I once read about a boss who, after a meeting wrapped up, picked up his empty soda can and other trash to throw away. This prompted all his employees to do the same. In a minute, the room was clean.
The silent action was this message: Pick up after yourselves. Without saying a word, the boss conveyed to his team that he valued something so simple. A second message was also expressed: Never be afraid to do a little grunt work to set the example.
I’ve seen this with several strong managers over the years. When walking through a produce warehouse, a good leader will pause to pick up a chunk of wood off the floor, left behind from a broken pallet, as it’s a safety hazard (and unsightly). And you can bet whoever is accompanying that boss will forever be on the lookout for the same, instead of thinking, “That’s not my job,” and waiting for someone else to do so.
Things like this are everyone’s responsibility.
I lost track over the years of how many times I or other produce supervisors walked into a store that was “on fire” — that is to say, a produce department that is overwhelmed and in terrible stock condition. Without hesitation, we’d communicate with the store manager, possibly getting someone over right away to lend a hand.
Also, and this is the most important detail, is that any of us supervisors would ditch our sport coats on the spot, put on an apron, grab a stocking cart and start hustling to help get the produce department back up to at least a respectable level.
The moment that produce clerks in the store saw this, these clerks on duty immediately picked up the pace. (They probably were in shock we’d lend a hand or possibly were fearful of retribution.) Before long, everyone shared a sense of urgency — one corporate term I actually like — and hustled as if their job depended on it.
No one expects a produce director or supervisor to be a roaming produce department relief stocker. However, just knowing that people with this or other titles aren’t afraid to jump in at a moment’s notice should be enough for it never to be necessary in the first place. After all, it’s more than a little embarrassing for the store if an upper management person needs to bail you out, right?
So, the impetus is to be on your toes and never let that happen.
On the same note, a supervisor should always be on the lookout to lend a hand, figuratively speaking. I once came across a new produce manager who was struggling with writing his labor schedule. Since I’ve written thousands of schedules, I could point out some basics without having to resort to write it for him.
“Start with breaking down the crew by who’s full-time and who’s part time. Use a pencil, so you can rearrange shifts later, which happens as you piece the labor-puzzle together. Begin by scheduling everyone their requested days off. This will probably change. You need to try but can’t always accommodate everyone.
Then start scheduling, making sure every day has an opening, middle and closing shift. Add an extra shift or two as needed for weekends or other anticipated, busier days that are anticipated. Once you’ve built the ideal schedule, look it over carefully. You’ll likely need to swap shifts here or there and whittle down some part-timers’ schedules a few hours each day until you arrive at what you need to manage the department, while matching what the store manager expects in terms of total labor hours scheduled.”
The more a produce manager keeps those points in mind, the smoother the task becomes.
Lending a hand sometimes comes down to just a few minutes of coaching or rolling up your sleeves and pitching in — like the examples of bending over to scoop up that chunk of debris on the warehouse floor or picking up the empty soda can after the meeting. As managers, you don’t just talk productivity and preach accountability — you must demonstrate it at every opportunity.
“Leaders walk their talk; in true leaders there is no gap between the theories they espouse and their practice.” — Warren Bennis, U.S. educator and writer
Related: More insight from Armand Lobato
Effective leaders shouldn’t shy away from a little grunt work to set the example for others, says columnist Armand Lobato.
(Photo courtesy of Armand Lobato)
(Photo courtesy of Armand Lobato)
by Armand Lobato, Jul 08, 2024