Retail Associate Training: Working With People / T

Teamwork
If you have played organized sports, you know the great feeling of satisfaction that comes with being a team member. A group of people becomes closer when people who work together share a victory or reach a common goal.
In the retail industry, you will get plenty of chances to show you are a team player. Doing your share of the work, and helping others is all part of being on the team. The more successful you and your co-workers are at making a team effort, the more satisfied the customers are going to be. It is hard to do it all by yourself.

Back-Up Tasks
Every job in retail has back-up tasks. These are tasks that need to be done to keep the work place ready for customers. They include jobs like restocking shelves, sweeping, and dusting. They are often jobs that people do not enjoy doing.
Some examples of back-up tasks are listed below:
- Airline attendants clear dishes.
- Servers clean and stock shelves.
- Sales people sweep floors.
- Booksellers stock the shelves.
- Florist sales people arrange flowers.
- Clothing sales people arrange clothing displays.
- Receptionists do filing.
- Bartenders wash glasses.

Customers Should Always Come First….
However, those who do not do their share of back-up work between serving customers are not being fair to their co-workers. When employees have their job performance reviewed, everything from performance on back-up tasks to the way customers are treated should be rated.
Susie and Sylvia were hired as cashiers in a large store on the same day. At the start, Sylvia was far better with customers than Susie. Sylvia did not pitch in and do her share of the back-up work. As a result, other staff had to do more work.
Susie got better with customers, and she did more than her share of back up work. She did this without neglecting customers in any way. When business slowed down a few months later, it was necessary for the supervisor to let one of the newer cashiers go. After a discussion with management, it was decided to let Sylvia go and keep Susie because, according to management,
Susie’s overall performance was better.

Moral:
“Be as good as you can be at customer relations, but pitch in and do your share of the less glamorous work.”

Qualities Employers Look For:
Enthusiasm
Employers are looking for people with:
- A high energy level.
- A zest for life.
- An interest in many things.

Hard Working
Don’t goof off at work. There are plenty of chances to do that on your own time.
Make sure:
- All your tasks are done.
- The customers are happy with your service.
When you reach these two goals you will feel a sense of accomplishment at the end of the day.

Honesty
- Do not take advantage of your employer.
- Be on time even if there is no one there to make note of your arrival.
- Never use the employer’s goods for personal purposes.

Initiative
- Do not wait to be told what to do. If you see something that needs to be done, do it.
- Never stand around because you think there is nothing to do. There are always lots of things to do!
Look around the store and ask yourself:
- When was the last time the windows were washed?
- Do the shelves and counters need dusting?
- Do the floors need sweeping or vacuuming?

Loyalty
- It only takes one unhappy employee to create lots of bad feelings within the company.
- Real issues should be brought up to management behind closed doors.
- Don’t say negative things about your company. When people find out there are problems in a company, they tend to stop doing business with them.

Professional Development
- An employer appreciates an employee who continues to update her skills.
- You may not be paid for your professional development time.
- The new things you learn will be of enormous value to you.

Stability
- Employers prefer employees who are stable.
- Frustration and difficult times occur in every job. Hang in through these times, and you will be rewarded when the good times return.
- Leave your personal problems at home. If you are having a bad day, do not take it out on the customer.
- Talk to your supervisor about what is going on, and try to keep your emotions under control while on the job.

10 Skills for Success
1. Be dependable - put in a full day of work.
2. Work well with your supervisor.
3. Know when to ask questions.
4. Cooperate with co-workers.
5. Carry out your responsibilities.
6. Take pride in what you do.
7. Show initiative - learn new skills and take on new tasks.
8. Look your best.
9. Control your emotions.
10. Become part of the organization.

20 Ways To Keep YourJob

1.Be dependable.

2.Follow instructions.

3.Know what an employer expects.

4.Manage time and materials efficiently.

5.Get along with a variety of people.

6.Maintain good health.

7.Be punctual.

8.Adapt to varying work situations.

9.Work without close supervision.

10.Be loyal to the employer.

11.Work as a team member.

12.Work well under tension or pressure.

13.Use initiative and imagination.

14.Make decisions on your own.

15.Be neat and clean in appearance.

16.Follow safety regulations.

17.Use information, materials, and equipment.

18.Use appropriate communication skills.

19.Use appropriate math skills.

20.Organize work activities of others.

Team Meetings
These are also called sales meetings, office meetings, or staff meetings. Some companies will hold very formal team meetings, and others will have more informal ones. Meetings are scheduled for a reason, and people usually have roles to play.
Often, the owner or manager of the business will run the meeting. There is sometimes a timekeeper who keeps things moving along. There is sometimes a recorder who takes notes of what happens. Everyone is a team member and is expected to play an active part in the process.

