Retail Contrarian

Looking for Love in all the right places

In my last post I wrote that specialty retailers whose competitive advantage is their staff and the experience they deliver must have employees who Love their jobs.

The difference in the passion, energy and conviction of Love people compared to Like people impacts both the top and bottom lines.

How do you build a staff of people who Love their jobs?  Consider these tips:

1. Be incredibly particular about why you hire someone.  It starts right here. You can hire potentially good employees based on their past experience, or you can hire people who would truly Love to work for your company/store.  You can teach product knowledge and selling skills, but you can't teach the passion and desire to be associated with your store(s).  While candidates obviously need to possess some skills and attitudes, I'd be concerned about any applicant who doesn't convey their Love.

2. Show the Love to get the Love.  I firmly believe that employees give their customers what they themselves receive from the company.  One of my favorite sayings is, "You can't expect your employees to give service with a smile unless you first give them something to smile about."  This is why employee recognition, appropriate rewards, a strong culture, and managers and owners simply saying thank you is so important.

3. Refuse to accept Unlike behavior. I think we can all agree that retail is not as easy as it may look to outsiders, and that it can be hard to be "on" every minute of the day.  So while it's only natural that some employees might have a bit of an off day, we can't accept any employee demonstrating any behavior to customers or their peers that communicates they don't like their job or the products.  

Too many managers/owners look or explain away such behavior by saying, "Oh, he's having a bad day."  Well, that employee bad day may have just cost you a sale and a customer.  Directly address any employee who has an Unlike day, and either turn around or remove the frequent Unliker.

4. Mirror the Love. Employees follow their leader's behavior.  That's why it's called leading. If you want your staff to be Love people, not Like people, you must first demonstrate the Love.  Do you engage customers with passion and energy?  Do you unfailingly avoid any negative talk about customers and competitors?  Do you demonstrate all the expected elements of the customer experience?  Most important of all, do you Love what you do?

While I believe that a Like owner or manager can run a good store, I'm not sure that person can create a store staffed with employees who Love their jobs and deliver an experience customers Love, not just Like.

So let me ask, are you finding the Love people you need to be a wildly successful store?

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Doug Fleener is a proven retail and customer experience expert that helps companies dramatically improve their customer experience and their results. Visit our website or call Doug at 866-535-6331 to discuss how he can help you create extraordinary results.

Like or Love?

When a post is titled "Like or Love" you might think I am going to recommend that Facebook update the Like button.  It would actually be interesting if they added a Love link next to the Like link, but that would require yet another new layout I'd get lost navigating.  But I digress.

Like or Love.  Most employees like working for certain companies or managers; some even love it. I think that's fine if you're a typical retailer who competes on price, promotion, or convenience.

It's not fine if you're a retailer whose competitive advantage is your staff and the in-store experience they deliver.  Like doesn't get it done.

Think about the difference between two people telling you about a local restaurant.  One of them really Likes the restaurant.  They will tell you where it is, why they like it, and maybe recommend their favorite dish.

The person who Loves the restaurant will share the same information, but with more passion, energy, and conviction. They wouldn't be just telling you about the restaurant, they'd be selling it. The Like person would say try the shrimp, and the Love person will tell you that you HAVE to try the shrimp.

While you may or may not end up going to the restaurant, I believe the Love person gets you to make a decision on the spot.  I'm sure the person who Loves the restaurant sends a lot more new customers to the restaurant than the person who merely Likes it.

Can you really staff a store with more Love than Like people?  I don't think you have a choice if you're a specialty store that needs its people to sell with passion and conviction.

So how do you do that?

That's next week’s post.  Today, I have a homework assignment for you.  Okay, homework may bring back bad memories so let's call it a challenge.

As you go through your day today I want you to label every person you interact with in a work setting (either your work or theirs) as either a Like or a Love person.

Does the barista Like or Love their job?

Does the bank teller Like or Love their job?

Take a walk through a few of the stores at the mall or downtown and determine if the employees you meet are Love or Like associates.  Big hint: If they don't engage you, they don't Love their job.

Look at your own team and determine the ratio of Like to Love.

And finally, look in the mirror.  Is it a Live or a Love person looking back at you?

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Doug Fleener is a proven retail and customer experience expert that helps companies dramatically improve their customer experience and their results. Visit our website or call Doug at 866-535-6331 to discuss how he can help you create extraordinary results.

