Last week, we reviewed the five most popular topics in our blog from 2016. This week, we’ll round out the top 10!
Flex Your Leadership Muscles
Successful leaders don’t just do one thing right, they do many things right across different levels of their organizations. Great leaders understand that they need to master every area of their organization. The most important areas of leadership include:
- Executing your operational vision.
- Assembling a strong staff.
- Communicating effectively.
- Getting new employees on the right track.
- Training to develop leadership skills.
To review the complete article on how to develop leadership skills, click here: Strong Leaders: A Roadmap to Success.
Interviews That Get the Job Done
Hiring the right people for the job starts at the interview. The best way to find out if a candidate will be a good fit is to set them at ease during the interview. Follow these tips:
- Set a good example in your interviews. Show applicants the level of service you want them to deliver to your customers.
- Set the standard for respect. The culture of your store should be based on mutual respect and the interview is a great place to demonstrate that.
- Ask open-ended questions. Yes or no questions won’t tell you much about a person. Dig deeper with questions that require a detailed response.
To review the complete article on how to have productive interviews, click here: Customer Service Begins in the Interview.
Get SMART about Your Goals
Progress is sometimes hard to gauge in a busy convenience store environment. That’s why it’s so important to have goals. Goals specify what needs to be done, how it will be measured, who will be responsible, when it will be accomplished, and what the overall impact will be. Follow the acronym SMART to create goals that will be effective:
- Specific
- Measurable
- Attainable
- Realistic
- Timely
To review the complete article on how to develop leadership skills, click here: Get on the Fast Track with SMART Goals.
Leadership Now & Later
Great leaders are able to focus on both the present and the future. They create processes that make day-to-day operations run smoothly and use the time they save to manage change and growth in the long-term. Sounds simple enough, but even the best leaders need support. Use these ideas to get yourself on the right track:
- Find the right leadership resources. Pinpoint the specific areas where you need improvement – communication, organization, financial management, whatever – and seek out the training you need.
- Make goals, and stick to them. If you don’t know how important it is to make goals, check out just about any motivational speaker. It’s a common theme — change doesn’t happen without specific goals.
- Study the greats. Look to revolutionary leaders from history and in today’s business world. Their articles, books, and social media posts can truly help turn managers into leaders. Together with your own efforts, these greats can be motivators to keep you focused on the future.
To review the complete article on how to develop leadership skills, click here: Be the Leader of the Future.
Speak and Be Heard
As a leader in your business, you must convey many messages every day to many different people. Barriers to effective communication in the workplace can lead to reduced productivity, low staff morale, and sub-par customer service. Watch out for these communication fails:
- Lack of clarity.
- Inconsistency.
- Language differences.
- Not enough listening.
- Non-verbal cues.
To review the complete article on how to communication barriers, click here: Barriers to Effective Communication.
