AMERICAN EXPRESS RETAIL STRATEGIES

Originally appeared in:
Business News for Intelligent Retailers
Vol.3 No.1 September 2000

Retail productivity specialist Terri Kabachnick talks about the importance of finding ways to show employees they are important. "In the retail industry today, turnover of people approaches 100% in many companies" reports Kabachnick.

"In our ongoing surveys of retail owners, executives, managers and associates, we discovered that 73% of the approximately 4000 people surveyed love what they do but not like where they do it", notes Kabachnick, adding that "high turnover and people problems exist in mediocre companies, rarely in truly successful ones".

Her advice? "Pay attention to your best employees. These are the people that managers inadvertently ignore because they're to busy focusing on problem employees" she said.

"Consider the results of improving a top performer's productivity just 10 percent, (as opposed to improving a mediocre employee's performance by 10 percent). Remember, the good ones leave first" she added.

"Create a greenhouse in which employees can grow. Provide the right environment to nourish and feed an individual's interests and skill development", Kabachnick urged. "Encourage them to set goals and to dream. Then give them the tools to get there".

"Honor individuality. Don't try to change workers habits or styles to fit your perception of how tasks need to be done" she asserts. "Measure an employee's results, not the process. The reward is a motivated and self-directed worker who feels confident and worthy".

Kabachnick advises employers to think with their hearts. "Put yourself in your employee's shoes. What hurts? What would make them feel better? Are we talking about chicken soup? Yeah! And fresh baked cookies and milk during afternoon breaks, and in-house manicures, and professional shoulder and foot massages".

"Silly?" she asks rhetorically. "Not at all. Employees may work for compensation, but they flourish from appreciation."