Dramatically improve your interviewing process

The other day I noticed that a manager was interviewing a job applicant on a bench in front of her store in a local mall.  Since I'm never one to miss the chance to watch and learn, I decided to hang out and see what I could take away from the interview.
 
I can sum up the entire interview in one word.  BORING!  The interviewer was boring. The applicant was boring.  I think they were boring each other.  At the end of the interview the only thing the manager learned was what was already on the application, and all the applicant said was the same the stock answers everyone says in an interview including the all important, "I'm a people person."  My day was complete.
 
Interviewing and candidate selection is just too important to not do extremely well.  Think about it.  A great hire can have an almost immediate positive impact on the store, and a bad hire can lead to 60, 90, or more days of pure hell.
 
Here are ways you can dramatically improve your interviewing and hiring process:
 
1. Spend part of the interview working together on the floor.  Instead of asking the applicant to tell you about her customer service and selling skills, have her show you with real customers.  Sure, she won't have a lot of product knowledge.  Sure, she'll be nervous.  But I'll tell you what, you'll quickly separate the winners from the fakers. Disclaimer: Check with your attorney, accountant, and even car mechanic if you have any concerns about the legality of your doing this.   At the very least, do some service and selling scenario roleplaying with a candidate.
 
2. Have him observe the staff and share his insights with you. This can be almost as good as having a candidate work the floor.  His feedback will tell you if he really gets what it takes to deliver great service and how to sell.  You'll be surprised how many people who say they're good at sales and service can't define it even when they see it.  This is a must if the applicant is a candidate for a management position.
 
3. Require the applicant to interview you. You can learn a lot about a person by the questions he/she asks.  Is he interested in the challenges and opportunities, or how the lunch breaks work?   Is she interested in hearing why you're a great company to work for, or is she already thinking about vacations?  Don't ask the applicant if she has any questions for you. Tell the applicant, "I'd like you to interview me for 5-10 minutes.  I'll give you a few minutes now to prepare your questions."
 
4. Have the applicant spend time with non-management team members.  Never forget that not only are we choosing who we want to hire, but the applicant is deciding who he/she does and does not want to work for.  If he/she is good we want to do everything we can to get our offer accepted.  One of the best ways to do that is to have the candidate bond with one or two of your best non-management employees.  It's one thing for you to say how wonderful your store/company is, but it's another when that message comes from a potential colleague.
 
So let me ask, can your interviewing process be improved?

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Doug Fleener is a proven retail and customer experience expert that helps companies dramatically improve their customer experience and their results. Visit our website or call Doug at 866-535-6331 to discuss how he can help you create extraordinary results.

Delivering a great new employee experience

A new employee's first few days on the job has a big impact on how fast he/she ramps-up to meeting and exceeding your expectations.  I'm the first to admit that I've had more than my share of new employees whose first days were less than stellar. I all-too-often completely missed the opportunity to teach them how important they were to our business, and also neglected to teach them the culture of our business.
 
Here are seven tips to improving your new employee's experience.
 
1. Staff up for an employee's first couple of days.  Even better, don't depend on your new employee for floor coverage for at least a week.  Yes, it's an additional payroll cost, but chances are if you get busy the new employee is going to lose you as many sales as he/she makes you.
 
You could be in the biggest traffic slump of all time, but start a new employee and you're sure to get slammed.  It's vital to be able to spend time working with him/her and not having to cover the floor.  And along the same lines, never start an employee on a day you can't be there to welcome him/her.  I don't believe in delegating the employee's first day experience.
 
2. Get the employee's paperwork completed before their "official" first day.  I think filling out paperwork and reading the employee handbook is a boring and unproductive first day. I want someone's first day to be the best first day of a job ever!  I recommend requiring that a new employee stop by and complete their paperwork before the official start.
 
3. Throw a welcome party. Imagine a person's surprise to see a big welcome sign and a cake celebrating their joining the company.  Now that's a WOW!  I've never figured out why we wait until employees leaves to celebrate them.  I also think it's a great way to introduce the new person to everyone.  I know many of you have started this wonderful tradition. Love it!
 
4. Give the new employee your undivided attention.  That means starting your employee on a day that you don't have a conference call or other meetings going on.  I cringe every time I think about the employee I brought on who spent her entire first day waiting for me. Talk about a poor first experience!
 
