I have a pet peeve
It's probably not a big deal but usually pet peeves are not a big deal to most people but they drive the person that has them crazy!
My pet peeve is "no problem"
You know when you are a customer and you're dealing with someone in a service environment and after you thank them for helping you they say
No Problem
Ugh!
It shouldn't be a problem helping a customer
By replying, "No Problem" when someone thanks you for helping them you are implying that it could've been a problem.
Maybe I'm just being picky but it drives me crazy...
Tuesday, March 24, 2015
Thursday, March 5, 2015
Kroger Results - Because of Good Leadership and Execution
Kroger reported results today and they were more than pretty good...I just wanted to share one guy's opinion why...
Jim Cramer sees one crucial element of an investor's portfolio that is often underestimated—execution. At the end of the day, it cannot be overlooked. Good leadership is what drives both the company and the stock. And, unfortunately, Cramer is seeing this element disregarded more and more each day.
"We don't have enough respect for execution. Nobody talks about it, about the sheer power of execution, of a management team fulfilling unmet needs or changing course during changing times. Yet, it's a huge part of this terrific, long-term rally," the "Mad Money" host said.
…there is Kroger, which was up almost 7 percent when it beat all expectations in earnings.
"I've been pounding the table on this Kroger story ever since I spent some time with management and recognized how competitive they are and how they're leveraging their scale to wrench the profits from the food companies that supply them," Cramer added.
Cramer loves the company's strategy overall and has taken note that it has taken share from everyone as the nation's second largest supermarket chain. That means that Wal-Mart, Target and even Whole Foods need to watch their backs.
What struck Cramer as the most innovative approach with Kroger was how the natural and organic foods were integrated right into the other options in its aisles. They had more natural and organic produce on display, and they were beautiful. They had fabulous customer service, too.
That's what Cramer calls execution, and this is why he still considers this stock inexpensive. Bubble? What bubble?
Kroger closed at $74.31 today up over 70% versus this time last year.
Jim Cramer sees one crucial element of an investor's portfolio that is often underestimated—execution. At the end of the day, it cannot be overlooked. Good leadership is what drives both the company and the stock. And, unfortunately, Cramer is seeing this element disregarded more and more each day.
"We don't have enough respect for execution. Nobody talks about it, about the sheer power of execution, of a management team fulfilling unmet needs or changing course during changing times. Yet, it's a huge part of this terrific, long-term rally," the "Mad Money" host said.
…there is Kroger, which was up almost 7 percent when it beat all expectations in earnings.
"I've been pounding the table on this Kroger story ever since I spent some time with management and recognized how competitive they are and how they're leveraging their scale to wrench the profits from the food companies that supply them," Cramer added.
Cramer loves the company's strategy overall and has taken note that it has taken share from everyone as the nation's second largest supermarket chain. That means that Wal-Mart, Target and even Whole Foods need to watch their backs.
What struck Cramer as the most innovative approach with Kroger was how the natural and organic foods were integrated right into the other options in its aisles. They had more natural and organic produce on display, and they were beautiful. They had fabulous customer service, too.
That's what Cramer calls execution, and this is why he still considers this stock inexpensive. Bubble? What bubble?
Kroger closed at $74.31 today up over 70% versus this time last year.
Wednesday, March 4, 2015
A Conversation with Randy
I was talking to Randy Waters yesterday about OSAT. Randy is our Customer Service Guru in our division. I asked him who has the highest OSAT in the entire company. He said Ralph’s did - they are over 70%. I asked them what they did that was different from anyone else. He said that their competition was different from ours which made a slight difference but he pointed to their Managers - particularly their Unit Managers - and said that they are on the sales floor 90% of their time.
90% of their time on the sales floor!
Randy went on to say that the unit managers at Ralph’s do little to no administrative work.
Let me repeat that
Unit Managers did little to no administrative work
They just stayed on the sales floor taking care of their customers and their associates while keeping a watch over their business.
This is exactly what we have been asking you guys to do - so we have the code to get to 70% or above…we just have to execute it - put it into play!
This is a culture change too and I asked Randy how can we change this. I said our guys have been very successful managing their business - their stores the way they been managing and we’re asking them to change.
He said it all comes down to how you receive your gratification from your job. He said many of us receive our gratification from working hard - busting our butts…putting in long hours…working 6 to 7 days a week…and when we get home we are like, “Whew…I worked hard today, this week, the month…. I am really good at what I do.” Many of us are like this and we receive gratification from being able to tell these wars stories to our spouse, our friends, our co-workers - to anyone that will listen. We work hard!
But then Randy went on to tell a story about himself and I do not believe he would mind me re-telling it. He said when he was a young store manager he worked hard and ran a good store…ran a really good store. He said his DM came in one day and they were talking and Randy said something like, “I have a very successful store here.” And the Dm replied, “You will never make the kind of money you could be making and you know why? It’s because of the way you manage.”
Randy was appalled.
He ran a great store.
The DM continued, “You order the bread, you order the milk, you are on the Front End - you are everywhere in your store handling the tasks. You are working so hard you are forgetting to lead.
You are working so hard that you are forgetting to lead
And your people are going to let you continue working hard if you let them.”
Wow
Randy said that conversation was the game-changer…the cultural changer for him.
His DM was right…Randy was working his tail off but was not accomplishing all that he could. Randy had failed to step back and look at the bigger picture - he couldn’t because he was working so hard.
Managers…and Department Managers - are you working so hard that you’re forgetting to lead?
Why?
