The simplest things often have the biggest results, and here are ten tips I recommend applying to your daily practises if you're aiming to succeed in the retail world. I appreciate that some might seem simple, but it's often the simplest of things that make the biggest differences:-

1. The Weather

   Always check out the weather, if it's sunny promote sun praising products near the front of the store, if it's raining or windy promote items that might best suit that situation. Don't think this might not apply to your business, think big this will apply to more than you expect.
   

2. Training

   When looking at staff, check out the employment service. Often there are schemes available for people with few qualifications or experience. Not only do these people often turn out to be the hardest workers, but due to giving them experience many come to you free of charge for a period of up to six months. This allows you to offset your pay budget getting the right people to the right wage, alternately if your KPI (Key Performance Indicators) driven use the lack of expenditure to increase your payroll, or store expenditure. Another plus part is often this service allows you the ability to improve trade by good promotion of your store.
   

3. Get Involved

   They say charity begins at home, however it works beyond that in retail. The more active you are in charity the more likely you are to succeed. Charity often comes with not only a feeling of wellbeing, but free promotion. In a store I had that sold Easter eggs, I got a confident sales assistant to ask customers if they wanted to buy an egg and donate it to charity (i.e. children's homes). I did the same in a different store when it came to Christmas, this time with toys and sweets instead of eggs. Each donation comes with a letter of thanks to promote in your store, and often much, much more. It's not just charity to get involved in, think projects; if your town does not have Christmas lights, then start organising a collection for Christmas. Free publicity through local papers often brings people flooding to your store to donate, once in they are more than likely to see what you're selling. A town that I raised money for Christmas lights in, my stores footfall increased over 100%
   

4. Say What You Think

   Don't agree with the general consensus if you don't agree with it; part of my reputation revolved around me standing up and announcing polar opposites to the general view. Don't be argumentative, just stand by your beliefs.
   

5. Study The Opposition

   Take time out to shop in other stores, someone else often has some great ideas that are not properly seen through, see the potential in a good idea poorly executed and harness it.
   

6. Stand Up To The Enemy

   In retail the biggest enemy you have is the shoplifter, take a harsh stand against them. Often use underhand techniques to make sure they tell their scumbag friends that yours is not a store to be messed with. My hard line with shoplifters saw not just a few, but pretty much all disappear. Forget law enforcement, have them arrested and they'll be back tomorrow. Give them a good scare!
   

7. Make Friends

   Every single surrounding retail outlet is your friend even if you sell the same product, the sooner you realise this, the sooner you'll succeed. Making friends with other shop keepers ensures word of mouth floods freely from store to store.
   

8. Handling Staff

   Reward and look after your staff, if they do well show them they do, a small gift even from your own pocket can work wonders. Consider employee of the month programs, duty management, and other incentives. At the same time beware the treacherous snake, all companies employing more than 10 staff in one store have someone that believes they can do your job, show them they cannot; and providing you do it legally if they continue to be a problem dispose of them. Life is all about making the best of things, don't tolerate someone doing malicious damage, if talking to them as a friend does not help, then get rid.
   

9. Stock

   If your storerooms have considerable stock in them you're doing something wrong, if your part of a chain find out what other stores are selling, exchange stock or look how they are selling them. Look at your store stock levels, could adding more stock promote higher sales by making a better statement? Most importantly check stored stock regularly, if you're not physically checking in stock it's often surprising how much stock is hidden by receiving staff because they don't want to promote it.
   

10. Protect Yourself

    If you have the next big idea, even if you think there is a chance it might fail make people unrelated to the business aware. Put your plan in writing, and sign it; send copies to people in different levels of the business, and send them via a trackable method. My big idea made someone else millions, don't make my mistake. Every retail manager that is worth their wage has an idea that can revolutionize a business, what's yours?

I hope this helps, if you need any questions answered why not leave me a message and I'll come back to you. But most importantly, despite the shadiness of some of my statements, always remain the right side of the law, don't misinterpret my words, everything I ever did was legal.

No one wants to work for a boss who spends their management time being negative about staff, even if they're being negative about someone else. All staff like to feel as though they're important, and that they're doing a worthwhile job. Don't prefer one staff member over another; it only causes friction.