5. No scheduling them on the floor until they're able to add value to the customer's experience.  An employee doesn't have to know all of the products or how to do everything before hitting the floor, but he/she does need to have the ability to contribute to a customer having a good experience in the store.
 
Expedite the employee's learning, and soon he/she will make a positive impact on the floor.  And the faster the impact on the floor, the better they'll feel about themselves. The better the employee feels about him/herself, the better the experience they'll deliver.  Got it?
 
6. Have them spend several hours of their first day observing on the floor.  Rather than hearing about, reading or watching a video about the customer experience, get the new employee out on the floor to observe it.
 
Here's how I like to do that. Give the new employee a list of things to watch for when other employees are engaging a customer.  Have the new person write down specific examples that they see or hear, and then review them.
 
7. Partner your new employee with a mentor. I think we can all remember how awkward it is to start a new job. You don't know how to do much and you walk around feeling like you have two left hands and two left feet.  The last thing you want to do is keep asking your new manager so many questions you're afraid you're bugging your boss to distraction.  With a non-manager as a mentor the employee will feel more comfortable asking questions - and we know the staff knows more than you do anyway!
 
So let me ask, is your new employee's first experiences a great one?

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Doug Fleener is a proven retail and customer experience expert that helps companies dramatically improve their customer experience and their results. Visit our website or call Doug at 866-535-6331 to discuss how he can help you create extraordinary results.

Retail experience required - or not

The number of retailers who require job applicants to have retail experience always amazes me.  I particularly don't understand why it's so essential for a part-timer or temporary employee to have retail experience.  In my experience, unless you're hiring for a management position, it's often easier to hire and teach people who don't have retail experience.

A storeowner once told me why she only hired people with retail experience.  "This way people understand they have to work nights and weekends, they have to stand on their feet all day, and they have to learn our way of retailing."

Wouldn't it be easier to simply tell people they will have to work nights and weekends, and stand on their feet all day?  This way, new employees won't have to unlearn all the bad habits they've fallen into while working for other retailers who don't expect as much as we do.

Here's what I require of someone I'm hiring to work at a specialty store:

1. Be a genuinely nice person.  Is anything else more important?

2. Care about people.  You can teach products and processes but you can't teach someone to care about others.  Don't confuse this with people who say, "I'm a people person."  Tell me what you've done to show you care.

3. Be happy.  It's amazing how many unhappy people are hired to work in stores.

4. Smile. Why would you hire someone who doesn't smile during the interview?  Happy people smile, especially in a job interview.

5. Enjoy making other people happy.  People who find joy in other people's happiness deliver great customer experiences.

6. Be confident but not cocky.  The difference is in number five.  Never be afraid to hire confident people.  Confident people sell more.

7. Play well with others. Every time you add an employee you're changing the team's dynamics.  Being able to work well with colleagues is a key attribute.

8. Love, or at least be truly interested in, the products you sell.  Always ask applicants what they like about your store and products.  If they can't answer, move on. They at least should have learned about them before the interview.

9. Love to learn. This is often the difference between good and great salespeople.  I want people who want to know more and be better every day.

10. Want to work at my store. There's a big difference between someone who wants a job and someone who wants to work specifically for you.

11. Sell during the interview. You can call the open position anything you want, but if you work in a specialty store it's a sales job. Even good cashiers sell. If a candidate can't make an attempt to selling him/herself in the interview, this may not be the right person for the job.

12. Be available when I need you to be.  The job might require nights and weekends, but if an applicant has the first eleven requirements I might just find a way to hire him/her regardless of availability.

As you can see, these are tougher requirements than simply having worked in a store.  That's why I believe we should never limit ourselves to applicants with retail experience.

So let me ask, what are your hiring requirements?

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Doug Fleener is a proven retail and customer experience expert that helps companies to improve their on-floor and management performance. Vist our website or call him at 866-535-6331 to discuss improving your company's experience and results.

Tempted to text

During a recent shopping expedition I couldn't help but notice the number of store employees using cellphones while on the floor.  I wondered if these companies allow their employees to use their phones at work, or if these folks were just not following company rules.  I did ask one person if her company was okay with her checking email instead of paying attention to her customers.  Oh, if looks could kill!
 
So I instead of running the risk of being hit by a flying cellphone, I decided to ask the readers of My Daily Take Five instead.  Here's what they said.
 
