DELEGATE…DELEGATE…DELEGATE….
This is a really hard thing for retail managers to actually do consistently. WHY?
There are many reasons, but one of the most common is being an overly results driven leader. Most of us that work in retail are extremely results driven and like to get things done. This is why we work in such a fast paced ever changing environment.
Being a RETAIL FIELD LEADER is a very rewarding job but can also be one that can burn you out at the same time if you don’t slow down and work through your team.
So how do you improve this important leadership skill?
- Remind yourself that you have a team that want to learn and grow
- List team members and consistently match tasks as learning opportunities
- Write your to do list then match it to your team members
- Spend the time upfront to teach your team members tasks it will pay you back later
- Schedule specific people at specific times
- Train one person on a task and then have them train three others on your team, ask them to follow up with you after with a report on how it went
- Plan out in a communication binder who is doing what
- Do only the work you can do regularly review your to do list
- Provide clear expectations and responsibilities
- Train you team properly
- Empower team members to make mistakes
- Delegate Authority
It’s difficult when you are a results driven leader to slow down. You may be always thinking ahead of your team. However Delegating and trusting your team to get things done is so rewarding and it is at the heart of development.
Managers that look at every moment as an opportunity to develop another person on their team will always inspire and be known as a leader that gave their team those life experiences that helped them grow.
The GREAT thing about delegating is that you can start at any time with anything….
At the end of your week, ask yourself these two questions.
What did I do myself that I could have delegated to someone on my team?
What is on my list this week that I could pass on to someone for a learning experience? And what are the risks? And gains?
Watch this simple video with TOP Delegation Tips…. and start today…
Stop being overworked and overwhelmed…
Written by April Sabral founder of retialU.ca and VP of Sales and Operations.