First Things First

Critical feedback does not have to be painful, embarrassing, or difficult. Leaders build teamwork by hiring, onboarding and getting to know their staff. Before someone is hired, they share the company values and approach to work and ensure selected candidates are aware and want to be part of the company culture and work. As they train and get to know the staff, they learn the plans and build a path to a successful job, and in the best case a path to a career.

Helping someone reach their goals means knowing what each person values and how the job helps them to reach their goals. Likewise, each staff member is taught the work responsibilities and expectations for customer and staff interactions. Having a path of work matched to each team members personal goals makes it clear that the work expected is the path selected for each person to achieve their goals – even when the long terms goals may not match the short-term work assignment.

Establishing Successful C-Store Operations

Establishing teams that work well together, live the brand, provide great customer service while selling and making money starts with hiring the right people. Knowing who you are in terms of value, attitude and the approach to work, makes it easier to find people that will fit into your system. Recruiting, hiring and retaining staff is easier when you know who will enjoy and thrive on your team.

Once the hiring is done, the onboarding in the first few days and weeks sets the stage for success. As part of the training and the initial period of onboarding, it is important to share the company values, demonstrate the culture and establish the accountability to a job well done. These initial days are the best time to

1. Build alignment to the company vision and mission
2. Establish the expectations for customer service
3. Demonstrate how the team works together
4. Teach the process and the operational skills
5. Share success outcomes with specific goals
6. Understand the personal goals of each new hire

Taking time to onboarding in a comprehensive way initiates a way to work that is good for the customers, and helps build a strong team. This alignment sets a clear path of what good work is, and provides a fair and simple approach to keep work on track.

Leadership When Things Go Wrong – Coaching and Reprimands

Inevitably there are mistakes, misunderstandings, or shortcomings that are not acceptable. When that happens, corrective action is necessary. In a store where c-store leadership is good and teamwork is aligned, the problems are not hard to address. It is simply a matter of reviewing the results and reminding ourselves of the goals. If there are skill or attitude issues, they can be improved.

According to Blanchard & Johnson in ‘The One Minute Manager”, a good environment for coaching and addressing problems (reprimands) has these four attributes:

1. Awareness of how personal goals align with store goals
2. Regularly scheduled goal reviews
3. Frequent feedback with appreciation of desired work
4. Manager focuses on behaviors and attitudes

C-Store Management – Addressing Issues

Runing a tight c-store operations demands focus in many areas. Building a strong team is the natural purpose of c-store leadership development. The benefit of a strong culture, a process to recruit and hire to fit your culture and customer experience provides the foundation for c-store managers to address all the complexities and dynamics of operating a profitable store. Every good manager credits their team for the success of the store. Reliable work and engaged teams drive store operations. It is the only way to:

• Stay Positive
• Address Theft Concerns
• Know the facts
• Establish expectations
• Allow mistakes to build higher skill and execution
• Establish a consistent set of consequences
• Address problems to keep staff on track

Learn More About C-Store Leadership Development – Coaching & Reprimands

Accountability – Consequence Versus Punishment

How to Understand the Art of Accountability

A Summary of ‘The One Minute Manager” by Blanchard & Johnson

The post C-Store Leadership Development – Coaching & Reprimands appeared first on BandyWorks.

Rhonda’s story starts in her teenage years, where she worked in a beauty school and eventually owned her own shop. “I was about 18, just out of school, I ran my own business, then moved into retail management, and eventually stumbled into convenience stores.” But this wasn’t her first brush with the industry. Her mother owned a store when Rhonda was younger, and that experience stuck with her. “I absolutely loved it. I liked the quick pace.”

Straight to Leadership

Rhonda has been with Fastbreak Stores for over nine and a half years. But from day one, she stepped into leadership. “I was managing a local convenience store when they approached me to join their team. I went straight into being a manager here because I had already been managing in my previous job.”

Her leadership experience wasn’t just from prior retail roles—it was also born out of her time running her own business. “What I brought with me was a sense of teamwork and holding people accountable to high standards—just like I do myself. I talk about it in my interviews. I draw a line in the sand, and that’s the line we don’t cross.”

High Standards and Higher Trust

Rhonda is known for setting the bar high, even for new hires. “I start people with high expectations because I want to bring out the best in them.” If you give them a short list, they’ll only do that much. If you give them a big list—even one that feels impossible—they’ll surprise, you. Rhonda knows that with leadership comes vulnerability. I’ve made my fair share of mistakes. Wisdom comes with bruises. But I’m okay with that, I’ve learned from them.

She believes the key is creating a balance between maintaining high standards and providing a supportive structure. “If people respect you, they’ll do what it takes to keep that respect”. It’s alright if they like me today, but I want them to respect me for the long haul.

