Retail Observer

RETAILOBSERVER.COM JUNE 2023 48 I n 1982, Ken Blanchard published his bestselling business book The One Minute Manager. Blanchard said that we need to catch people doing the right thing, rather than doing things wrong. This simple concept can help companies improve their employee engagement and retention. Unfortunately, some appliance and furniture retailers are focused on catching their employees making mistakes and not doing their job right. To be fair, most managers simply want to improve the company's productivity and enhance its efficiency, even though this approach generally has the opposite effect. Here are some thoughts to consider: WHAT EXACTLY DOES IT MEAN TO "CATCH THEM DOING IT RIGHT"? Catching people doing things right is a new lens on the way you view others' behavior and performance. It's a relationship-building and enhancing tool. Done properly, it will build competencies, increase skills and knowledge, and improve attitudes. It's about recognizing effort, saying thank you, and expressing gratitude. It's commenting on the seemingly small things people are doing to move the ball forward. It's a positive conversation, asking the person how they feel about their efforts. It's helping them recognize that sometimes doing the right thing doesn't always lead to instant positive results. It's also catching yourself doing things right. It's about the times when you make a strong effort, the times you're patient in the face of adversity or have a difficult customer who gave you agita (Wiktionary: "From the Italian southern dialectal pronunciation of acido, "acid, heartburn." … upset of the mind rather than the stomach") about a delivery or return. The more you catch yourself and others doing things right, the stronger this "right-catching" habit becomes, and the more focused that new lens will be. CATCHING PEOPLE DOING THINGS RIGHT ISN'T FOR THE YEARLY PERFORMANCE REVIEW You don't need to wait for a formal meeting to catch people doing things right – it can happen every day – heck, it should happen several times daily! It should happen three times as often as catching people doing things wrong. The annual performance review, even with quarterly or monthly touchpoints, won't come close to having the same positive effect. CATCHING PEOPLE DOING THINGS RIGHT ISN'T ABOUT FAKE PRAISE Telling someone "Good job!" or "Thorough report!" or "Whoa, that was a big furniture sale!" is the verbal equivalent of a high-five or a pat on the back. It feels good in the moment, sure, but it doesn't tell the individual what they did right. It's end-praise for a job well done, rather than process praise for their hard work. Best of all, catching someone doing things right doesn't cost you anything, and as we said up top, it can help improve employee engagement and staff retention. If you want to step it up a notch, purchase a stack of $5 Dunkin' or $10 Starbucks gift cards and present them to employees who did a good job, or for special recognition. (Include a handwritten note that says, "Thanks a latte!") Okay, maybe pass on the pun, but do make a point of it when people do things right. GOTCHA! A NEW APPROACH TO POSITIVE REINFORCEMENT Try to catch your employees doing things right Daniel Abramson HR Trends Daniel Abramson is managing lead of HRSource, a comprehensive collection of customized employment tools and turnkey solutions exclusive to members of the AVB BrandSource buying group. Contact Daniel at (540) 535-8484 or dabramson84@gmail.com. RO

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