Let me start by asking you a simple question... how do you like where you work and what if anything bothers you about it? If we are all honest--there will always be the few obvious answers: I could use more money, the hours are not wonderful, and the boss is hard to deal with. Honestly, now ask a question that many of us don't always think about, if I feel this way do others here as well? We get caught up in our own personal battles everyday to think about a bigger picture sometimes. I know I do. We all do. It is human nature.

Now take a minute and think for a second about the company as a whole--or your particular department -the area you supervise--and what is happening in that specific area. Are all the employees happy to come to work? Are you working in an atmosphere that encourages open communication? Is there a consistent team work happening ? Are people automatically picking up and helping their fellow coworkers if they are having trouble or struggling for any reason? My guess --is the answer to these questions is no. It is exceptionally difficult to accomplish one of the above mentioned tasks--no less get all of them going. So what is the key to being successful? How do you make these things happen? I will tell you what I am passionate about--and why I truly believe --and have personal evidence of--the importance of morale and a consistent message .

In my 20 years of retail I have seen all kinds of people. Just walk into any retail establishment and you see all types of people shopping. Look around when you go grocery shopping and see what types of people are around you.. where they came from.. maybe what they may do for a living..it is a melting pot of every type of person-the diversity that makes this country great. It is that same diversity that is very prominent in the employees of retail establishments--you have, young, old, college educated and high school kids. This makes for a varied group to work with and manage--everyone wanting to do their things--their own way--and focus on their own goals. Even in sports teams this is easier to see--if all the team members are not following the same plan--the final destination is not achieved--Superbowl, World Series-etc.

If we set a consistent message to everyone on all levels in a company--and that message is carried out the same for all--not for just a select few--but everyone is on the same page --the end is always success. In my experience I have seen the best and the worst--the pinnacle--and the bottom--and a few in between --when it comes to successful managing. One year we had a fire in our workplace and we lost lots of product that was a real mess right around a holiday and yet in the end we came back from adversity and were named the best store in the company. We accomplished it because everyone was willing to work extra hard and put in that extra effort--why? --because the understanding was if you gave 100%--you got 100% in return --and that word was kept across the board. We all pulled together because of a consistent message and a balanced response that kept everyone working towards one goal--success.

You can not have no respect for those who work for you. You can't say one thing and then do another, and most importantly --you can not have high expectations with nothing given in return. It would seem like an obvious answer if I asked you--do you want someone to treat you with respect or someone to say one thing and do another--or not care about what you do?

Sadly we all want what is good only for us and sometimes we forget that in order for you to be successful there are others who work with or are effected by our actions. It is so important to treat those you have working for you like real people with emotions and feelings and focus, good days and bad, and recognize that the more respect and kindness you give to them --the harder that they will work for you and the better everyone does together. Keep your people happy and they will make you happy in return--a symbiotic relationship. Morale--basic treatment --like saying Thank You--goes miles in making a manger successful. Recognition on some level--feeling like part of the big picture and the goal. All basic keys to success.

I know this may sound very obvious to us all, but in all honesty, how many of us really are good about practicing it? How good are we in listening to those around us for their opinion on how to do things? How good are we at simply remembering to say Thank You? I know I struggle with these issues. If we are honest we all do--we have a bad day so we take it out on those around us--or we get chewed out so we chew others out --even if it had nothing to do with them. Self awareness is hard --but mix it together with morale and a constant message and your business will be well on it's way to success with people and financial--because they will always be tied together.

I know this is not easy--and what I am saying may take some time to be successful at--but the famous motivational speaker Anthony Robbins--talks about a CANI attitude. Constant and Never Ending Improvement attitude--so remember to take small steps and be focused--so in the end not only you are successful--but you have positively impacted those around you--you will feel better about yourself and help others along the way. My sincerest best wishes for your success.