Imagine working forty hours, every week, day after day, and relishing every single moment of it.

Imagine working forty hours, every week, day after day, and relishing every single moment of it. Many people envy that. That’s exactly, what my manager devotes too. My manager has worked fifteen years in retail. He’s worked and is still working, with a popular retail store for almost seven years. He is described to be family oriented and an enthusiast of the outdoors. His primary title is an, “Senior Team Leader”, whom, acts as a general manager, that runs the store and operates it. He’s also an, “Electronic Team Leader”. That, oversees the electronic department. This popular retail store sells a wide selection of consumer goods. You can find almost anything there. It’s been active since 2007, when first opened. There are four managerial functions that must be abided from our store. Planning, by takes necessary steps. Organizing, by making sure everything is running adequate. Leading, by motivating team members. Controlling, by taking corrective course of action. My manager utilizes these four functions of management: planning, organizing, leading, and controlling.

            To begin with, my manager plans his day with several steps. Every day is different. He emphasis, to expect the unexpected, but, to try to succeed. He usually starts the day, grabbing his equipment, printing out daily grids, checking his email, and meeting up with fellow managers. He follows up with his and other departments. Whether, it be verbal in person or through email. He learns about any issues arisen and any tasks to complete. He follows up with subordinates. He learns about any price changes made. He always strives to impact the business and drive guest service. He wants to create sales and meet its goal. He encourages our team members to sign up customers for our store cards. He plans a perimeter walk, before closing the store. Anything in general, he plans specific times, to accomplish any necessary tasks, to complete, before his shift ends. He always takes advice from his peers and tweaks it to his own. He tries to adjust to it accordingly and please everyone. Following steps like this, is a common strategy used by many department managers in our store.

            In addition, my manager is organized. He sends out emails and keeps folders for himself to access. He uses his managerial device to keep track of fellow employees, taking their lunch or breaks, and any online orders to be fulfilled by the deadline. This could be our order pickups or drive ups. He visits every department, checks if everything is running, and looking adequate. He identifies, calls out any mistakes, and any tasks needed to be completed. If, we are backed up on the check lanes. He will call out in the walkie, to other team members, in other departments, to hop on a check lane. He uses his grid to look at employee’s schedule times for the day or any leftover notes. Being as, we may receive call offs or late arrivals. He also, adopts huddles to have everyone in one place and deliver any importance regarding the store. This could mean achieving our sales goals, reaching out what’s expected for the day, and any boundaries to overcome. He maintains the key log, identifies everything is signed off, and returned. He makes certainty our doors are locked, and alarms are armed, when the store closes. He identifies all trashes and any debris are cleared. He takes any calls directed to him. This could be our customers, vendors, fellow corporate officers, employees, or anyone in general. He delegates employees to which sections of the store they will be working on. This can be specific isles or any areas in general. Now, when recruiting potential candidates. He looks for several traits. He wants a candidate that is knowledgeable, outgoing, self-driven, and determined. He also looks for, adapting to different obstacles, being able to perceive people’s mind, and emotions. He wants an employee to smile and perceive the job as a career. I vastly agree, with his choice of qualifications. You want the best for the company. Being organized is essential. I learned that overseeing a store is a huge responsibility to take. You must be organized, if you want to succeed anywhere in life.

            Furthermore, leading isn’t an easy feat. He defines leading as, “A leader is someone who gains respect from his fellow subordinates and is a voice of motivation”. He also stated, “A leader also, invests in their subordinates as a partner”. I respect his ideals of leading. I believe, that’s how you build a strong relationship with your team. Moreover, he stated, “Working anywhere in life, there is only two different kinds of managers”. “A leader or a boss”. He defined a boss, “Is someone who shouts out orders and doesn’t take the time to learn of their subordinates”. I agree, with his point. It gives a manager a negative characteristic of themselves. He believes that asking his subordinates to complete a task, rather than, telling someone to complete a task, would reduce discouragement. He tries to encourage his team, by being polite, and saying thank you. To show that he appreciates their work. He will recognize them and either call them out in a walkie or put a thank you note in our recognition wall.  He also motivates himself. The salary and day to day challenge. He relishes that every day is different. He doesn’t have to do the same thing all the time. He uses experiences from customers and shares it to his subordinates. So, they gain knowledge. He tries to encourage them to speak to our customers, by saying, “Hello”, asking open ended questions, finding products inside the store, and telling them have a good day or night, as they leave. He also remains ethical. By being a human being. It is hard to control. When situations arise. If someone passes away. There is a limit, to how much time to take off. He follows the policy and makes sure it’s done correctly. I really do appreciate his leadership.

            Lastly, controlling requires taking corrective action. When we are understaffed for the day. Whether, it be from call offs, no call no shows, or walk outs. My manager will call in any other subordinates that’d like to come in to work. If that fails, he will move other subordinates to work in other areas to fill in. Therefore, accomplishing an adequate staff to work with. If a customer becomes difficult. He remains calm and acts professional. He focuses on their attention and identifies, what’s wrong. He tries to deescalate the situation at best. By putting himself in their shoes and doing what’s right for the company’s policy. If, there are underperforming employees, he will ask questions, and attempt to resolve it. He wants to be perceived friendly, open arms, and easy to talk too. Any issues can be addressed to him. He will do his best to seek and understand. He’ll ask questions, identifying if there is something they can’t adjust too, or any discomfort. He’ll try to advice how to approach, overcome shyness, or overcoming silence. If his superiors make any changes to his department. He will attempt to put himself first, rather than his department. He understands that every manager has different expectations. He will follow up with them. He’ll make sure conversations are told among his department. If, a disruptive customer is within our store. He takes matters of his own and politely asks them to leave. He remains respectful and professional. When he visits other retail stores. He’s observant and critiques their strategies of operating their store. He will use their flaws and avoid them in our store. Which, develops our store to be become better, than it already is. Leading is a tough area to prosper. Now, I understand, what he experiences.

            I’ve worked with him for four years. Even before, he was promoted into an, “Senior Team Leader”. We never spoke much to each other, we only saw each other through the halls. Our first real encounter, was during the holiday season, back in 2014. The store was running extremely low on shopping carts. I was by myself, collecting any shopping carts outside, that remained. He came outside to help. During this catastrophic. He was out of breath and had a funny sense of humor. Realizing how difficult of a task, it is, to maintain a number of carts. He commented, “Do you have a white flag to wave?”. I laughed hysterically. But, I learned that day. No matter how difficult the challenge was. He never gave up and remained positive. That’s how a leader should be. I’ve learned that managing a store isn’t easy. Even using the four functions: planning, organizing, leading, and controlling. Planning for a big retail store that has over a hundred employees to oversees. Isn’t something to take lightly. It comes with challenges and obstacles to overcome. Just the fact, that he manages to remain organized, and run this store adequately. Is amazing to me. His example of leading. Is what inspires me and others to take guidance of. We do take comfort of hearing him say, “Thank you”, or “Great job”. It shows he appreciates our work. His technique of controlling is always professional. He finds solutions to even when times are tough. But, manages to follow our policy. He taught me a technique, that I’ll never forget. That we should approach customers differently. Instead of asking if they need assistance. We should engage in a conversation, that tricks them to make them feel you want to be their friend. That, in a society, we are programmed to usually ignore people in the street, and not ask, “How’s your day going?”. We walk wherever, we are commuting too. We must be more personal and interested, in what they have to say. I agree, with his point. That’s how we may possibly drive more sales. If, it was practiced. I’m grateful to call to him my manager and I couldn’t ask from a better person, to learn management from.