Managers succeed by setting expectations and setting an example

A good produce manager knows success is all about give and take.

For example, I remember calling on one produce manager, Debbie. She ran her department with a no-nonsense approach but wasn’t overbearing. Her crew seemed to work well together, unlike many others I visited that were below par.

I asked Debbie about her secret.

“Nothing special, but it starts from the get-go” she said. “When I first started at this location, there were lots of little things going on that I didn’t care for. Little things have a way of becoming bigger with time, and it drives down crew morale and productivity.”

I suspected where she was going.

“I noticed, for one thing, that whenever this one full-timer came to work, he arrived right on time all right — but by the time he got his apron on, checked the schedule a couple of times, grabbed a cup of coffee, chatted with some other clerks, he was 30 minutes into his shift and hadn’t even touched a cart,” she continued.

I don’t know if there’s a technical term for that, but I call it goofing around.

The produce manager was right. It happens a lot, and if a manager doesn’t call out the guilty party right away, it only gets worse.

Debbie explained that she cornered the clerk right away. She said that, as a produce manager, she will go all-out for her crew.

“I tell them ‘Hey, if you want me to help you with your schedule, such as allow you to come in a half-hour early so you can pick up your kid from school on time, I’ll work with you. If you prefer two days off in a row rather than split days off, I will spend the extra time moving things around, if I can, to accommodate you. I will help all I can and go to bat for you,’” she said.

I waited for the but tag on this, as it’s usually the leverage point.

“However, if you want me to help you, I need some help in return,” she said she told her clerks. “I say, ‘Look, I don’t expect anyone to over-exert themselves here. Just give me an honest day’s work. What I expect in return is that you to not only be on time, but stocking withing a few minutes of your shift starting. I expect you to arrive early if you need to take care of any personal things. I expect you to have walked the department on your way in so that you already know your first stocking needs. I expect promptness, no cheating with break or lunch extensions, picking up after yourself, that sort of thing.’”

Do that, she summarized, and she would do all she could to help them out.

It doesn’t get fairer than that. Once a produce manager expresses expectations like these, once they establish what needs to be done, how things should be done and in a reasonable time frame, things tend to work out well.

Once the rules are established, accountability is levied and everyone is treated the same, the workload gets easier. As NHL hockey coach Jared Bednar of the Colorado Avalanche frequently laments, “We can’t afford to carry any passengers;” i.e. low-performing players.

Good produce managers set expectations and set an example by setting the pace. They train people, set standards for sanitation, rotation, merchandising, organization, ordering, scheduling and 101 other things. And when those things are positive and everyone knows what to do and when to do it well, things can and usually do get better.

That all translates into a well-run operation, satisfied customers, great quality, solid gross profits and more. It begins by being on time and showing a little hustle.

“If you want a successful business, your people must feel that you are working for them — not that they are working for you.” — Sam Walton, Walmart founder
Armand Lobato works for the Idaho Potato Commission. His 40 years of experience in the produce business span a range of foodservice and retail positions.