Blog

MOHR Ideas at work.

Our work takes us all over the world. And we learn a lot as we train. Today, there’s no reason to wait until we’re back at home base to pass on a good idea or highlight a trend. Here’s where you’ll find them as soon as we spot them.

Why Retailers Are Scrambling to Close This Leadership Development Gap

By Michael Patrick | February 23, 2016

In working with retailers to develop their store leaders’ interpersonal skills over the years, one question seemed to come up again and again: What about the other leaders in the organization, like those in the distribution centers and home offices? There’s no shortage of leadership development programs out there, but the retail ecosystem is unique. Management…

The Expanding Role of High Potentials in Retail Talent Strategies

By MOHR Retail | February 1, 2016

The HR research firm Bersin by Deloitte defines high potentials as employees who have been identified as “having the potential, ability, and aspiration for successive leadership positions within the company.” But many retailers are also leveraging their high potentials in new and interesting ways. Identifying”‘HiPo” candidates isn’t new. Over the past few years, however, this group…

In Retail, Is the Question Really Managing vs. Leading?

By Michael Patrick | January 19, 2016

Are you a manager or leader? Which should you strive to be? And what’s the difference? Retailers often ask us whether their learning and development strategies should center around management or leadership skills. In many industries, those lines of responsibilities are clear and specific, so separating the two makes sense. But retail is unique. More often…

Healthy Reflection Builds Great Retail Businesses

By Michael Patrick | December 15, 2015

We had just finished debriefing the results of a store manager survey with the regional and district teams from a major retail client. The insights and ahas were everywhere. As the SVP, Store Ops had said when kicking off the meeting, “We want this time to be a healthy reflection on each of us as…

If Leaders Don’t Change, Neither Will Anyone Else

By Michael Patrick | November 23, 2015

Clients frequently ask about how to get more accountability in their organization. They also worry about leaders accepting mediocre performance because the thought of recruiting a replacement just adds work to an overburdened schedule. So they struggle with employees who coast or have inconsistent performance. On the other hand, when we read employee blogs about…

Do Your District Managers Know What They’re Being Paid to Do?

By MOHR Retail | October 29, 2015

Many organizations that are growing fast focus on just making sure the basics are in place, the brand is being fully represented, and their day-to-day promises to customers are being met.  But like all retailers know, that doesn’t make you competitive. At some point, you are going to be looking at same-store sales, not just…

Preparing Retail Staff for the 2015 Holiday Shopping Season

By MOHR Retail | September 29, 2015

Flat wages and shaky consumer confidence will likely dampen the holiday sales surge for most retailers this year. With Deloitte forecasting a 4% increase in sales this holiday season, versus 5.2% last year, the domino effect is bound to hit seasonal staffing as well. According to Deloitte and a number of other research firms, several…

Why You Should Rethink Your Approach to Retail Support Leadership Training

By Michael Patrick | September 18, 2015

Management is about getting things done through people, so all management training programs can teach all managers how to do that. Or so the conventional wisdom goes. But ask leaders and managers in store support and home office roles about what they’re dealing with in the complex world of retail management, and that conventional wisdom…