A Boss Who Listens Will Be Listened To

There's nothing more frustrating to staff than to feel that the boss never listens. Make sure you give people your full (not distracted) attention, and don't brush them off. Whether they have a good idea or only a passable one, at least give them the privilege of being heard.

Sometimes the Employee will Be Better Suited for a Different Job

My own boss has a good theory: he employs staff on the basis of their talent rather than their aptitude for a particular job. He lets them grow into their work, and lets the job evolve around them. This may mean shifting how the job was initially visualised, but it will be profitable in the long run.

Don't Insist that Employees Work Through their Breaks

Sometimes whether an employee gets their break at the right time or not makes all the difference to the rest of their day. Certainly there are jobs where flexibility on the part of staff is necessary, but even in such jobs, remember it's essential for staff to have time to themselves away from the job at regular intervals.

Keep in Touch With the Staff

Make sure staff are really sure where a project is going. Don't assume. It's better to have, or give, more feedback early in the piece than to have disasters through lack of communication later on. And never berate staff in front of others. It makes them feel like a pupil bawled out in front of the class.

Be Honest About Where Things are At

If staff hear rumours, have to listen to gossip, get misinformation, stresses will arise. Better to keep staff informed as much as possible rather than have them acting on the basis of hearsay. And always be honest to an employee's face.

Hard Work Deserves Rewards

One employer of a large breakfast cereal firm in New Zealand took all his Pacific Island employees home to their native island for a holiday as a reward for a good year's work. While that might seem extreme, there are plenty of other opportunities to give employees a treat, such as taking them out for a meal, or giving them tickets to a game.

Don't Stint on Technology

Employees should be able to expect up-to-date equipment in an office: laptops, notebooks, broadband and the like. They can work faster and more smoothly if they have the right equipment. Stinting on technology will not only make you seem miserly, if will produce poor performance on behalf of the staff.

Carrots aren't Just for Donkeys

Everybody likes to have a reward for achieving. Employee of the Month awards, small bonuses (and large) and other motivations might sometimes seem like bribes, but they work. People enjoy working towards something, and there's nothing better than having your face up on the notice board as best employee, or seeing an email go round the office saying you've just achieved the best stats for a quarter.

Praise Never Goes Amiss

While you should never demean people in front of others, you should frequently praise them in front of their fellow-employees. It doesn't have to be over-the-top, and it always should be genuine. Praise is one of the great encouragements employees can receive.

These ten points seem obvious and even well-known, but it's surprising how many employers forget them in the day-to-day running of a business.

There is evidence that leaders who are considerate in their leadership style are higher performers and are more satisfied with their job. Other considerations leaders use in their approach to others or their subordinates are time allotments, relationship development, information process, the training and professionalism of the other people or their subordinates, and how well they know the tasks. Leaders need to address any legal ramifications, laws or established procedures, such as OSHA or training plans.

It has been generally accepted that there are three basic styles of leadership:

1. Authoritarian (autocratic)

This style is used when the leader tells his or her employees what she wants done and how she wants it done, without getting the advice of her followers. This style of leadership should only be used if you have all the knowledge on a particular subject and have preliminary plans as to how to carry out your project, but you are short on time. Normally you have already established a working relationship with your employees, and they are motivated to help you finish your project within the deadline.

The authoritarian style should normally only be used on rare occasions. It can be used, within limits, if the subordinate is a new employee who is just learning the job. The leader can use this style in a competent method to teach and mentor the new employee on the new work environment.

2. Participative (democratic)

This type of style is used when the leader knows what the ultimate goal is that needs to be accomplished, but not necessarily the procedures required too achieve it. The leader informs the others or the subordinates of the goal, and discusses it with the actual employees involved to achieve it. This style of leadership could be called fact finding to determine the best procedures to accomplish the project. However, the leader remains in authority. He determines the procedures to be used based on the information received from his employees. This is normally used when you have part of the information, and your employees have other parts. Using this style is of mutual benefit - it allows them to become part of the team and allows you to make better decisions.

3. Delegative (free reign)

In this style, the leader allows the employees to make the decision. However, the leader is still responsible for the decisions that are made. This is used when employees are able to analyze the situation and determine what needs to be done and how to do it. You must set priorities and delegate certain tasks. This is a style to be used when you have the full trust and confidence in the people below you. The employee needs to take ownership of the job.