Perhaps you are going to say that the rest of your team can’t do it. Well…Randy’s DM would reply to that with, “Because you have been working to hard to lead and develop your team.”
We must develop our team to handle the job in front of them. And guess what? Our team wants to be developed to handle the job in front of them. They want to be able to Make it Right for our customers.
We just have to let them.
We have to get out of the mindset that the physical labor is more important than the mental labor - the planning, preparation, development, and follow through.
This is what we need to do to create an environment that allows for success to happen in our stores.
Change your mind - change how you look at your store and your job.
I was listening to a leadership podcast the other day and these two CEOs were talking and they said something interesting. They first said that it is a myth that history repeats itself. They said in business, history never repeats itself and you either change or you’re dead.
We are being asked to change…to change how we view our jobs and what success looks like
We are being asked to trust…trust our people to make it right for our customers.
We are being asked to lead…to lead in ways that are different than how we’ve been leading but in ways that will make us more successful than ever.
We are being asked to Make It Right
Make It Right for ourselves
Make It Right for our teams
Make It Right for our customers.
And we can do this…by just changing your mind…
90% of their time on the sales floor!
Randy went on to say that the unit managers at Ralph’s do little to no administrative work.
Let me repeat that
Unit Managers did little to no administrative work
They just stayed on the sales floor taking care of their customers and their associates while keeping a watch over their business.
This is exactly what we have been asking you guys to do - so we have the code to get to 70% or above…we just have to execute it - put it into play!
This is a culture change too and I asked Randy how can we change this. I said our guys have been very successful managing their business - their stores the way they been managing and we’re asking them to change.
He said it all comes down to how you receive your gratification from your job. He said many of us receive our gratification from working hard - busting our butts…putting in long hours…working 6 to 7 days a week…and when we get home we are like, “Whew…I worked hard today, this week, the month…. I am really good at what I do.” Many of us are like this and we receive gratification from being able to tell these wars stories to our spouse, our friends, our co-workers - to anyone that will listen. We work hard!
But then Randy went on to tell a story about himself and I do not believe he would mind me re-telling it. He said when he was a young store manager he worked hard and ran a good store…ran a really good store. He said his DM came in one day and they were talking and Randy said something like, “I have a very successful store here.” And the Dm replied, “You will never make the kind of money you could be making and you know why? It’s because of the way you manage.”
Randy was appalled.
He ran a great store.
The DM continued, “You order the bread, you order the milk, you are on the Front End - you are everywhere in your store handling the tasks. You are working so hard you are forgetting to lead.
You are working so hard that you are forgetting to lead
And your people are going to let you continue working hard if you let them.”
Wow
Randy said that conversation was the game-changer…the cultural changer for him.
His DM was right…Randy was working his tail off but was not accomplishing all that he could. Randy had failed to step back and look at the bigger picture - he couldn’t because he was working so hard.
Managers…and Department Managers - are you working so hard that you’re forgetting to lead?
Why?
Perhaps you are going to say that the rest of your team can’t do it. Well…Randy’s DM would reply to that with, “Because you have been working to hard to lead and develop your team.”
We must develop our team to handle the job in front of them. And guess what? Our team wants to be developed to handle the job in front of them. They want to be able to Make it Right for our customers.
We just have to let them.
We have to get out of the mindset that the physical labor is more important than the mental labor - the planning, preparation, development, and follow through.
This is what we need to do to create an environment that allows for success to happen in our stores.
Change your mind - change how you look at your store and your job.
I was listening to a leadership podcast the other day and these two CEOs were talking and they said something interesting. They first said that it is a myth that history repeats itself. They said in business, history never repeats itself and you either change or you’re dead.
We are being asked to change…to change how we view our jobs and what success looks like
We are being asked to trust…trust our people to make it right for our customers.
We are being asked to lead…to lead in ways that are different than how we’ve been leading but in ways that will make us more successful than ever.
We are being asked to Make It Right
Make It Right for ourselves
Make It Right for our teams
Make It Right for our customers.
And we can do this…by just changing your mind…
Did Amazon.com really look like this in 1995?
I searched the web to find screen shots of various websites from when they began. Many I recognized but I do not remember this one from amazon.com. I wonder if this is really what it looked like when it began or am I being fooled...?
Monday, March 2, 2015
Fun!
I just got through watching a Target commercial about living long. What struck me about the commercial was the sense of fun. People jumping on a trampoline, kids pillow fighting, a woman blowing a big ol' bubble and letting it pop on her face.
Fun
Silly
Fun is something we don't do enough but it is something that will make us feel better.
Fun
Feels
Good
Fun brings energy to our lives!
Now, your definition of Fun may be different from mine. Fun can be anything or even everything depending on the situation. Fun is determined by your attitude and the energy you bring to life. I am sure you know people who seem to enjoy everything they do.
These people have a sense of Fun!
So, is it possible to recreate a Target commercial everyday of your life?
Sure...why not!?
All you need is to foster a positive attitude and
Have Fun!
Fun
Silly
Fun is something we don't do enough but it is something that will make us feel better.
Fun
Feels
Good
Fun brings energy to our lives!
Now, your definition of Fun may be different from mine. Fun can be anything or even everything depending on the situation. Fun is determined by your attitude and the energy you bring to life. I am sure you know people who seem to enjoy everything they do.
These people have a sense of Fun!
So, is it possible to recreate a Target commercial everyday of your life?
Sure...why not!?
All you need is to foster a positive attitude and
Have Fun!
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