There’s an old saying, “You either mind the rudder or answer to the rocks.”

I can’t think of a more appropriate saying with respect to setting the culture in our stores.

Who is the keeper of the rudder?

It’s each one of us managers.

A less than desirable store culture is not a sinister environmental entity that needs to be stamped out.

A less than desirable store culture is something that has been left to develop and grow because of a lack of direction and leadership.

That’s us.

Store culture builds itself through the actions of managers.

If we are lax about our responsibilities, staff will be too.

If we are only rules focused, staff will be too and give us nothing more.

If we don’t come forward shining the light on our work with frequent chats, talks, and check ins, staff will hide out also.

An undesirable cultures develops in the dark.

This is not a hope and wish game.

It is getting out there with clear communication about our expectations on how we work together as a team and how we treat each other.

It is clearly setting expectations and getting agreements about how we talk with and about each other.

We set the bar.

Then, staff will look at our actions and this will inform them if all this is just talk or has some substance.

We need to model it.

Bringing respect, acceptance, clarity and accountability.

When there is a breech in acceptable cultural behavior we must address it.

Then word will get around that this culture stuff is for real.

Getting any of our co-ops off the rocks of a less than desirable culture takes steady, and prioritized, focus and effort. ,

Let’s get out ahead of this and mind that rudder.