Building a Team That Can Lead Without You

“I train everyone to be me,” Rhonda says simply. Her goal is to create a team that functions with or without her. “I’ve got people now who, if I wasn’t there, the store would still run just fine.” She doesn’t just hire anyone. “I only interview people who show up and check on their applications. If they walk in to see me face to face over a few days, I know they’re serious. That tells me they’re worth investing in.” Rhonda starts each relationship with trust. “Sometimes it doesn’t work out, but most times it does. I trust my gut. You get a feeling from someone, and sometimes you’re just right.”

Leadership Keys for New Managers

To those stepping into their first leadership roles, Rhonda’s advice: “Be true to yourself. Set your standards, and stick to them.”
She applies the same expectations across the board, whether it’s a new hire or a seasoned employee. “I hold everyone to the same standard at their level. If someone’s behind, I want them to come up. And those already doing well will keep pushing because they don’t want to fall behind.” Even though her approach is fair, it’s not always perceived as equal from the outside. From someone looking in, it might seem like she treat’s people differently. But her team knows what’s up. “They’ve seen me bring someone new in and know that’s how I treated them once, too.”

Creating Diamonds from the Rough

Rhonda’s philosophy is simple but powerful: believe in people even before they believe in themselves. “Sometimes you’ve got to take the rough one and polish them into a diamond. If they succeed, they feel good about themselves. And in return, I feel good for helping them get there.”

She sums up her style with humor and humility: “I fly by the seat of my pants, that’s what my mom always said. I have a master plan, but you’ve got to adjust on the fly when you’re dealing with so many personalities. And that’s the part I love.”

A Culture of Respect, Not Popularity

Rhonda is clear on her priorities. “People talk. But if they’re talking about me, maybe they’re leaving everyone else alone. I don’t need to be the most liked. I want to be respected. I want to be the person my team can come to and say, ‘Hey, I need help,’ and know I’ll be there.” Her passion shows through, even if it makes her vulnerable.

Rhonda Nichols is proof that leadership in the c-store world doesn’t have to follow one set path. From beauty school to store manager, from high expectations to deep trust—she’s built a leadership style rooted in resilience, adaptability, and belief in others.

NACS 2025 Related Education for C-Store Leadership Keys

Develop Your C-Store Manager Operations Economics October 15, 2025 8 AM

Develop Your C-Store Operations Team  October 16, 2025 8 AM

Additional Manager Intervies Related to C-Store Leadership Keys

C-Store Leadership Keys: Kitchen to Command

C-Store Management Life – Calm, Cool, and Collected

The post C-Store Leadership Keys: Trusting the Process with High Standards appeared first on BandyWorks.

Onboarding starts with the hiring process. The candidate’s selection may overlook known issues, or may not verify that the candidate is a fit for the job. Of course, in a staffing crisis, it is tempting to make exceptions just to get a body in the store. However, if there are missing skills, attitudes or situations that limit work attendance/performance there is a cost. This cost is one example of onboarding debt. C-store operationas require strong onboarding – it takes time to provide and time to complete. Putting staff to work that are not fully onboarded means risking rework, bad service or making other staff do more.

Onboarding Takes Time and Resources

Onboarding debt will have to be paid. It may mean the manager has to do more work, other staff must cover, or the service will degrade (e.g., shorter store hours, poor service, incomplete work). Once hiring is done, then the work to ensure the new hire knows the job begins. Having procedures, explaining the schedule, establishing the company expectations for its brand, and level of service must be addressed. Of course, giving the new staff the opportunity to work initially with the oversight and guidance of experienced staff is basic minimal onboarding.

Obviously, the best companies do a lot more. Those initial training items that are skipped, rushed or improperly completed reduce the capability of the new hire’s knowledge and skill. Onboarding deficiencies can be made up with experience, retraining, extra hours and learning the job. However, the onboarding costs will be paid:  either by other staff and/or the customer’s experience.

The Impact of C-Store Onboarding Debt

C-store onboarding impact is easy to see when not done well. Staff are overworked, managers become frustrated, turnover grows, and the work environment is not pleasant. The debt includes:

1. Manager overload
2. Bad customer experience
3. Inneffective loyalty utilization
4. Overly dramatic/unpleasant work environment
5. Lost customers
6. Lower sales
7. Higher overtime
8. More shrink
9. Increased fines
10. Run-down physical locations

Paying Off the C-Store Onboarding Debt

There are many ways to pay the cost of onboarding. Many argue cost increases the longer the full onboarding is delayed. These onboarding tasks address:

1. Hiring
2. Alignment
3. Process
4. Works Skills
5. Practice/Feedback
6. Mistake Assessment
7. Personal Goals
8. Personal Needs

Hiring

Hiring is the start of onboarding. Short cuts with hiring multiply problems during the initial training period. Simon Sinek recommends brutal honesty when recruiting and interviewing. In order to have a fit and achieve alignment with the team member, it make sense to allow candidates to self-select. Further, the interview process should provide questions, interactions, and enough exposure that both the candidate and the company understand if both would like to be on the same team.