Ineffective Leadership Styles

When leaders use ineffective leadership styles it produces internal conflicts between the subordinates themselves, and between the employees and the supervisor. The working environment becomes stressful. Sometimes the atmosphere in the working environment becomes so thick; it feels like the stress could be cut with a knife. When employees become fearful of being penalized for mistakes by their supervisors; it sometimes is easier to do nothing; in lieu of being chastised for making a mistake. Negative leaders act domineering and superior. They believe the only way to get things done is through penalties, such as loss of job, days off without pay, reprimand employees in front of others, and other demeaning actions. Some people tend to think of this style as a vehicle for yelling, using demeaning language, and leading by threats and abusing their power. This is not the authoritarian style...rather it is an abusive, unprofessional style called bossing people around.

They believe their authority is increased by freighting everyone into higher levels of productivity. Yet what always happens when this approach is used is that morale falls; which of course leads to lower productivity.

The autocratic style of leadership should only be used for new employees that might need some training or mentoring; but, almost never with a well-seasoned professional group of employees. Employees that have been working for the organization for a period of time become resentful by an autocratic leadership style. The leader would be more effective to use these people in consultations.

Another style of leadership, if you want to call it leadership, is where the supervisor has a hands-off approach to managing, is known as laissez faire or laisser faire. This is a leadership style where the supervisor does not participate in managing his employees. When this style of leadership occurs in a work environment the employees will select an informal leader to help them guide and inform them. This approach to leadership quite often happens when the supervisor is merely putting his time into the office waiting for his retirement.

Hay/McBer, a consulting firm, conducted a research, with a random sample of 3,871 executives selected from a database of more than 20,000 executives worldwide. The study determined that most leaders use more than one style of leadership. It, also, offers an understanding of how different leadership styles affect performance and results; and, offers clear guidance on when and why a manager should switch between the different leadership styles.

The research found six distinct leadership styles. The styles, taken individually, appear to have a direct and unique impact on the working atmosphere of a company, division, or team, and in turn, on its financial performance. The research indicates that leaders with the best results do not rely on only one leadership style; they use most of them in a given week seamlessly and in different measure depending on the business situation.

What are the six styles of leadership?

1. Coercive leaders demand immediate compliance.
2. Authoritative leaders mobilize people toward a vision.
3. Affiliate leaders create emotional bonds and harmony.
4. Democratic leaders build consensus through participation.
5. Pacesetting leaders expect excellence and self-direction.
6. Coaching leaders develop people for the future.

Let's divide your daily activity into three segments; these are the elements around which your role revolves -

 

Customer 

Customer is the king of every business, he is the one for whom we work and his satisfaction is our ultimate goal. So lets find out what to do to please our customer as a role as manager -

Do's 

1. Keep your customer informed about all day to day activity and especially any development at your work
2. Interact regularly with customer with no communication break
3. Be honest in what you communicate to the customer
4. Close loop in business well on as an actionable item
5. Send minutes in e-mail to customer after any call or meeting
6. Build a reputation of delivering consistency in business

Don'ts

1. Do not assume things, always talk to customer
2. Do not over commit on deliverables or timelines
3. Do not be inflexible when dealing with the customer
4. Do not be afraid to express your opinion
5. Business: Business or the process which you takes care on day to day basis and it's your deliverable to give the best, your efficiency is being counted in your skills to handle your business.

Do's

1. Fearlessly escalate to your boss any significant issues faced in your day to day business handling.
   • Floors walk at least thrice a day to check the things
   • Always display energy at work
   • Be hands-on and know your business well
   • Be involved and help the team resolve process issues

Don'ts

1. Do not work in isolation; be aware of your surroundings and set your self well wit it
2. Do not settle for quick fix solutions to problems
3. Do not hesitate to question the status quo
4. Do not ignore early warning signals for the process. Always keep your eyes and ears open to check the changes going on floor.
5. People - In today's world every manager has to be first people's person than only he can manage his customer and business well. People are the resource who makes his vision applicable and all managers need to understand that people are the greatest resource for an organization.

