One of the reasons I started writing in the first place was to coach/ mentor others within their career. I wanted readers, whether they were in retail or not, to learn from my mistakes. I wanted you (yes, you reading this) to be better and wiser then I ever was. So even though we get a bit serious today, my hope is that you walk away with some advice that helps you achieve your dreams, and be seen as a leader within your current role. So let’s dive in…
Whether you are currently working for yourself or someone else, we have all been there- you are sitting in a meeting and completely disagree with the strategy or next steps being put in place. In your mind you know it’s not going to work, it’s a waste of time, and the outcome is unrealistic. Sound familiar? It has happened to me plenty of times throughout my career, and the way in which I handled it has matured… which is why I am talking about it today.
In the beginning, I was one of those people who would walk into my boss’ office (post meeting), let them know I didn’t think the strategy was the right way to go and look quite foolish in the process. Not because voicing my opinion was wrong, but because I was missing two key ingredients to the conversation. 1. I lacked any type of initial positivity, I was only focusing on the negative. 2. I walked in there without a secondary solution, which is essential, if you are ever going to disagree with a project/ situation.
So here is what I learned... You never want to be the one constantly calling out what’s wrong. You want to be the one leading the charge, hoping for the best, trying to succeed, and offering up solutions if a part of it ends up failing. Once you make it about support, learning, and growth as a team- your perspective changes a bit. Or at least mine did.
I know that sounds easier said then done, but it’s true. You always want to start out with the positive… what’s working, what you love about something, and just how awesome it is. Once you establish “here’s what we are doing right” it’s always part of the job to make it better… so what are the opportunities? Where can you or the team improve? This is where showcasing solutions or a new strategy works to your advantage. You didn’t just compile data, you took action and made suggestions.
Does that make sense? I am hoping so!
Trust me when I say that I want nothing more than to see you succeed, and my hope is that this little bit of advice helps get you there. If you ever get stuck along the way, please email me. That’s why I am here and that’s why the blog exists. Here’s to a wonderful week, filled with some positive rock star moments…