It takes more time to pick and there may need to be an earlier start, but without a fit the later work to attempt to force good teamwork may be much more expensive. Worse, it may mean that the new hire quits (or could be fired in really bad situations) and require the entire process to start again. Repeated training, slow learning or poor performance may result and thus begin the onboarding debt

Alignment

Building a team is one of the results of strong onboarding. As stated in the book, C-Store Growth Mindset, teamwork requires purpose, trust, and time. Having candidates choose to join as their personal goals and preference match the vision and culture of the company, provides the foundation for alignment. Honesty in the recruitment process regarding the way the team works together helps candidates choose. Even better, it establishes a promise that when fulfilled during onboarding creates trust with the staff member.

As with all onboarding work, time is required. It takes time to fully understand how to work and interact with team mates and customers. The training of new staff, will exemplify the true values of the company and establish the actual culture that a worker feels and delivers.

Process

Operational processes define the specific work tasks, responsibilities, frequency, and tracking requirements that guide operations. They are the specific guidelines to operate the company to achieve its vision and mission.

Each responsible team member needs to know the processes that they are responsible to fulfill. Additionally, it is important to understand other processes that support the team to know when to ask for help or escalate incomplete work that hinders their work. Team work is not only doing our own job, but assisting in communication of incomplete work (e.g., maintenance, supply, regulations).

James Clear, author of Atomic Habits, states that ‘It’s the systems and processes – the habits – that drive our success’. He emphasizes the development of focus on the things that lead to the results. For example, we may not be able to control traffic or market basket size, but we can ensure the store is clean, well stocked, and service is friendly and welcoming. As part of his research and findings there is the concept of building an identity around the habits that create success.

With great onboarding, not only are staff well trained on the work skills and responsbilities, but also the culture of delivering the work. The process serves the teamwork.

Work Skills

Training for work skills is perhaps the most understood, anticipated and tracked part of the job. We know we have to get them to sign payroll forms, learn how to clock in/out, run the cash register and where to find the supplies. What may not always be addressed, however, are the important parts such as greeting, cleaning, stocking and making the store a pleasant place to visit. The frequency, time, and approach to the job makes a difference.

It is safe to assume that a person wants to do a good job and would like to know how to succeed. Taking the time to explain the responsiblities for the job and to explain the documentation and follow-up process allows a new staff person to meet expectations. Asking questions and emphasing the key areas of concern engage the new hire.

It is important to remember that onboarding can be stressful. There may be hesitancy to ask for clarification or slow down the trainer – especially a trainer that seems to be in a hurry. The onboarding provides lots of time to address the reason why a job is done and why it matters to the customers, the manager and the other workers at the store.

Practice/Feedback

Staff feedback is perhaps the most overlooked part of onboarding. Staff that want to learn crave feedback. They do not know how they are doing until they experience the results of their actions. Further, many argue that learning does not existing unless knowledge is put into action. In order to positively influcence the impact of c-store onboarding-debt each staff must execute and use the onboarding work and recieve feedback. This feedback is paramount to learning and positive results. Role playing situations, having new hires shadow top performers, repeating the same tasks to gain confidences are straight-forward and effective ways to train. Providing time to work with encouragement and helpful tips, allows understanding to come from action. Positive and clear feedback yields strong skills and high confidence.

Mistake Assessment

Errors and problems will happen. Every store manager understands that operating a store involves dealing with problems. The right person, with the right personal goals, aligned with the chain values, brings a great attitude to work. Mistakes are just part of the regular work. Learning and fixing issues is the key. Great onboarding and great management does not mean there are not problems. However, the problems just do not seem so bad with staff aligned towards a shared goal.

Personal Goals

Alignment, often referred to as buy-in, requires a personal connection. When managers understand staff personal ambitions, dreams, and plans it makes it much easier to connect and coach. Obviously, when someone feels they are on the path to their success, they have higher motivation and a willingness to participate fully.