Do's 

1. Be straightforward and clear in your communication with the team.
   • Stand by your team and support them
   • Share credit with your team
   • Develop the strengths of your team
   • Know your team members
   • Acknowledge good work publicly
   • Show respect for the individual even when delivering hard messages
   • Be available when the team needs you

Don'ts 

1. Do not too casual with your team members
2. Do not over use e-mails when you can interact in person
3. Do not underestimate your team's potential
4. Do not shy away from giving negative feedback
5. Do not be dictators; instead, engage your team
6. Do not play favorites

These are some of the tips to make your image as effective manager and will help you to climb the ladder of success at your professional front.

These are just some of the things you need to take note of when outsourcing your tasks to service providers. Hope it helps you get started on the right foot, especially if this is your first time outsourcing. If you have signed up for reliable service provider websites, you need not worry that your service provider will run away with your money. The system will guard you against such incidents. So, concentrate on the delegation of the tasks rather than the security of the system. All the best!

Distribution of a meeting agenda prior to the meeting gives people a chance to prepare for the upcoming meeting. Some of the worst meeting results come from those meetings where attendees don't know what the meeting is about. By providing a copy of the agenda beforehand people can prepare for topics to be covered in the meeting. While in the meeting it is helpful to provide a hard copy of the agenda or display it visually for all to see. This allows the Chair of the meeting to move through topics while showing attendees the progress of the meeting.

Time Limit

It is important to set a time limit for the meeting. This should be noted on the agenda which is distributed prior to the meeting. One of the main reasons that meetings are unpopular is because they run for so long, and often with little being accomplished. For example, a thirty minute meeting will have its time divided across the topics on the agenda, with more time given to topics which require it. As the Chair of the meeting, it is up to you to decide the time limit and allocation of time to topics on the agenda. This allows all attendees to know beforehand how much time will be spent on each topic. It is important to stay to the time schedule of the meeting.

Staying on Track

Keeping the meeting on topic is not always easy and for this reason many meetings will stray from the meeting's objective. It is the responsibility of the meeting Chair to keep the meeting on track. A good start to accomplishing this is the distribution of the agenda beforehand. Most office meeting rooms will have a clock on the wall. If a clock is not available use your wristwatch which should be place in front of you on the meeting table.

As the meeting moves from one topic to the next it is helpful to specifically introduce the purpose of the next topic. This creates focus in communication and avoids non value added discussions. If more time is required for a topic, it should be noted and recorded in the minutes or follow up items for relevant parties to meet outside the meeting on the topic. Facilitating discussions is helpful to keep personalities in check and keeping the meeting on track and on schedule.

Meeting Follow Up/Next Steps

This is as important as the agenda as it sets the stage for the next meeting. Specific action items should be recorded with assigned names to them. If a topic on the agenda runs over its allotted time, it should be recorded in the Next Steps minutes for the relevant people to meet on their own to continue discussion of the topic. Any action item in the minutes should also have a deadline which is often the date of the next meeting. The date of the next meeting may not be decided yet in which case the minutes will say that the next meeting will be announced.

Effective meetings can be a worthwhile forum for needed communication and action.

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You've been given a project. The dateline's tight. They want the thing sealed and wrapped up with a red ribbon by Friday. The odds look insurmountable. You'd like to put it off, but if you don't get it done, you'll look like a complete goof. Chances are, if you don't make a good impression with the bosses, there goes this year's bonuses.

Your kids are screaming at you to take them out, your spouse isn't happy that you're putting in all this extra time at the office. And to make things worse, your favourite football team's playing key matches this weekend.
So what are you going do now?

Fail to Plan, and You Plan to Fail

Do you have any idea where the project's headed? If you have a rough idea of its potential or possible movement, start there. Once you know what needs to be done, everything else follows.

Break Things Up

Start by breaking up the task into phases. Stick to three or four phases. Then break each phase up into separate activities. You'll need to know what exactly needs doing.
Prioritize

Know what's important and do those first. Sieve out tasks which are ESSENTIAL and therefore, CRITICAL to the entire project and be responsible for those.
Box things up.

Most of us have the tendency to focus too much on one problem and only to lose track of time. Give yourself 30 minutes to each problem solving task. If it seems like its not going anywhere, solve another problem or work on another task.

