Sounding Board: Respect-ability

Mutual respect between managers and employees can only be accomplished through building relationships and trust. There is an old saying—“What goes around, comes around.” I saw this in action at two stores 1,000 miles apart in recent weeks, and it was not a pretty sight. The end result was a very uncomfortable group of customers, which is the last thing any retailer wants. I will call the first “Store A,” since I do not want to embarrass anyone for an aberration or temporary lapse in judgment. I am near the checkout and the manager is berating a staffer within earshot of eight or nine customers. I do not know what the kid did, but it could not have been a tremendous breach of retail etiquette since he took the walk of shame with his head bowed and went back to his duties. A week later at “Store B” I was going through a checkout. The clerk is looking straight ahead and complaining—far too loudly—to the cashier at the next lane about the manager and what he did and said to another employee. “I wouldn’t take that from him… she should have said something… I would have walked out if he said that to me,” were some of the less colorful comments. Meanwhile, people on line looked at their watches and phones or just turned away shaking their heads. I am used to being invisible to store employees, and sometimes I prefer that to disingenuous small talk. But no customer likes being in the middle of a verbal battle zone when they are just trying to get out of the store. In recent columns I have talked about rising wages and the cost of finding and keeping good employees. But both these scenarios speak to something far simpler and less expensive, respect—or, the lack of it. But who’s really to blame? Employees at every level—and I know this from personal experience—can be an exasperating bunch: argumentative, uninspired and possessing an uncanny ability to know which buttons to push to get their manager’s goat. Those of you who have not learned this truth probably have more in common with Gandhi than goats. On the other hand, we have to ask whether we spend enough time choosing managers that have the skills to be leaders—people who not only understand every facet of store’s operation, but also have the confidence and skill to manage a highly diverse group of people toward a common goal. Some see this as a perfect sports metaphor. And at the upcoming FMI convention there will be what promises to be a fascinating discussion on the elements of leadership and team building by some outstanding college basketball coaches. Far be it for me to dispute their records. However, sports seem to be based more on fear, intimidation and humiliation—techniques that generally backfire in a retail environment. This may have been the situation at “Store A” with a manager who should have known better then to make an internal matter a public spectacle when his office was only 20 feet away and would have been a more appropriate venue. All that he accomplished was making customers feel uneasy, which is the last thing you want to do if you are trying to create a pleasant shopping environment in a hyper-competitive business. Actions like this also lead to “Store B” with associates who are more intent on venting their frustrations than taking care of customers. It may sound trite, but good leadership is a matter of listening, and I come across too many operators who do not. They still have the command and control attitude, which does more to build walls than relationships. Unless you happen to be in a firefight, barking orders simply does not work. People tend to ignore commands without hearing the reason behind them. I am not suggesting a lengthy debate over every thing you want done, but enough of an explanation to make people feel they are being treated fairly and are part of a constructive dialogue. Employee feedback is something to be encouraged not repressed. Study after study has shown that companies with better employee engagement enjoy higher productivity, shareholder returns and operating income. Nor am I suggesting that managers treat people with kid gloves. There are rules of decorum to be observed and practicalities to be considered. The people involved are your brand ambassadors and ultimately responsible for communicating the culture of the company. Their attitudes and actions influence the customer’s shopping experience. People are assets or liabilities. The choice is yours.