One of the easiest ways to build teamwork is to spend some time with your staff. Getting to know them over time and building trust will increase the interest and desire to learn more. Great store managers know their staff and their personal goals. They help them to find the right opportunities for extra hours, new training, supervisor or management development, and days-off to attend special events. These opportunities can be offered to show appreciation and increase the team commitment. Store managers and supervisors can consider these questions as they plan their staff reviews and coaching sessions:

• How much time is allocated for managers to get to know their staff?
• What are the key interests for each team member?
• How does each person like to communicate?
• What types of appreciation matter the most?
• Which ones like to offer new ideas?
• Are there some members that see problems that make service harder?

Personal Needs

Similar to personal goals are personal needs. These items however may be more important. They directly impact how one may be able to fit into the store work. Needs may be thought about as limitations or short-comings. C-stores often work 7 days-a-week and long hours, even 24 hours a day. Some workers are only able to work certain days and certain hours. Such limitations may be due to child care, another job, transportation or even legal restrictions.

When hiring, getting the personal needs established and confirming during the onboarding can help to build trust and expectations for both the new hire and the store management. It may be useful to ask more questions in the interviews and to re-establish once the new hire starts work:

1. What is your availability to work each week?
2. Are there any issues that may impact your availability for scheduling?
3. What are your preferred working days?
4. What types of things could impact your ability to work the scheduled shift?
5. What types of training do you like to receive?
6. Do you have any learning limitations that our trainers need to address?
7. Are you able to lift boxes, empty trash, perform physical jobs?

Related Sources for C-Store Onboarding Impact

Convenience Store News Convenience Foodservice Exchange – Investing in Food Service Success

Three Aspects of C-Store Operations ROI

Resources

The post The Impact of C-Store Onboarding Debt appeared first on BandyWorks.

1. Financial return,
2. Operates well
3. Grows managers organically

Chain growth requires financial resources the ability to corporate staff to address changes and the ability to staff stores through attrition as well as the leadership for new stores.

I. Financial Impact

Financial impact is measured in sales and profit and the return is a ratio of the store investment. The chain’s brand, position, and management all impact the store growth. Store managers however,  provide direct impact at their store. It is important to track their key measurements allow their performance to be understood. Despite differences in stores, trends in the store yield insights into store manager

BandyWorks 2022 Independent C-Store Sales Survey Results.

impact. Monitoring trends specific to the store as well as comparing to other stores identify success as well as areas for improvement.

The store managers financial impact at a store is a reflection of how the staff sales. Keys detect manager influence include trends for:

• Basket Size
• Customer Growth
• Profit Growth

II. Store Operations

Every store manager has a primary responsibility to improve store operations. They build teams, control costs, oversee cash and financial security. maximize inventory, maintain the store appearance and ensure customer service.

Store Manager Stress Level

Taking care of daily operations requires a manager that can handle the demands of steady decision making and oversight. Store management challenges are legendary. In fact, the store manager’s job is considered the 9^th most stressful job in the USA according to US Department of Labor (O*NET).They “directly manage and coordinate activities of retail sales workers. On top of obligations as a supervisor, other duties may include purchasing, budgeting and accounting. These jobs are the normal level of stress. Given the extreme staffing shortages, the stress level since the pandemic has been at an all-time high level. Operational effectiveness means keeping the priorities set and addressing the critical work in a timely and sufficient manner.

Keys to Return On Investment with Store Operations

Key operations must address staffing, communication and cleanliness. There are so many jobs that must be completed each day as well as cyclical jobs addressing orders, schedules, deliveries, seasonal placements and store resets that occur weekly, monthly or yearly. In a typical c-store the manager oversees five to ten staff, that perform fifteen to thirty duties, and serve seven hundred customers a day. Addressing these regular tasks and making time to improve store operations process with there team is the essence of store management.

1. Staff Retention

The importance of retention grows with the complexity of the role. Retaining key staff such as store managers is critical. Obviously overall staff retention is key, but as training and cost increase the penalty for turn over grows. It is a given that hiring cannot be perfect for new hires in staff roles, the key is to address turnover during the probationary period It is fair for both side to determine if there is a good fit. Post-probation (e.g. 30-90 days) turn-over is a strong measure of store manager hiring and onboarding effectiveness.

2. Communication Integrity

Having the ability to trust what is said is a key to strong operations. Having a trustworthy team makes everything work better. With staff, trusting their work means shrink ang age compliance are good. Having a team follow procedures for shift duties, customer interactions ensures customer service is strong, upselling will occur and inventory will be properly managed. As an added benefit, clear communication and integrity to what is said provides builds trust by example. Such a work environment, will bring out talent and often generates the added benefit of finding management talent within the store staff. Organic management development build trust and extends retention by providing career growth opportunities.

