A bizarre phenomenon of shopping in English supermarkets is the consistent problem of items on the shelves being re-ordered and the store being reconfigured. I don’t know whether this is happening elsewhere in the West – friends from the US, countries in Europe, Australia, Canada and New Zealand might like to comment?
The serious point about this, although inconvenience to customers is also extremely serious, is what does this tell us about the leadership and management in these stores?
I have always taken time to talk to the workers in the shops, to find out their names, how their day is going and to thank them for their service. Not infrequently, I have also asked them what their managers are like, whether they see them on a regular basis, what the atmosphere at work is like? I often also commiserate with them if I see them having a difficult customer. Yes it’s true, customers can be difficult as, indeed, can some shop workers in England.
We do need a Renaissance of Leadership and we have been pursuing this actively in Leadership International since our inception in 1993.
We have seen brilliant results, with companies that we support becoming leaders in the UK for customer and employee engagement, with industry beating and chart-topping results.
So come on, British supermarkets, stores, retail outlets of all shapes, sizes and descriptions: we can all do better!
Contact Dr Chan Abraham and discover your Renaissance of Leadership.
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