For four years I ran a single store in a large national retail chain, but I was recently promoted to oversee multiple stores. I am finding, however, that I still worry more about the performance of my old store than what’s going on at all my stores.
You’ve nailed it, and bravo for that. Most people in your position don’t have the self-confidence to realize they have fallen into one of the most common traps of moving up, namely, taking on a new job with enthusiasm but keeping one foot in the old. With your promotion, two people got new jobs: you and your replacement. As a leader, your task is to unleash the innovative ideas you both have. Neither of you can do that if you are spending your energy “going home” all the time. Instead, get to know your expanded world and raise the bar for all your stores.
How? Start by thinking of your stores as labs. Yes, they all do roughly the same thing, but certainly some of them have methods or procedures that are more effective. Your job is to spot those best practices. You want everyone in all your stores talking about each other’s best ideas and and improving them. That will add more value than looking over someone’s shoulder.
Transparency is another great tool to raise the bar. Make sure to share the comparative metrics of every store, ranked from best to worst. Such clarity works wonders. It’s motivating for top-performing stores and signals to poor performers exactly where they can look for more effective approaches.
A final way to raise the bar and avoid the “foot-in-the-old” trap is to conduct regular, rigorous performance evaluations. That allows you to reward managers who demonstrate the values you have laid out, coach your middle group, and weed out underperformers. The outcome: higher standards for all.
Your new job is bigger than your old one. More important, it is different. You’ve got a lot to do, but it doesn’t include what you used to do. Leave that to your replacement, who can get busy reinventing the “perfect situation” you left behind.
This question and answer originally appeared in Business Week magazine on February 27, 2006.
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