The news reports have shocked us all. A gunman walks into a store and opens fire on customers and associates. “Flash-mob robbers” target stores and ransack malls. Organized Retail Crime (ORC) rings post videos brazenly documenting their criminal activity as they steal thousands of dollars of merchandise, damage property, and shatter a sense of safety…

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This time of year, especially for gift retailers, hiring is top of mind. They’re focused on staffing up and onboarding new associates for the busy holiday season ahead. We’ve written previously about the importance of optimizing your recruiting, interviewing, and selection strategies to better serve your business year round. But when it comes to seasonal…

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When we’re partnering with clients on their strategic learning initiatives, the work typically initiates with the retail field organization, store leaders, and, most frequently, the multi-unit leaders — those district and regional managers who lead through others and from a distance, managing several retail store leaders and teams. After successful implementations and behavior changes start happening…

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When your retail leaders and team members complete training, whether it’s on-the-job, e-learning, classroom-based, or a blend, there’s a sense of accomplishment. They’ve checked the box and completed the event. However, that doesn’t necessarily tell you what they now know. Do they have the knowledge they need to be successful on the job? Will they…

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Changing your personality is difficult. Changing your choices in how you communicate is not. It simply requires attention and intention when interacting with people, and not being so quick to make assumptions based on how you perceive a situation. Because sometimes your lens—your perception—is distorted, and that means it doesn’t always reflect reality. Your communication…

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“Executive leaders need to recognize that burnout’s real and that no one is going to approach you saying they’re burned out. They may feel it’s a sign of weakness and keep it to themselves. Leaders need to ask about it proactively. Dig in to what’s happening and how people feel.” – Joe Jeffries, CEO, Westlake Ace…

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The retail industry is no stranger to constant change, intense pressure, and high turnover, but the last few years have tested even the most battle-hardened among us. Today, a shortage of qualified talent — and the competition for it — is creating a serious employment crisis, and it’s heating up just as retailers are staffing up…

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DiSC® profiles provide powerful insights for retail managers and leaders. It’s why the Everything DiSC® survey has been a mainstay of our retail training programs. It serves as a foundational learning and self-awareness tool as leaders develop their interpersonal skills and strategies to improve retail business outcomes. Now, with the addition of two new DiSC…

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retail skills training

From the retail store floor to the corporate office, leaders, managers, team leads, and supervisors are adapting their strategies and focusing on enhancing their retail leadership skills as the pandemic wears on. We recently reconvened our virtual Retail & Service Leadership Exchange Forum (RSLEF) to check in with some of the top retailers in North…

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Retailers are used to upheaval and constant change. Over the past decade alone, the “retail apocalypse” has dominated the news as traditional brick-and-mortar retailers have scrambled to adapt to the competitive threat of digital disruptors and changing consumer preferences. By the end of 2019, savvy retail businesses were gaining traction in their strategies with a…

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