Just think how much better and happier teams could be; and happy teams are good for people and good for business! This is why when the team at KultraLab invited me to co-chair their upcoming research project, ‘The Secret DNA of High-Performing Teams’, I was an enthusiastic ’yes!’
With 27 years experience culminating in roles such as CEO of Walmart International, responsible for over half a million associates across 18 countries, and previously serving as Chief Operating Officer for Walmart US, I had a duty of care to 1.1 million associates . Along the way, I've learned valuable lessons about building strong teams. I’ve seen firsthand the difference amazing teams and leaders can make, as well as the repercussions when we get it wrong. At my heart I am what Sam Walton, the founder of Walmart, called ’a student of retail’. I love everything about this profession and I’m still deeply curious about the intricacies of team dynamics, so the chance to delve deeper into what makes a high performing team, share my own insights and get insights from great retailers globally was too good an opportunity to miss.
Throughout my journey, I’ve prioritised putting people, their development and continual learning at the heart of the business. I’ve learned by observing others, embracing feedback (sometimes tough!) and trying new things (and sometimes failing!). Across diverse cultures and geographies, I experienced firsthand how similar people are in their hopes, fears and dreams, so the impact of a brilliant team is universal.
So, what are the secrets of success?
Number one on my list is purpose. A retail team where everyone knows why they are here and what’s important develops a relentless customer focus. You see great diversity, strong collaboration, seamless communication along with passion and a sense of fun! People are the heartbeat of a successful team and development, and coaching is seen as important as day-to-day tasks.
I’ve also observed that teams who look outside their four walls and are involved in the community show a stronger team spirit. They know their customers and understand what’s important for them. It shows up when you walk in a store and see people smiling and greeting customers, you hear it when someone asks ‘can I help you with anything?’ And when the team asks each other ‘how are you doing today?’
For me a successful team has spirit, warmth and discipline. It can drive strong financial results but that’s just the output of great service, engaged associates and community involvement.
Sounds simple? It’s really not, and it predominantly comes down to one person – the team leader. They make all the difference.
We’ve all met that leader who just seems to be able to deliver results month in month out while inspiring and elevating their team at every opportunity, and who clearly loves what they do. ‘If only we could have 50 more like you’ is an often heard comment.
Those leaders coach, guide and inspire their team every day. They can rally in challenging times and accelerate when things are calm. They create a culture of engagement and empathy, and instinctively understand that how a team feels is the biggest motivator to how it performs.
Authenticity, humility, effective communication and accountability are key and are underpinned by deep resilience - the ability to adapt and thrive amidst change. You see it in people who lead by example, roll up their sleeves when necessary and set clear expectations for everyone around them. We all know that EQ and IQ are important but I’d add RQ and HQ to that ….. Resilience Quotient and Hope Quotient. Hope being the ability to inspire and instill belief in others and bring energy and action to any situation.
I’ve never seen EQ,IQ,RQ,HQ come to life as clearly as we did thorough Covid-19. Despite extraordinarily challenging times our store leaders stepped up, brought teams together and made sure doors were still open to serve customers, either in the store or online. It was the best of who we are as an industry.
The post-pandemic era will continue to create challenges and opportunities for the retail landscape globally. Having the right leaders is critical but they need support too. Investing in people strategies is paramount to attract and retain great talent. Retailers will need to prioritize investments in upskilling, career development and leveraging AI, not only to improve the customer experience, but the assocaite experience as well. Add to that balancing pay and reward schemes with job flexibility and choice and it’s a big ask. But it is what we do – we are a people business and to give our store leaders the best chance to shine the ‘plumbing’ has to be in place and it has to continue to evolve.
I believe stores will always remain the bedrock of retail, providing the foundation for a great, simple and engaging customer experience. However, omnichannel is now an integral part of that bedrock, so the key to creating success is delivering an amazing digital experience, whilst simultaneously having a great team in store. If I look at Walmart’s transition over the last 10 years I had a ringside seat to watch store teams go from digital skeptics to early adopters to fully integrated teams where the online makes the offline stronger and visa versa.
Customers are more informed and have higher expectations than ever before. Great teams with their own high expectations have never been so important and in that brilliant leadership has never been so critical.
For all of these reasons, I am delighted to be involved in the Future Retail Labs research with Performology. Truly understanding and capturing the behaviours of successful teams and finding ways, enhanced by technology, to teach and train those behaviours could be game changing. It will allow companies to recruit externally and promote internally against the attributes and has the the potential to vastly improve the experience of both customers and associates. That for me is a win win and has the potential to make a meaningful impact on retail across the world.