 3. Cleanliness

Often considered the only meaningful indication of operational success – clean stores are the epitome of c-store excellence. No one impacts store cleanliness more than the store manager. It all starts at the top and great store managers take pride in their ability to lead by example. Inspections and appreciation are the only ways to keep bathrooms clean. C-store generate traffic and people are messy. However, a clean store stays clean just like a dirty store invites more dirt. Complaints come from customers, but silent complaints and other problems get worse with a store is not kept tidy. Many firms are adding customer surveys to increase attention to this critical operational factor. Anything that helps keep a store clean is a good idea, but start with the manager – it is the best indication of operational excellence.

Of course, the three keys to store operations are interdependent. Retention is based on working in a job where you are appreciated and you like your manager. Having trust in your manager and team not only helps the company but keeps work fair and respectful. What is good for the chain is likewise good for the team and the staff retention. Further, the c-store industry is founded on cleanliness. operations often grade themselves first in terms how the store cleanliness. Keeping a team, running a store and having great customer service depends on having a clean store. No one wants to be in a dirty store.

III. Leadership Development

In addition to the responsibility for the store, the best store managers also support the chain’s mission to grow. Chain support is a two-way street. The store must provide a consistent customer experience and achieve the brand promise of the company. Despite having a personality of the store manager and a unique location and spirit, the overall service must be consistent across all stores. This means utilizing and follow the technology, culture and processes of the chain. Utilizing and maximizing the experience, strength and value of the total company is key.

Likewise the store must provide support and strength to the chain. This involves feedback, insights, best practices and staff to grow new stores and keep the business whole as time elapses. A company is always evolving and new leadership and ideas must continue to happen. The store is an optimal source for organic growth.

Measuring Store Manager Results

Great store managers love to have their store performance measured. They enjoy seeing their good work recognized.  Strong store managers always want to improve store operations. Providing a regular cadence of simple and clear measurements of things that matter keep top performers motivated. Studies show, that external frequent check-ins yield the best results (2002 study by Ariely & Wertenbroch). Sturdies from NACs and BandyWorks provide comparison to industry norms, but same store trends show how things are going and guide management to keep the team focus on success.

Tracking to help maximize your store manager ROI should address the three main components. Such tools include:

1. Daily Scorecards to see daily, monthly, quarterly and annual category trends
2. Shrink analytics to identify risk cashier events
3. Age compliance to avoid stings, fines or loss of license
4. Upselling rates
5. Deposit reconciliations
6. Order automation or assistance
7. Missing product reviews
8. Store Inspections
9. Study groups or online training for cross-company exposure

Store Manager Impact

A simple way to appreciate the value of a store manager is not having one. During the pandemic and afterwards, many stores had to remain closed due to staffing shortages. Just keeping the store operating is a basic that requires a trustworthy person to handle money, orders, hiring a a lot of fundamentals. At that time, it was nearly impossible to try to improve store operations. Nonetheless, an open store justifies results. The store must provide financial return, be able to operate independently and provide the ability to maintain the chain value. Without these contributions over time, the store would be closed or sold.

More About Store Manager ROI Strategy

https://bandyworks.com/blog/seven-key-things-great-c-store-managers-deliver/
https://bandyworks.com/blog/how-c-store-managers-avoid-overload/
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=003fJKx888A&t=17s
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9VVobPo84FU

The post Store Manager ROI Strategy appeared first on BandyWorks.

Each store must conform to the chain identity, yet each store will follow the style and approach of its manager. It is the manager’s presence and consistency that provides the daily interactions that form the store’s character. Thus, the store manager’s role is crucial to on-going chain success. The store manager sets the tone for their store, yet the owners and operational leaders must establish the values and consistent experience for the entire chain. Creating consistency and maximizing the independence and capabilities of each unique manager is the art of great c-store operations.

C-Store Leadership

C-store leaders create culture from the top down. Nonetheless, convenience stores take on the personality of their store manager. Great managers understand the vision and culture of their family chain. They build teams that work well together, believe in the family goals for the chains and fulfill their personal goals for their career. There are many styles for successful store management. Great managers are comfortable in their own skin. For example, they can fulfill the family mission and stay true to themselves. Their teams tend to follow suit.

Even with wide variances of style, several traits are found in store managers that run great stores. These include: strong team-engagement, high self-confidence, low drama amongst teammates, high staff retention and strong c-store profitability. Mike Nutt, Garisson store manager,  states that “I know my staff can do their job. I treat them with respect as I know they will take care of our customers. We live in a small community and we take pride in how we serve it.” Obviously, he believes team work develops with a strong sense of trust for his staff.

