Do you have a morale plan for the Holidays? Not just the plan that is sent to you from Corporate to assist you with executing merchandise sets, the freight flow, Holiday hiring needs, etc. Corporate has a plan to drive customers into your store via advertising, promotions, product differentiation, etc. But what is your plan to keep the customers there, and keep them shopping? Do you have a plan to keep yourself positive, your executive team focused, and your associates on track? After all, your associates have to balance executing company directives, focusing on customer service WHILE managing their own internal fears and the economic challenges that may be facing them right now.
Your plan should be one that focuses on the "4 C's" of successfully positioning yourself and your team to keep positive, focused and productive: Candor, Communication, Consistency and Celebration.
Candor: You have to be honest with your team. You have to tell them the "tough" news, tempered with how your team is going to take on the "tough" stuff and still be successful. For example, you may need to tell them that payroll hours can be affected, however, if they can review their availability, be flexible with shifts that are traditionally more difficult to fill (like overnights), and they are willing to take on new challenges they may be able to maintain their hours and paychecks. Don't sugarcoat the news, candor is key to a team connecting to your message and your call to action.
Communication: You have to communicate with your team. Post goals (sales, credit, etc) and results. Have frequent huddles with your team, morning/mid/night shifts and discuss the goals of the day/week/month and the team's progress. Discuss customer service, morale, open the huddle up to the team to ask the questions that are on their minds. I have seen executive teams shut down the lines of communication when they feel that there is nothing but bad news. If an executive team shuts down, the team at large shuts down. Trust me, this will lead to your customer shutting down as well.
Consistency: You have to be consistent. All too many managers go into overdrive when sales struggle, they try to micromanage every detail and they lose focus. Be consistent with the basics, with presentation expectations, with customer service expectations. Juggling too many balls means that you are bound to drop some, if not all of them. What is fundamental to your business? What is the foundation of your corporate culture? Focus on a few expectations that you can truly manage, that are truly in your control, and nail those every single day. Your team will look for consistency in a troubled, tumultuous time.
Celebration: You have to celebrate. I have seen so many executive teams that get into a mode where they forget to celebrate the small victories, the day in and day out goodness that happens in any retail environment. Yes, budgets for team building events get slashed. But, this is the Holiday Season and you and your team can look for inexpensive options to celebrate your team's accomplishments. Friday potlucks, raffles for inexpensive prizes, certificates that you can create on your computer and print off and post...there are countless ways to celebrate your team and keep their morale up during a tough holiday season.
Use these Four C's every day to keep yourself AND your team focused and on a positive track. Your customer won't know what the Four C's are, but they will know that you are creating and maintaining a positive, focused and pleasant shopping experience. You will be rewarded with their discretionary spending and loyalty.
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