1. Do you allow employees to carry their phones with them while on the floor?
    Yes     20%
    No      70%
    Other  10%  (Mostly in case of emergencies)
 
2. Do you allow employees to access their phones while on the floor?
    Yes     15%
    No      75%
    Other  10%  (Mostly in case of emergencies.)
 
3. Do you have a written policy on cellphone use at work?
    Yes     55%
    No      45%
 
4. How many locations do you have?
The size of the organization doesn't make much of a difference to whether or not cellphone use is allowed.  Not surprisingly, multi-store locations are more likely to have a written policy.
 
Most readers are pretty firmly against cellphone use by employees.
"Cellphone use on my clock is strictly prohibited.  They must be turned OFF upon arrival to work and all purses are left in the office to help prevent employee theft."
 
 "We would like to allow the use, but invariably they end up texting, gaming, or on Facebook and customer service suffers or is ignored completely."
 
A few people are fine with it. 
"I don't mind if my employees access their phones as long as there are no customers in the store."
 
"In today's world cells are an integral part of life. They are used in lieu of a watch. Kids and elderly parents need just one number for emergency contact. Quick texted messages are less disruptive than phone calls to/from the store.  But phone conversations are to be taken off the floor.  If phone isn't a disruption/ doesn't impede service, is ok."
 
One store manager even leverages the phone for good service:
"We let employees take pictures from their cell of product to email customers with new merchandise or product that they think their customer is interested in."
 
So what's the right answer? Should or shouldn't you allow cellphone use at work?
 
I'm torn on this one. Part of me says that we're all adults and we shouldn't have to have a rule. Shouldn't we be able to expect our employees to do what's best for the customer and the business? I wish it were that easy.
 
Here in Massachusetts, the legislature recently passed a new law prohibiting emailing or texting while driving.  Not even at a stoplight or in a traffic backup.  As a smartphone junkie, going cold turkey has been extremely difficult, I'll admit. I've had a few slips, but I'm doing my best!
 
The temptation to text, email, and Facebook is very tough to overcome.
 
I can't say what's right or wrong for your business, but let me share what I would do for my business. Again, it may or may not work for you.
 
First, I would have a written cellphone policy that is reviewed and signed by the employees annually.  It would be short and to the point, spelling out specifically what is and is not allowed.  I knew it was dumb and dangerous to text or read email while driving way before the state outlawed it, but my behavior only changed when the law did.
 
Next, I would have to go with a zero tolerance for phone use on the floor except in an emergency. I wish I could say otherwise, but I do think most people will check their phones when they shouldn't.  We see it all the time in our daily experiences.  Not long ago I encountered a Starbucks barista checking his phone while taking my order. The customer and his/her experience has to be our priority.
 
It's fine with me if people use their phones in the back on break and at lunch.  As a matter of fact, I might even consider putting a computer in the break room for employees to use during break and lunches. A number of my Daily readers didn't agree with me on this one,
 
I would also implement a two-strike policy.  Strike one, you're on probation.  Strike two, you're terminated.  I know that sounds harsh, but in reading my reader comments it seems that many of you are having a challenge with people following your policy.  That bothers me. Either people follow the rule or they don't.  Sadly, if there are no consequences for actions then some percentage of people won't follow the rules.
 
At the same time I would be extremely lenient when asked by an employee if they can check email.  I know we live in connected world, but at the same time we can't afford to let anything distract us from winning the customer, maximizing the opportunity, and creating an incredible store experience.
 
Yes, we live in connected world, but the most important connection we can make is with our customer, at every opportunity. The rest can, and will have to, wait.

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Doug Fleener is a proven retail and customer experience expert that helps companies to improve their on-floor and management performance. Vist our website or call him at 866-535-6331 to discuss improving your company's experience and results.

The unmerited merit raise

In most companies every employee is eligible for an annual merit raise.  Usually the owner or manager goes through some strange process that has nothing to do with either merit or performance but always ends up at an increase of base pay between 3% and 5%.  It makes you wonder if someone is spinning some Wheel of Compensation that only has numbers between three and five on it.

I remember one year meeting with an employee who recommended that all her managers be given a raise of, yes, you guessed it, somewhere between 3% and 5%.  This included two managers that she had had problems with all year.

