Winning is a Learned Outcome (and right now, we all may need a reminder)

With multiple months of challenging news, ever-changing obstacles, and an uncertain business climate, it can be hard to find the success in any situation. Even for retail businesses that have been less affected from a results standpoint, the shifts in trends and customer expectations make it hard to call the last year a true win. The below article is one I had written a few years ago and felt had new meaning and relevance in a period where all of us may need a jump start on how we can begin to feel like we are finding success once again.

The term win or winning is used a lot in business. What does it mean? Winning can mean different things at different stages. For a new team, winning may be just taking the field or playing competitively. For a more experienced, seasoned team, winning is about the wins/losses in the standings. Pushing yourself or a team across the finish line can be difficult and is not always something that everyone has experience with or knows how to do. Winning can be (and sometimes has to be) learned.

As a leader, the first thing you must establish with the team is the definition of winning. Defining this situationally will go a long way in helping the team see theobjective and to believe that it is possible. I believe winning does not mean the same thing to everyone, so clarity is critical early in new processes or environments.

Not everyone knows how to win

That may seem like an unusual statement, but learning how to win is an essential step in almost everything we do in our life. Perhaps if you were part of a sports team as a kid, you learned how to win playing together as a team. You went to practice, you did what the coach said, and eventually, good things would happen. However, I bet that most people have experienced that it was challenging for the first few games, especially with a new or inexperienced team. It wasn’t until everyone worked together that it clicked, and victory was in hand. Once you get the feeling of winning, you can connect back to the behaviors or actions it took to get to that point.

Winning in a business environment is no different. For a retail location, it takes the entire team working together to realize a win for the store and company. Individual wins are possible, but they will not provide the same level of fulfillment as the entire store achieving the sales plan or the customer service target for the quarter or year.

Winning takes practice

Once you know you can win, you must continue to hone that skill, both individually and as a team. Like anything important, it takes repetition and practice. It may require the leader to call back to previous successes, so everyone remembers the great feelings they had when the last win occurred. The mindset must evolve from “our winning was lucky or a fluke” to “we work hard, we do the right things, we deserve to win because of our efforts.”

One great joy as a leader (or parent) is to see someone (or a team) you care about making a transition from novice to experienced performer. You can watch their confidence grow, and those victories that once seemed so elusive become more commonplace. As confidence grows, the success rate follows suit. When they face new levels of challenges or obstacles, they realize they have a road map that can lead them to success at this new level. The pattern begins again – they learn, they gain experience, small wins turn into bigger ones, and confidence grows.

It can be easy to take for granted that everyone wants to and knows how to win in the same ways you think of it. Ensure you are clear in what your definition of winning is, and then help those around you learn what it takes to achieve that level. Take advantage of the small victories to specifically call out what it looks and feels like, so they can learn what success means to them. This can be one of the most important lessons you share with your team.

How do you help your team learn to win in new situations?

Join other retail leaders in continuing their development journey with Effective Retail Leader.com. SUBSCRIBE today to receive leadership tips directly to your inbox and monthly newsletters that provide many tools to help further develop your leadership skills. JOIN NOW!

No spam ever - just leadership goodness.

Photo by Brands&People on Unsplash