Seven Key Things Great C-Store Managers Deliver

1. Support for Vision & Culture

The best organizations maintain a consistency that is uniquely there own. Like any family, there are so many personalities and differences, but there are also core values, history, and a way of life that makes everyone belong. Strong c-store managers are able to be themselves and build a team that belong to the company way of working. Great c-stores have a feel, the customer experience, that is consistent in their stores. Of course, the staff are diverse, the locations are different, and the communities have their own identity. Nonetheless, the stores share the same approach and deliver consistent services.

2. Transparency

Staff alignment and long-term retention only happens when staff trust their managers and their company. Having a great purpose is the start. Using clear and simple communication allows store managers to move confidently and quickly to build teams and drive results. Using a daily tracking system such as a scorecard provides clear and objective results. Transparency becomes actionable when comparison data highlights those areas that are improving and any areas that are falling back. Additionally, consistent data over time reduces subjectivity. Consistency and honesty build trust and focuses accountability on making things better.

3. Age Compliance

C-Stores sell alcohol, tobacco and lottery. Typically, these sales account for nearly half of their inside sales and largely determine overall store traffic. Avoiding fines, maintaining the ability to sell these items as well as acting as a responsible community member  is key to a family chain’s reputation. Unfortunately, enforcement is quite intense and the guidelines can be subjective. Providing guidance and objective assessments of cashier age verification can make a difficult job much easier for store managers.

4. Shrink Control

Shrink is a part of all retailers costs, but without monitoring and control a few bad actors can eliminate profits and in extreme cases actually end a store’s existence. A good team will not steal. However, every team is made of people that have weaknesses. Keeping an eye on shrink with regular identification of risks and daily control of cash and inventory keeps a team on track and playing by the rules.

We sometimes make bad hires even with strong managers and great operational leadership. Utilizing strong shrink control will keep ‘normal’ workers on track and identify those bad actors that must be removed from the team. Providing clear rules, regular tracking, with simple ways to identify risky events, allows a store manager to keep shrink under control.

5. Upselling

Retail operations are sales organizations. Helping clients find value, and the services they need is the job of everyone in the store. When stores provide great value they inevitably provide more value over time. Upselling happens in the store, with vendor specials, with loyalty programs and with great relationships between the staff and customers. Cashiers and store clerks know their customers and understand what they want. Both the client and the stores benefit when clients find the convenience and goods they need.

6. Profit Growth

Profits naturally occur, when a store has strong sales, with solid margins while they control their costs. Having profitable growth provides the funds to pay staff market rates, and keep the store well maintained. It allows for investments in new products, services and building improvements.

Strong operations happen when staff are working well, there is consistent service to customers and the product provide the value that clients desire. Of course, having great teamwork with good compensation not only allows the staff to focus on customers, it also helps to maintain long-term staff retention. Experienced staff do not require as much time for training which allows more time for learning new skills. Such a pattern of success, yields on-going success that leads to even more growth.

7. Return on Investment

The result of having stores well managed inevitably provides a great return on investment. Strong store managers build confidence with operational leaders and encourage even more investment. Success breeds success. Family chains are built on multi-generational success. Many start small and create steady growth that produces huge value to the community, the staff, and owners. Family chains know the value of strong store management. The long-term ROI is just the measurement of the high value c-store mangers deliver every day.

C-Store Profitability

Owners and operations leaders must have profitability in the long run to keep the family chain thriving. Making investments and driving great traffic and more sales may require temporary expenses that hurt short term profits, but long term c-store profitability is essential to on-going operations. Clearly, achieving the seven key things that great c-store managers deliver will provide long-term success. Of course, it takes time to develop the c-store manager skills, the team work, and the necessary marketing brand. The value to the organization, however, justifies the hard work and patience. Leonna Milburn, Garisson c-store manager, always starts any explanation of her success, by stating how her team is so strong and committed. She credits the leadership of her boss and the owners for her success for making it possible to build a strong team.  She explains “Having a good team starts with a great company. The  owner and the operations leadership have my back. They treat me with respect and provide a great place to work so that I can hire and manage the team.”

Maximize C-Store ROI

C-store leadership is proven by a strong return on investment. Chains know that they must invest in their stores, staff and service. Growth occurs within existing stores and with new ones. Great chains accomplish both at the same time. Stores provide their return by increasing profits and also by increasing the value of the store. Being able to pay for maintenance, develop staff, expand the store means that existing stores continue to increase in value. Strong profits from existing stores offset the investment costs provide the ability cover the risk funding new store expansion. Additionally, staff development allows new stores to be managed by new managers organically developed from within the existing staff. Using existing staff to lead new stores provides a consistent culture and enhances retention of key staff by providing career growth.  Focusing on the seven key things great c-store managers deliver, provides both profits for today and increased value for tomorrow.

