even a small one, today, is what we as leaders sign up for. It is why it is called leading, and everyone can do it.

How will you dream and experiment to lead the way towards new progress?

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Photo by Rahul Bhosale on Unsplash