Got your newest guide yet?
How to Write Impactful Reviews That Matter
Annual reviews are just around the corner. Writing employee reviews used to feel like climbing Mt. Everest. Then, I developed a process that streamlined the whole thing.
Now, I get to share all my best practices with you. This 8-minute read will show you how to plan, write, and deliver impactful reviews that matter.
"Kit uses simple language and avoids extra jargon. This guide is relatable, engaging, and easy to apply." - Vaia Mesitsa, Assistant Manager.
"Will 100% be using this later this week as I write my reviews!" - Nat Rulason, Store Manager.
You can grab it right here.
Now, on with today's newsletter.
Welcome to Retail Renegades.
In every issue, I tear into 1 of the 10 biggest problems all retail leaders face:
- Delegation
- Priority order
- Building culture
- Self-confidence
- Speaking up
- Time management
- Actionable empathy
- Dealing with an overbearing boss
- Clear & consistent communication
- Streamlining processes - working smarter & saving time.
(If you want to smash all 10 of these AND master the fundamentals of running a kick-ass store, I'd love to have you in The Break Room.)
Self-confidence
Follow the rules. But then, don't sometimes.
This week, I want to help you understand when you can break the rules.
Sounds good, right? It is. But you have to understand how to do it right and you need a healthy dose of self-confidence.
Here's how you do it.
1. Pay close attention to the rules. Know them well.
To be strategic about breaking the rules, you must know your company policies well. You need to have worked somewhere long enough that you understand the policies, the system, and your bosses.
After that, you'll understand what matters to everyone above you.
Follow the rules and submit work on time. Understand the deadlines and meet them. Once you've established yourself as reliable, intelligent, and dedicated, you'll begin to understand how and when to push back.
2. Be transparent about your rule-breaking.
If you have enough self-confidence to break the rules, be open about it. That's how change comes about.
Your bosses need to know what rules you're breaking and why.
I'll give you an example.
During the COVID lockdown, my store was closed to the public for two months. I came in Monday through Friday with two other leaders to process online orders. When we reopened, we had to navigate a slew of new rules.
The new rules included locking our sales associate keys in the safe every night. We had about thirty sets of keys. Some only had a fitting room key, and some had keys to every case in the store. They were stored in a locked drawer at cash wrap. Only managers had a key to that.
So, for whatever reason, the company wanted us to haul the keys to the safe every night and lock them up - even though they were already in a locked drawer. Even though our store had a gate that wrapped around the whole building, any thief would've needed a blow torch to get through it.
I was exhausted from managing the CDC and new company guidelines and leading a large team through a global pandemic.
I didn't see any point in shuttling a bag of keys back and forth to the safe. It was one more thing; my leadership team and I were maxed out. So, I told my loss prevention manager I wasn't doing it. I informed him why.
He knew me and my store well enough to understand my position and said he wasn't worried about it. We could keep our keys in the locked drawer.
Sweet.
I got to move on to more critical issues.
3. Some rules cannot be broken - ever.
Self-confidence also means having the confidence to follow the rules that really matter.
Did a customer demand a cash return for an item without a receipt? Sorry, lady. You get store credit. I don't care if you're mad. I don't care if you're going to call my boss. Do what you gotta do. I'm not giving you cash.
If you're supposed to drop your store deposit at the bank in the morning, do it. Go straight there. Don't screw around. Get rid of that money. Don't go to Starbucks; go to the bank.
Are you supposed to check that shoes match when you sell them? Do it. Make sure your team does it, too. Mismates are super frustrating to employees and customers. They cause a considerable loss to the company and cost you missed sales. Check and make sure those shoes match.
Know what I mean?
Follow any rules involving money or protecting company assets.
Once you get to know your job well, you'll build the self-confidence to bend the rules slightly. You probably know your building better than anyone else. Being a partner to your bosses means letting them know what's not working.
You can do this in a supportive way.
"We've been working with _____ for a few months and here's what we're struggling with."
"I saw this new rule rolled out. Does this apply to our location because _______."
What you say is as important as how you say it. Trust yourself. You know what's working and what's not working.
You got this.
Mailbox
I got this DM this week.
"I just listened to you on the F'ing Up podcast. I gotta tell ya, I think we have lived parallel lives! My DM is trying to force me out. I love my job. I've been there for eight years. I'm trying to figure out my next move."
Thanks, podcast listener!
Navigating relationships at work is like a whole other job.
Some people you are just not going to click with, and that's usually okay. However, if you have to report to them and they are getting in the way of you doing your job, it may be time to look elsewhere.
Brush up your résumé and start interviewing. Even if you stay where you are, meeting new people and exploring new options is invigorating.
If you want to check out the latest podcast I was a guest on, you can do that here.
F’ing Up is a podcast dedicated to sharing real truths about the career journeys of successful individuals.
Host, Deanne Rhynard, interviews these individuals, points out what they’ve achieved and immediately throws that out the window and focuses on the tripping hazards along the way.
Society has programmed us, largely by way of social media, to think success happens easily and overnight. Deanne points out the realities and humanizes the experience by asking probing questions and urging guests to be vulnerable.
Level-Up
One thing you can do today to be a better leader.
Trust yourself.
Back to our main topic of self-confidence - trust your judgment.
Good leaders are decisive when they need to be. Sometimes you can ask for feedback, and that's great, but sometimes you can't. Sometimes, you need to make the call. A wishy-washy leader is ineffective and loses team buy-in quickly.
Do your research, understand your customers, and act.
You got this. ✌🏼
Hit reply and let me know what you think of this newsletter. Good? Bad? Helpful? Do you have questions you want answered?
See you next time,
Kit
Looking for more ways to save time and run an awesome store? Let's go!
If you want to learn how to write an excellent schedule in 60 minutes, go here. This ten-minute read will save you time and make your store more money, even if you are new to leadership.
Got a store visit coming up? Want to know how to prepare? Go here.
I'll show you how to prep for a store visit and you won't have to work twelve-hour days.
Score 20% off right now.
Buy one and you'll have the option to add the other in the checkout screen. 🤓
⭐️ Want ALL the how-to nitty, gritty info?
Order my book today! The Retail Leader's Field Guide: How to Run a Kick-Ass Store Where Everyone Wants to Work will help leaders at all levels, even if they are new to leadership.
See you next time!
PS - You're a badass and you can do hard things.
PPS - Stay rad.