Low Drama High Performance

No one likes dealing with politics, gossip or unprofessional behavior. It creates problems, reduces the fun, frustrates workers and can lead to turnover and extra costs. We are all human and make mistakes and do not always say or do the right things. With a strong culture that drives towards a good vision, store managers can address normal issues and keep the store on track. Teamwork does not mean that we all have to be the same. It means we share a common purpose and we choose to work together. A store that runs well over time with low turnover, has a great store manager that keeps team work in place and reduces drama inside the store.

Learn more with BandyWorks C-Store Management Resources

Making a Career in Convenience Video

C-Store Managers Are Critical

Driving Sales Growth with Daily Scorecards

The post Seven Key Things Great C-Store Managers Deliver appeared first on BandyWorks.

Your back office and other technology provide important help to your support staff, vendors, and customers. Your operations systems, therefore, must provide critical insights to make it easier for store managers to direct staff in the stores. Giving managers the ability to see their overall progress and a list of the risky store activities provides attention to the right place. The ability to see exactly which parts of the store are improving or what areas are declining defines management priorities. Clear, straight-forward insights make it easy to address issues before they get out of hand. Even better, it provides specific results to give staff meaningful recognition. That is, the system provides matter-of-fact updates that tell it like it is. Keep it simple for the store manager so they stay laser-focused on the customers and the staff – the key operations for every c-store.

Evaluating System Maturity

C-store systems evolve. Evaluating your current system maturity helps to prioritize and organize the work needed to improve your c-store management system. The article ‘Four Levels of C-Store Maturity’, compares service levels to assess where systems improvements can be made:

As the system matures, there is the ability to focus more effort and resources to the high value areas of customer growth, staff retention, competitive advantage and management development. Leadership that has the time and skill to deliver the mission and vision will build strong teams. With consistent leadership and teamwork, the customer experience thrives allowing the customer perception to see the brand consistently as they shop. In short, the system maturity may best be determined by how well you answer the question: Does your operations system help your c-store manager support the customer experience?

New Operations Systems for C-Stores Are Available

There are new capabilities available. Previously, systems focused on financial controls, supplier management and customer experience. All of which are essential to effectiveness and profitability. Recently, operational support systems are used to deliver results directly to the store managers. Have accurate information means faster action, better results,  and less stress. With so many technologies and challenges, understanding the priorities can seem impossible. Store managers are get-it-done people. Just give them the facts and highlight the priorities – both the good and the bad. It is important to tell it like it is. In summary, make it easy for store managers to know how to appreciate the good work, develop their staffs’ skills, and coach those that are underperforming.

Store Operations Focus

It is not enough to address the controls for money, scheduling, HR, and inventory. Store managers are also responsible for the customer experience in their store. Mangers need both time and focus to ensure the staff fulfill their duties. The team requires coaching, appreciating, and oversight. Knowing what needs to be addressed and having time to address it, is the primary reason to have a c-store operations support system.

Store-specific analysis allow managers to know where they stand. They know who is performing well and who needs attention. It makes store work easier and provides more time for management. Simplifying store management drives results:

1. Bigger Baskets
2. Fewer Fines
3. Higher Profits
4. Less Shrink
5. Better Retention
6. Happier Managers & Staff
7. More Customers

Live the Brand & Drive the Experience

With a strong system in place, managers can shift to developing their teams ability to provide the best customer experience. It is hard to make a customer feel special, if the store is dirty, the shelves are not stocked, the staff are not pleasant and the store is understaffed. The basics must be done well or it is impossible to have a high performing store.

The goal of a great system is to automate and minimize the labor for mundane or less important work, so the skilled staff can focus on the most important work – the customer experience. “As the management experts at Bain and Company point out – a 5% boost in customer retention increases overall profits by 25%.” according to Nick Triantafellou the Director of Marketing & Merchandising at Weigel’. Making the customer’s experience wonderful drives loyalty and in turn will increase sales and profits. Nick explains “Customer experience is the core concept address to maximize customer c-store relationships. The purpose of the company defines how to deliver services to every customer that comes into our convenience store. It is the most important marketing goal there is.”

C-store service can be daunting just because of the difficulty in hiring and retention. Even worse, c-store service has expanded outside of the store with digital interactions and the amount of service at the store is growing quickly (e.g. food, EV, curb-side, delivery). There are more things to manage and a need to produce more with each labor hour. C-store operations support systems must make it easier for the store manager to have a clear picture of the entirety of their store management responsibilities. They must have time and focus to meet the meet their daily work demands while also keeping the staff and customers fulfilled.

Learn More About Store Operations Focus

Basics of Operations Management (1 minute video)

More about store managers operations and how they drive c-store loyalty systems.

