Retell the Retail

Sometime at the end of last year-or the beginning of this year- or somewhat recently-or sometime before I died, I had a conversation with my friend, Drew who is working with an organization called Tech Stars. The organization as I understand it, Tech Stars provides assistance for a new business with people that have had experience in that business.

Drew called me with questions that I expected to be about the technical and business part of the job but his focus was to inquire about what did i provide that help make retail work (at my store at Peet's) appealing and worthwhile. Although this blog comes right after writing about Meghan's shop, I am speaking from my experience. I wasn't satisfied with the answers I gave Drew and it wasn't fair of me to believe that he was drawing pictures of me losing miserably at dominoes, while discussing the factors that make a good workplace, good. I promise to write even more muddled than I spoke.

First, specifically retail jobs are an entirely different beast than working at say, a big internet tech company. Big Internet Tech Company offers much more pay (although as a store manager, I did make more/worked more at Peets), Big Internet Tech Company receives more buzz with where you work, better hours (no one calling you at 5:00 AM to say that you're late, no one writing you up at 5:10 because you're late), better food (not obligated to pay 50% for the second pastry you're having on the 7 hour shift), more flexibility with your time (you have a big project to complete v. many tiny tasks that have to be done in minutes, continuously), may actually have reviews that encourage growth and learning (as opposed to a tool to keep your raise under 25 cents), not under someone's microscope (secret shoppers, security cameras aimed at the employees).

On the other side, you have less work that gives you a headache at night, you have more interactions with people on a daily basis, the possibility for something different to happen on a daily basis- both fun (quickly putting on a bear costume to confront the giant chicken across the street) and bad (crazy people getting into fights), wierd (informing a 26 year old co-worker to pull up his pants). I miss the daily interactions I had with my co-workers in the cafe; often rude, hard, tasteless, but usually very very funny. Much less how are you's than screw you, with a grin. Other than my favorite visits with the Gang of Four, I often find my office work conversations incredibly polite, and insanely innocuous.

So I've been thinking how a manager contributes to a good work environment in a retail setting specifically but this probably carries over to other work places, as well:

*Advocate for your employees, and your customers. Break down the us v. them. Seek connection to the staff and the community.
Remember whose business supports what you do, and whose efforts allow you to do it.
*don't sell out your staff just because it looks good on your resume to follow orders; hurts morale and you lose integrity
*crunch the numbers and squeeze out whatever you can for your staff. Learn how to crunch the numbers so you can analyze and explain them.
*find your wacky and motivated people and work with them to bring life to the workplace. Fun is good. A little bit of chaos is welcome.
*create a work environment where the staff feels empowered to contribute. When they have something to say, listen.
*manage fairly and consistent. Don't worry about being liked. The concern should be about being fair. Keep your ego/drama out of the store (yes, the staff will make fun of some of your habits, tweaks. let 'em.) Never make any jokes about firing people.
*a manager who acts noticeably different when their manager visits is usually an idiot.
*Whenever you are in a position to fire, hire, promote people, a certain distance is appropriate.
*anything you say you will do, do it.
*seek the easiest solution first so that no problem is a big problem until it needs to be (removing drama from conflict); taking the personal stuff out of the problem so it frees you up to deal with the problem and not baggage brought to it
*over communicate/ feedback is a sign of respect/seek advice from your senior staff
*respect any discussion of unionization and the history of and importance of unions
*deliver the goods/product with efficiency and maintaining the standard you promise. Have your staff buy-in to what you do together (why doing so benefits everyone, and if it does not, find ways to make the success benefit everyone)
*your work should be nothing less than the effort you expect of others

Now that I've disclosed that I wasn't satisfied with my answers to Drew's questions, I can say that I'm not completely happy with what I've written either, even after editing.
So Goodnight!