When I asked why she was recommending that under-performers receive a merit increase she told me that everyone expects a merit increase.

I reached for my dictionary and looked up the word "merit."

Merit: something that deserves or justifies a reward or commendation; a commendable quality, act, etc.
 
Did these two employees deserve a raise?  No.  Did their efforts and performance justify being paid more money?  No.  And why were we giving these two employees a raise?  It wasn't because the employees were expecting it, although they were.  It was because the manager didn't want to deal with the fallout of not giving someone a raise when they expected one.

Universities talk about grade inflation. This is pay inflation.  Pay an under-performing employee more money and all you have is a wealthier under-performing employee.

Merit increases need to be based on past performance.  Period.

This also means that your best people deserve a larger share of the available increases than do the others. Oh wait, we can't do that because it might upset people!  But isn't that the same excuse that has us paying under-performing employees when we shouldn't?

Even worse, we can't give top-performer Barbara Bucks a large annual increase because she'll be making more than long time average-performer Sandy Standsaround.  Now that so-called reasoning makes me want to pull out my hair!

Top performers deserve larger raises than do  average performers.  If, over time, that adds up to being paid more than other employees, so be it.

Average performers need to be paid more than poor performers, especially since you should be moving poor performers out.  Or as my client and friend Todd says, "Promote them to customer."

It's not easy to pay on true merit rather than giving everyone an annual increase, but that's what good leaders do.

It's never easy to tell an employee they're not getting a raise, but that's what good leaders do.

It's really hard to tell an employee they're not getting a raise if you've not had any of those difficult one-to-one conversations.  Do the right thing and you'll get those conversations started, and next year the employee can get one of the larger raises!

So let me ask, how will you decide merit increases in 2011?

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Doug Fleener is a proven retail and customer experience expert that helps companies to improve their on-floor and management performance. Vist our website or call me at 866-535-6331 to discuss improving your company's experience and results.

Simplifying the Candidate Selection Process

"Nothing we do is more important than hiring and developing people. At the end of the day you bet on people, not on strategies."  - Larry Bossidy

In the very early days of the Bose retail group I was running a job fair looking to hire a new staff.  At the end of the day I sat down with the contract recruiter I had hired to review who we liked and who we didn't.
 
After a few minutes it became quite clear that my "like" pile matched his "reject" pile, and vice versa.
 
The recruiter only wanted to hire people with retail experience.  I wanted to hire people who smiled. I wanted to hire people with energy and passion.  He wanted people to have a college degree.  The recruiter wanted people with a consumer electronics background.  I wanted people who wanted to work for us.
 
Then we tried to merge the qualities we were looking for in applicants.  Not surprisingly, everyone ended up in the reject pile.
 
We finally decided to break down want we wanted in an applicant into four areas:
 
1. Has to have
 
2. Nice to have
 
3. Would rather not
 
4. Absolutely not
 
This simple approach made the whole interview process so much easier, and is the approach I recommend to clients today.  I know that many might think, "We can't do that in our company, it's way too simplistic," but I've learned through experience that overcomplicating the hiring process does not always result in a better hire.  In fact, it's usually it's the opposite.
 
This approach will keep you from compromising on a candidate, which I think is one of the biggest mistakes hiring managers make. The long-term pain of a poor hire is much worse than the short-term pain of having an open position.
 
Things in the "Has to have" category are usually qualities that you can't teach or give a person.  A longtime retailer once said to me, "I can give an employee product knowledge, but I sure can't give them a personality."  A "has to have" can also be a skill or competency the job requires someone to use immediately.  This might be something like management experience.
 
The "Nice to have" are qualities that may increase the potential contribution of the employee, or make it easier to integrate him/her into the job.
 
A lot of hiring managers and owners confuse those two.  People applying for a retail job rarely have retail experience.  It's a "nice to have." Of course, it could also be a "would rather not."  It depends on your perspective.
 
I also see hiring managers put qualities in the "Has to have" because it makes the manager's life easier.  It's easier to ramp-up an employee who has retail experience or experience selling the products the store sells.  But be careful - making experience a "Has to have" might also keep you from hiring someone with incredible ability and potential.
 
"Absolutely not" can be the toughest category to define.  It usually includes someone who has made a mistake that got them in to legal trouble, or has other qualities you'd rather avoid in a new hire.  At the same time, I do think people need second chances in life. That's why I like the "Rather not" category, but of course that's your call.
 
