Checks and balances in transitioning to a new role

Dubai:

Today’s retail companies are under intense pressure to perform, despite generally fewer employees and flatter management structures. People are also changing jobs more frequently, including leaders making transitions into new roles, giving them new areas of responsibility, new accountabilities and new staff to lead.

In a world where change is the norm, how do we make successful transitions into a new role and, once things are humming along nicely, sustain a level of high performance long term? Here are my tips to create and sustain performance in a retail environment when coming in new.

• Adapt existing skills to your new environment

To simply assume what worked for you in your last role will work just as well now is almost a guarantee that you will fail. Take the time to observe, listen and really get to know the culture you have moved into. And give them time to get to know you too before you try to put your stamp on things.

• Avoid the ‘Stockholm syndrome’

Many leaders make the mistake of trying too hard to make their mark in a new role by attempting to change the attitudes and practices of the people on their new team. Much like the Swedish psychiatrists who tried to reform prisoners held in Stockholm in the early 19th century (hence the term ‘Stockholm syndrome’) only to find their attempts backfired, leaders who march in and immediately try to change the culture within often find themselves faced with such strong resistance that they end up lowering their own high standards just to fit in.

It takes resilience to stick to your guns and a ‘softly-softly’ approach to sell the idea that you are a leader worth following before making dramatic changes within any new environment.

•Have clearly defined responsibilities and accountabilities

In a world where change is happening almost daily, responsibilities and accountabilities need to be fluid enough to be adjusted regularly. But no matter how often they are tweaked, it must never be done at the expense of clarity. Your people need to be crystal clear about what is expected of them at all times.

•Don’t abdicate, delegate

When you’re in charge, the buck rests with you. In other words, while it’s fine to delegate work (in fact it’s important that you do), this doesn’t give you permission to abdicate responsibility over that task. As leader, you are always accountable.

• Establish ‘Premiership Ladders’

A little competition is a good thing to keep people motivated. Setting transparent best practice benchmarks whereby everyone can strive for improvement is a great way to keep overall performance at a high level. Just be sure to recognise and reward people for their achievements accordingly.

• Eliminate the ‘C Players’

Every company has its share of ‘A players’ (top 20 per cent performers), ‘B players’ (average performers) and ‘C players’ (the bottom 20 per cent). Because most ‘C players’ sit where they are due to a negative attitude, they often ‘suck the life’ out of those around them. If you want to sustain a high level of performance, there is simply no place for ‘C players’ on your team.

•Be consistent

While constant change demands nimbleness, it mustn’t come at the expense of consistency. Don’t be like a yo-yo whereby people have no idea how you are going to react and respond. Being consistent, disciplined and positive in the way you respond to change will have others following your lead.

• Avoid the silo mentality

Just because your area of responsibility may be merchandise planning doesn’t mean you can put the blinkers on and ignore other key functions within the company. Open communication between departments is essential to sustain high performance.

Walking the shop floor daily and paying regular visits to the distribution centres will open your eyes to potential improvements in your area of responsibility in more ways than you know.

•Stay ahead of the pack

Even when you’re riding high, avoid falling into the trap of complacency. Remember, your nearest competitor is constantly watching and waiting for you to fall off the top spot so they can jump in and take your place.

The writer is Executive Director at Thought Leaders Middle East.