Teams meet to:
- update the staff on new procedures, trends, and needs
- find ways to continue to improve performance
- find ways to solve problems
- motivate and involve everyone
A team has:
- a common goal
- a need for each member
- awareness that they are a team
- a shared way of doing business
- to work together part of the time
- the ability to get more done by working together than working on their own

As members of a team, we need to:
- learn to speak up in groups
- take responsibility for our own actions
- learn to give our opinion
- say no
- receive and respond to criticism
- make requests
- negotiate for something we want

Asking For Clarification
Asking for clarification is not a negative thing to do. If you are not sure that you understand a process or a word, you need to feel comfortable asking your co-workers and supervisors for clarification.
Clarification:
- to make clearer; to ask for further information

Think about the workplace today. It is constantly changing. Does the saying below suggest anything to you?
“ Elephants have a hard time adapting.
Cockroaches outlive everything. ”
- Peter Drucker

Visit a local retail store and look around. Spend at least thirty minutes looking at the ways that retail associates behave and interact with each other. Talk to some of the sales associates and ask them how important they believe teamwork is to their jobs. Prepare at least three questions you will ask. Write them below. Have your instructor check these before you go on your visit to be sure you are well prepared. Be certain to choose a large retail operation with many staff members, so you can get a good sense of how the staff works together.

On your return from your visit, record your observations.

Features Of Teamwork
The following are some features of working in a team setting:

Work co-operatively
Share responsibilities
Offer support and encouragement
Give praise and positive feedback to co-workers
Remain open to new ideas and feedback
Work as a team to make a sale
Take part in store meetings and events
Reach common goals together
Consider how your actions will affect other staff members
Respect other members of staff
Communicate regularly and accurately
Honour commitments to other staff
Resolve internal issues
Share ideas and information
Assist with training of new staff

Professionally Speaking

Name Calling
Think back to when you were a child and how you felt when the other kids teased you or called you names. It didn’t feel very good and sometimes it really hurt your feelings. Spoken words show how we think. They have a big impact on how we get along or don’t get along with each other.
Some of the names people have given to people from other cultures over the years are insulting. People sometimes use these names out of ignorance.
They either don’t know the proper name or don’t understand that calling someone by a certain name can be hurtful.
If someone you know, or someone at your workplace, calls others by hurtful or rude names, speak up. Tell them how you feel in a way that will help them make a change without placing blame on them.
If you have used a hurtful name, by mistake, or in a time of stress or anger, don’t defend your mistake or give excuses. Just apologize and try not to make the same mistake again.

Follow the golden rule and treat others as you would like to be treated yourself.

Humour
Do not tell ethnic jokes or stories that make fun of a person’s culture. All, or most of these jokes make a group of people seem like second-class citizens.
They make certain features of a group of people seem unpleasant or less than human.
Sexual humour, more often than not, puts down both men and women. It may even result in charges of sexual harassment.
Telling ethnic or sexual jokes is like name-calling. It is often used to bond a group and keep “outsiders” in their place. It may make us feel better than others for a few minutes when we are doing it, but it allows negative views of others to keep on happening.
Unless you are sure that the jokes you tell won’t offend any group or person
- do not tell them!

Bridging The Language Barrier
It is easier for us to speak the language we learned first. For someone who’s first language is not the one used in the workplace, it can be exhausting to think and speak in another language.
In the workplace, you may come in contact with people who have not yet mastered the English language. Here are a few tips that can make it easier for everyone involved:
- Speak more slowly
- Use simple words
- Avoid slang
- Don’t imitate the other person’s accent or limited use of the language
- Don’t raise your voice or speak louder - this is rude.

Gestures And Body Language
Gestures often say more than words. When we move our hands, arms, and head, we make it easier for people to understand what we mean.

Gestures are usually understood within your own culture, but may be easily misunderstood by other cultures. For example, consider the gesture for
“OK” below. What does that gesture mean to you?

In Canada, USA, and much of Europe this gesture means okay, everything is fine, or perfect.
In France it means, “He’s a zero, don’t take him seriously.” Or it is a zero or failure.
In certain Mediterranean countries this sends a very rude message.
In Japan this means, “Please give me change (coins)”.

Comfort Zones
Each of us has different feelings about the space around us. Some people need more space between themselves and other people than others do.
When we are with our partners, family, and close friends, the space that is comfortable for them and for us will be closer than the space we need between us and a co-worker or casual friend. Most of us call this space our personal space.
The distance between ourselves and friends and co-workers where we are usually most comfortable talking and working is called our social space.
As long as we can recognize and interact with others in some way, this is our zone of public space.
Your comfort zone will depend on your own experiences and background.
Getting too close may make another person think you are being aggressive or pushy. Staying too far away may make some people think that you are cold, impersonal, afraid, or not interested.

Understanding and Respect
Get Information About Others
You can learn about other peoples’ experiences and backgrounds in many ways. You can read books and watch videos. Still, what you learn in books and videos only hints at what other people actually experience. They help you to understand how others might be different from you. You need to get to know people, not just about them. We have a lot to learn, and we should be polite, and very slow to judge what we see.

Respect Individual Differences
None of us can form an opinion of a person based only on what we know about their experiences and background. However, knowing what people value, and about other customs and ideas, will give you helpful clues when dealing with others. Every person is unique and has many dimensions. We need to pay attention to the whole person.

If we take into account:
THE INDIVIDUAL
+
PERSONALITY
+
EXPERIENCES AND BACKGROUND
+
THE SITUATION
We start to reach...
“The Whole Person”

Be Curious and Ask Questions
The best information comes from people themselves. Be friendly, courteous, respectful, and non-judgmental. The following are some appropriate ways to ask questions when you want to know how others think:
- What does it mean to you when…?
- What do you say to yourself about…?
- What is it like for you when…?
- What do you imagine when you say…?
- How do you picture it?
- Tell me what is important to you.
- Show me how you would do it.