How about you? What qualities do you put into each of these four areas?  Do you use that as your hiring criteria?

Protecting Your Most Valuable Asset

They walk into your stores in hopes of not being recognized.  They pretend to be looking at products when they're really casing the goods.  As a matter of fact, they've targeted your store specifically because of the goods.  A few employees may try to help them, but of course they're "just looking."  They're not in your store to make a purchase; they are there to rip you off.
 
And when the right opportunity strikes they make their move.  You can try to stop them, but eventually one or two will succeed.  The only way to truly protect your most valuable asset is to be proactive before the thief even hits the store.
 
Am I talking about shoplifters?  No, I'm talking about a different kind of thief. While it is certainly painful when a shoplifter hits your store for hundreds of dollars worth of products, it's nowhere near the damage that this other thief does.
 
The worst thief is the owner, manager, or recruiter who is actively out to steal your best employees.  Losing a star employee can cost a company up to five, and sometimes even six, figures.  Some studies show that it costs an average of two times a manager's compensation to replace them.  Sure, everyone is eventually replaceable, but the loss of knowledge and skill can financially impact a business for a long time.
 
The thieves are coming out again.  As the economy improves more people are changing jobs.  As a matter of fact, in the last three months more workers voluntarily left their jobs than were laid off, something that hadn't happened for the previous 18 months.  People are feeling better about leaving one company for another.
 
This means that we have to make sure we do everything we can to hold on to our most valuable assets, the employees we want and need in our company.  Believe me, if you're an above average retailer other retailers want your best people, and it's up to you to keep them.
 
Although people certainly do leave jobs for more money, studies show that more people leave their jobs because they feel unappreciated, they're not being challenged, or they have a poor relationship with their manager.
 
Engaging, involving, and challenging employees is one of the best ways you protect your assets.  Focusing more on the opportunities of the future and less on the challenges of the past is also important.  Money is still important, so it's important to make sure that your current compensation rates are at or above the going market rates.  Last but not least, let your employees know how valuable they are to you now and into the future.
 
The best way to keep the thieves at bay is to continue to show the love. You know, that works on the shoplifters, too!

One Hundred Percent Team Success

“Coming together is a beginning.  Keeping together is progress.  Working together is success.”  -  Henry Ford

There's a Jimmy Buffet song that goes, "I've had good days and bad days, and going half-mad days."  The last two weeks has been like living that song. Between the stock market and all of the press it has been quite the roller coaster ride or, as we say here in Boston, a "wicked" roller coaster ride.

In these times every sale counts. Nobody can afford to miss a single sale. Given the challenges facing this economy it is vitally important that every staff member gives 100% with every customer.  If four employees give 100% and one employee only gives 75%, then the store isn't giving 100% and is less likely to succeed.

With that being said, here are four actions every staff member can take to maximize their opportunities and achieve maximum success:

1. Start your day with a positive attitude. Check any issues or negative thoughts at the door when you arrive at work.  You can't give 100% if you're holding on to negative thoughts.  Yes, I know it's easier said than done, but if anyone can do it, you can.  One tool that can help you and your staff remain positive is our free Daily Retail Quote like the one above. The Daily Retail Quote can be downloaded and posted in your backroom or office 365 days a year. Subscribe to the Daily Retail Quote here.

2. Use each other to maintain a positive atmosphere.  If one staff member starts to go negative it's your responsibility to stop them.  Most people don't even know they're saying negative things, so they'll appreciate you saying something.  If they don't appreciate it, I don't see how they'll be giving their 100% that day.

3. Recognize and reward success among your colleagues. Give that high-five when someone makes a sale. Thank someone for doing the task everyone else hates to do. Compliment your colleague for trying to create a sale even when it didn't work out.  The fuel that will power each individual toward achieving 100% comes from both within the employee and the other team members.

4. Call out those who aren't giving 100%.  I'm not looking to start problems in your store but if a person isn't giving 100%, address it.  Don't get in his/her face or something but don't ignore it, either.  Just be upfront and say that, based on your observation, you believe there is more that he/she could be doing.  My theory is that if you aren't willing to do this then you're not a true teammate.

Are these things easy?  Of course not; that's why there are more losing teams than winners.  So let me ask, are you doing everything it takes for your team to achieve success?