Helping people energizes me. It took me a long time to realize that simple fact. Personality tests call it being extraverted, but later I was able to see the difference between being outgoing and actually using others as a means to motivate myself.
In my career as a retail manager I’m challenged to get others to drive results in an organization that focuses on execution. I deliver by taking the time to get to know my associates, learning what motivates them, and putting them in roles that align with their strengths in interest. The industry adage is “put aces in their placesâ€. But for me it doesn’t stop at getting results. I quickly realized that to some of my associates their job was their whole life. In order to get what I need from them, I have to let them feel valued and treat them like the experts they are. When I get the whole store operating as a team, they encourage and make differences in each other’s lives. I guess what I’m trying to say is that by empowering my associates to make a difference, they naturally empower others to do the same. Smiles are contagious, and when my staff is smiling so are my customers.
When I can get my job done and improve others lives at the same time I know I’m making a difference – and that’s what it’s all about.