Delegate, Delegate, Delegate

We may work in cubicle farms, but we are not alone. To succeed in life , we need help of others. Just remember that you get what you give, so if you ask for help now, be prepared to return the favour in future. It helps if you have a running tally of who did what for you and when so that you can clear your karma every quarter or so.

Filter Your Emails

Almost all email service providers provide filters which allow you to direct specific emails to certain folders. I like to set them up according to key appointment holders - such as the Big Boss (CEO), other Major Bosses (Regional Heads), Minor Bosses but still Important people (Department Heads) etc - I respond to the Bosses emails first. Then I respond to anything which involves me. For that I have special folders dedicated to the projects or stuff which I oversee is going to involve me. I use filters based on ‘Subject'. Sometimes, if it gets all too complicated just group them by ‘Departments' and further subcategorize them into functional groups. So Advertising gets a folder, Accounting gets one, and so does Development. The point is that we shouldn't be spending so much time looking for that one email, we need a system to classify important emails for easy recall.

Get Up Earlier

I know it sounds insane. You had a rough day yesterday, and if you can, why not sleep in a little? Well, researchers have proven that people who wake up earlier and go to bed sooner are not only healthier but on the whole are better colleagues and bosses. Let's say you get up at 6.30am every morning and get into bed at midnight after watching some late night tv. Why not go to bed at 11 pm instead and get up at 5.30am? That extra hour or so you can use to type up some emails, prep for the day or workout.

Multitask

We spend a lot of time commuting, so why not stick some podcasts or audiobooks on your iPod and you'll squeeze in a stimulating "read" while on the treadmill!

Remember there are some things which are important and others which are not. The wise man knows the difference between the two, the practical man gets it done and the fighter in us sees it through.

• Acknowledging a person's feelings is the first of five key factors in separating the people from the problem. This aids the cohesion of the group through empathy and shows other members that they really mean something.
• Determining the specific behavior causing intense feelings is another factor that plays a role in being a cooperative group member and helps members understand why a person might be feeling the way they do about a topic.
• Assessing the intensity and importance of the issue is the third one in the list of five, and has to do with rating the importance of the issue that is causing conflict in direct proportion to the subject matter of the group as a whole.
• Inviting the other person to join you in working toward a solution will also help the cohesion of the group by, once again, showing how important the individual is to the group as a whole.
• Making positive relational statements is always a wise move to make while building cooperation during a conflict.

Being objective is one of the most difficult things people attempt while working with others today. With the rise of “having it your way” and “you deserve a break today” life styles, Americans have grown cold isolated beings. Participation in small groups can lift the stifled air of isolation and show us how we can work together for a common goal even though it might bring conflict along for the ride. Objectivity carries a lot of clout in many circles where conflict arises mainly because we can state criteria that is based on more than just our opinion.

Separating the people from the problem, focusing on shared interests, generating many options to solve problems, and basing decisions on objective criteria are just some of the ways to build cooperation within a group in a time of conflict.

A SWOT Analysis is a tool used by business organizations to develop relevant strategies that will enable them to make profitable decisions that will enable them to outperform the competition continuously.

In this acronym S represent Strengths, W pertains to the Weaknesses, O has to do with Opportunities, and T defines the Threats that the company faces as it tries to forge ahead.

The information from these variables are taken together and used to formulate the best approach the company needs to adopt from the know position, to successfully advance and compete.

Leaders should always be cognizant of the fact that the environment the business operates in is dynamic, and as a result the decisions made today may change the next day or week or month, depending on the impact of one or all the variables at any point in time

In recent times a rise in the price of crude oil in OPEC countries had serious effects on the price of gasoline at the pump. This one change affected the share prices of several companies on the stock market. Reduction can in the short term affect the prices of several consumer products including cars, travels, and unemployment in some companies.

A business or organization is defined in the legal framework as a separate living legal entity, and as such can be sued differently from the owner of the business especially if it is a public company.

This generally accepted definition has empowered my thinking that the same way that a business conduct SWOT Analyses, individuals especially leaders and prospective executives should also conduct their own in order to assess their relevance to the organizations and their professions.

