Merchants and home office Support Managers are more likely to attend cross-funtional meetings and have far greater exposure to senior executives than any of the field management in retail like DMs and Regionals.  Some of the interactions are quick, “five second hallway conversations” one participant said, to massive strategy meetings with many people and levels which last for hours all provide an opportunity for these leaders to shine; or not.  “I always get feedback from my boss and others about whether I talked in a meeting or was quiet” said another.

We talked about the best practices for what to do when you don’t own the agenda and are still asked to participate.  How do I prepare for the unexpected?  How do I make sure if I talk I say something that adds value and insight that separates me from the crowd of peers?  This topic resonates with emerging leaders like no other.  How do I build credibility across company-wide relationships?

This is the grand finale of modules for MSL and rightly so.  It takes all of the skills we’ve learned, insights we’ve gained about DiSC styles, and core strategies to use to make sure that your leadership presence shines whether you own the agenda or not.  What do you teach your Home Office and Support Center leaders about how to get noticed in a good way?  How to get ahead?  Share your thoughts or tweet us @mohrretail.

Posted in Editorial
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About Michael Patrick

Michael held positions in retail management, merchandising, and human resources before joining MOHR Retail’s predecessor in 1986. In 1990 he purchased the retail division of that firm to form today’s MOHR Retail. Michael holds true to his retail roots by delivering learning that changes behavior—providing both immediate and lasting business impact. In addition to facilitating MOHR Retail training programs, he offers executive-level coaching in one-on-one sessions dealing with critical strategic issues such as succession strategies and executive team development. The author of “The New Negotiation Mindset: Guarantee A Bigger Slice,” Michael is a longstanding member of NRF as well as ISA: The Association of Learning Providers. He has a B.A. from San Diego State University, completed Master’s level work at Arizona State University, and lives with his family in New Jersey.