K Mart and a Guy Named Craig

The Side Street Journal is committed to illuminating the failures and foibles of management in general and mangers and leaders in particular.  Today, however, I am going to shine a light on something I see as a positive change in retail.  It's simple enough.  Here is what happened.

I went into a K Mart today.  I haven't been there in a while.  Why not?  It had been on the decline.  And, of course, when a business is on a decline, it cuts corners.  The store was too dim and too warm.  The employees seemed disheartened.  Now there is change. What Happened?

Well, I don't know how it came about, but they are turning things around.

When at K Mart, I happened upon a fellow named Craig talking to the managers from other stores in an "on the floor" meeting.  Now, this is a template store.  This is a good thing. (From a management perspective.)

Apparently, Senior Management accidentally hired or promoted someone qualified. (+)

As Craig was talking to the managers, I was watching the managers.  They appeared to be receptive to the message.  That is easy to understand.  Craig communcates well.

Slim Fairview's Four Rules of Communication:

Precision
Concision
Enumerate
Specify

Also, Craig avoided the cliches, slogans, and platitudes often used by those who embrace style over substance. (That is because too many people in Craig's position lack substance.)

You know the person.

"I am really excited about the changes being made."

"You can almost feel the energy among the employees on the floor."

"Everyone now has a very positive attitude."

"There is no I in team."

"The Consensus is....."

"The other day a customer came up to me and said, 'I really am excited about what I see happening here at K Mart'."

You know the person.  Well that person is not Craig.  As I said before, Senior Management accidentally did something right.

Now, while this is a template store, this is an indicator of what K Mart is trying to do.  They seem to have brought someone on board who is capable of bringing people on board. (Okay, sometimes I get like one of those people I poke fun at.) Craig is an indicator.

Now, on to Caveat Emptor.

Every time I hear that, the emphasis is on the Caveat.  I will now focus on the Emptor.

Just as positive reinforcement of negative behaviour is a disincentive to change, so too positive reinforcement of positive behaviour is an incentive to improve.  If we want retail in America to improve, we must support the positive changes when we see them.  That is why I've written this monograph.  K Mart isn't paying me for this.  No one is. (No one ever does, but that is another issue.)

If K Mart is going through the efforts to make positive changes, the least we can do is give them a fair chance.  Hence, I shall be shopping at K Mart to watch the evolving.

Sincerely,

Slim

NB:  I have no affiliations with K Mart, or any of its affiliates, or any firm engaged in the marketing or advertising of K Mart.  This is simply an observation for those who have an interest in managment, marketing, and retail sales.

PS. Paula, the cashier, seems to be evidence of great employee morale.  Must be a reason for this.

slimfairview@yahoo.com


Copyright (c) 2011 Slim Fairview

USPS 1st Class Incompetence

As I was preparing a monograph on Postal Problems and Possible Solutions a new problem arose just this morning.

For a year and a half, my wife and I lived in a very small resort community.  We were, according to the law, residents and not "hotel guests".

We moved.  We filled out a forwarding form.  Our mail was forwarded for a few weeks.  Then we received this note in an envelope with some mail:

[ Name of Resort ] is considered a business the Post office doe not allow ind Forward out of a Business.  Please Fix your mail will be unable to forward.

How do I explain this to someone who works as a manager for the USPS?

Metaphor.

I live at the Sunnyside Apartments. 

I am a renter.

I move.

I have my mail forwarded.

Sunnyside Apartments is a business.

Does that mean the Post Office won't forward my mail?

*********************************

Now, this begs the question.  What does this mean:  "Please Fix your mail will be unable to forward."

Should I go on to illuminate from the inside?

I worked for the USPS as a letter carrier for a few years.  (Until it became unbearable.)

Case in point.

A new guy was going to do one of my routes.

The route had a large loop requiring the use of "Relay Boxes"

You drop of a bundle of mail in each of three boxes and begin the route.

You deliver, say, 60 houses.  You open the relay box and get mail for the next 60 houses.  Then for the next 60.  Then the next 60.  This puts you back at your jeep.

This pattern requires a "Z" pattern of delivery.  E.g.

1, 3, 5, 7, 9, 11, 2, 4, 6, 8, 10, 12, 14, 16, 18, 13, 15, 17, 19....and so on.

You start on one side of the street, deliver 5 or six houses, go back to the beginning of the street, deliver 10 or 12 houses, go back to where you left off, and so on.  This is, yes, an efficient way of delivering this type of loop.  If you have this information before you go out to deliver the route. Then management interferes.

I am explaining this to the carrier.  Or trying to.  The Manger comes over to offer wisdom:

"Fifteen minutes on the street is worth more than an hour in the office."

Oh, yeah......

The carrier came back two hours late.  He delivered 60 houses, ran out of mail, went back to the jeep to get more.  He delivered 60 houses, went back to the jeep to get more.  You get the idea.

Later, the carrier foreman told me that the carrier being late was my fault.  "The mail was out of order."

Well, yes it was.  It was supposed to be.  Also, the carrier should have known about relay boxes.

The Postal Service will never solve its problems until it implements an efficient way of getting rid of managers who simply can't manage.

Now, if you will excuse me, I must try to fix my mail. 

I will keep you updated on the Sectional Center Manager's Lack of Capacity to Fix the Problem and keep Postal Management Incompetence At the Fore.

Sincerest regards,

Slim