Leaders should be constantly aware of the strengths, weaknesses, opportunities, and threats that pertain to them from a positional standpoint.

Knowledge of their positions should enable them to strategically make adjustments that will facilitate mutual success for them and the company itself.

The business may find that it is strong in production, marketing, human resource, and inventory management but weak in organizational capability, collaborative communication, and learning systems implementations.

It may also find out after research that if it can reorganize the sales strategy it can generate millions in revenue from Africa and Asian countries due to the opportunities that existed.

The team may also discover that a new product on the market will cut significantly in their projected sales revenues for the next two quarters if a new marketing strategy is not developed and implemented within the next three weeks.

Finally it may also discover from the human resource manager that it will lose the services of the marketing manager to the competitor.

A good leader will take all these variables to the table and brain storm with his team to find a workable strategy going forward.

Meetings of this nature should then be the norm for any organization and not the exception if they are to remain competitive.

However it is not only the organization that needs to constantly conduct and apply the results of SWOT Analysis, but the leaders at all levels needs to do their own personal ones too as the organization cannot develop separately from their influences.

Appraisals should be so structured to bring out the strengths, weakness, opportunities, and threats pertinent to each job function.

Goals and objectives should be mutually set by managers and employees and rewards given where achievements have been realized.

Leaders, who are too autocratic, allows a free for all modes or embrace the country club management philosophy, may need to change their approaches to more progressive styles, which include giving more authority to workers and allowing them to be responsible for outcomes.

When SWOT Analyses are done simultaneously for the company and individuals at all levels, there will be flow of organizational energy outward and the organization may be able to achieve various levels of synergies.

The rewards for performances represent returns for workers that were able to identify their strengths, weaknesses, opportunities, and threats and made adjustments in a timely manner to ensure goals and objectives were met.

A good leader will ensure proper equilibriums are maintained throughout the life cycles of the organization, as it applies the this powerful SWOT Analysis tool to keep the company relevant and sustainable.

SWOT Analyses are therefore not only good for the organization but are just as vital for the staff within the organization, because both are living entities that interacts constantly to affect the environment externally and internally.

A deficiency in one entity can have inhibiting effects on the other and may manifest on the level of market share gained, the level of productivity, morale, and the future existence of both entities.

For supervisors and managers, the hard part is making the decision regarding who deserves a promotion and what type of promotion to award. Over the years of watching this unfold from both sides, a few handy thoughts come to mind.

1. It is rarely a good idea to promote an employee to keep him or her from leaving. Even if the promotion is the cause of the unhappiness, it is a bad plan to promote an employee lacking company loyalty or who is unhappy. You will just be moving this problem to a more visible level and sending the message that whining and complaining is rewarded by this company.
2. Try not to consider only promoting employees that excel at their current job. The Peter Principle says that employees will rise until they reach a level of incompetence and then stop rising. Look for that special employee that already displays the talents and skills needed for the next level. That way when he or she is promoted, you can have a measure of confidence that the job will not be too much for their abilities.
3. Seek out employees that have earned the respect of their fellow workers. When this person becomes their boss, that respect will pay huge dividends. The new supervisor or manager will not have to demonstrate an unreasonably high level of competency to keep their respect. The former peers will be willing to give him or her an chance to grow into the position.
4. Promote thinkers. Some people have the ability to analyze situations and see solutions. Other people lack this skill. It is hard to teach this to those who do not have this innate ability. Thinkers will expand the position and make it fit themselves. Others will simply try to do what is expected and hope it is enough.
5. Do not promote people who do not want to learn. If an employee is not flexible enough to be taught, he or she will display a no-it-all attitude until they are fired.
6. Managers and supervisors need a backbone. This is not arrogance or self-inflated egos. While being a team leader and player, management caliber individuals have to be able at times to say "no" or "your fired."
7. As people rise higher in a company, the amount of direct supervision received generally decreases. This means that when you look to promote someone, you need to find those who can think, act, and work independently. The old saying was that they should be a "self-starter."
8. Promotions should go to people who care about the company, the product, and people. All of these need to be in place for a person to be able to lead others to perform at a high level.

Specific situations may require additional items to be added to this list. These eight points will go far toward helping identify the correct employees for promotion or for passing over.