A daily affirmation...

So I find myself re-energized into my work again. Whether it's a mindset, or a store change or for the short period of time where I had the freedom to try new things, regardless it's different and I'm different. I still have a long way to go and continue to learn more every day. When you stop learning, you need to change jobs.

Improvements:
I continually struggle with dealing with a different management then my own. Currently I am in a situation where my manager has a dictatorship style management skill and I find myself getting distracted. Whether he is right or wrong it's about improving the business and we all should be open to ideas. It just reminds me of an old boss I had once that was very military and always micro-managed. It's not fair to my new manager to associate him with those generalizations and I need to respect the business.

Lessons learned:

Your employees are your most viable asset. If they don't do well, you don't do well as a business. So listen intently to not just what they are saying, but also what their body is telling you. I know I have a hard time not having favorites of those that remind me of myself. You just naturally connect with them and easy to give more praise, but you have to be equal to everyone.

Keep your door open. Everyone is not on the same intellectual level, but everyone knows the business well enough to offer their ideas. Snowballs (ideas with a simple concept that grow) are the key to major players in the game.

Building trust. Nothing angers me more than when someone asks me to do something because they don't want to do it. Never ask your employees to do something you wouldn't do. If there is a cleaning schedule, roll up your sleeves and scrub those toliets too on occassion. It doesn't demote you in their eyes...trust me.

Let people make mistakes as long as they learn from them, then you are doing your job. Moving to the next level is everyone's goal (big or small). If they don't feel like that then you don't need them, they are there for the wrong reasons.

Take time to tell personal stories. It shows you care and gives insight that you are a real person. Plus if you can make someone laugh or smile while they are at work then they perform 75% more. Check out the research.