The post Does Your Operations System Help Your C-Store Manager Support the Customer Experience? appeared first on BandyWorks.

The Components of a C-Store Management System

Every c-store has a method to run its operations. They have to acquire a location, building, utilities, inventory, staff, suppliers, finance and management to keep it operating. The ability to deliver the convenient experience that brings customers back, produces profits avoids excessive effort is a combination of these components into set of processes that are effective, efficient, clear, understood and utilized consistently. Having the ability to apply the same service across multiple locations while maintaining the same quality allows a chain to replicate their services across their locations. Such a systemized delivery of services takes an investment of time and management and of course money, but yields an ROI in terms of great value to the community, staff and owners.

A c-store management systems includes the software applications for the management of the business:

Basic Management Is Not Enough

An automated or partially-automated c-store operations management system foundation is found in most convenience stores. It is very common to have solid POS, payment processing, accounting and inventory at even new stores. These systems are widely available and provide choices to allow for small investments to solve important issues. These initial systems are critical and more importantly, tend to be focused on back office staff. Either the ownership or specialized staff that do not have retail responsibilities are the primary users. As such, the users are highly motivated and/or have the time to focus on the special training and usage that builds expertise.

System Evolution to a Customer Focus

As the system is expanded to address more of the retail operations, customer interactions and remote facilities, the number of systems that are involved and the number of different tasks that the users are assigned grows quickly. Store management, staff development and customer experience components are utilized by retail staff that also work with ten or more other components. Additionally, these staff have numerous daily tasks making it harder to find dedicated time to master the technology and processes.

It is important to address the learning curve, the time available to use components, the need to train to store managers and the requirement to simplify work to remove low value tasks to make time for the more important work. As the systems expand into staff development, customer service, loyalty and the marketing effort for branding and customer experience, the ability to increase sales and profits grows. To make time for store managers to drive the culture and long term value of their stores, the system needs to eliminate work, make the work easier and/or allow other staff to get it done. Systems are designed to make high value workers more productive and thus increase operating revenue and profits.

C-Store Management System Complexity

The c-store manager is involved in nearly every part of the c-store management system. In addition they perform store operations and are primarily responsible to ensure the store team fulfills the culture, brand and overall customer experience. They are critical to the system effectiveness.

In order to operate well, these managers must have on-going skill development, productivity aids to ensure their time is protected and the support to guide their awareness of issues. Advanced customer-focused systems (e.g., loyalty, mobile apps, digital marketing) expand the roles and skill required within the store to ensure the customer experience and the chain brand promise is fulfilled.

C-Store Management Systems Complexity Increases

As new system components are added, store managers must have time and information to manage and address of the various aspects of the service. This increased skill and complexity is addressed with staff development and better tools to save time and assist the manager in the oversight, follow-up and delivery responsibilities. It is important to assess not only the systems, but also the store skill sets and the ability to utilize the systems as desired. With the increase in the number of system components, it is critical to train managers and find ways to help them to simplify their daily job.

Companies that do not have a solid system in place tend to work harder at lower value tasks. These jobs can limit the staff satisfaction and increase turnover. Adding more work in terms of hiring and onboarding staff can make an operation very tedious and unproductive. In the extreme, it can end the viability of a store. It is not uncommon as chains grow to sell unproductive sites.

Making Time to Develop New Skills

A system that produces results in terms of financial outcomes, customer perception, and capacity growth yields great value. Using system designed for accountability allows the staff and the management to know their job, get feedback to keep growing, and provide an environment for employee and customer retention. Strong operations, avoid spending too much time in crisis mode. They generate profits that allow for investments to further expand the success. With specialized analytics, store managers are able to receive focused assignments specific to their stores. Scorecards, control/compliance analysis, and outside coaching keep store managers focused. They spend their time on the areas that will yield the best results. With increased store manager oversight, a store can not only grow its sales and profits, but also make time available for training and customer-focused work. Success breeds success. Good work eliminates bad work and makes time available to learn.

As the system increases automation and integration there is the shift towards customer and company value – culture, brand, loyalty and experience. These customer-focused activities require even more skill reinforcement and hands-on time. Even with training and great systems, however, the system cannot make the brand or the culture alone.  What the system can do is to make the brand, culture and resulting experience consistent, simpler to provide and more easily replicated to other locations.

Evaluating System Maturity

C-store systems evolve. Evaluating your current system maturity helps to prioritize and organize the work needed to improve your c-store management system. The article ‘Four Levels of C-Store Maturity’, compares service levels to assess where systems improvements can be made:

As the system grows, there is the ability to focus more effort and resources to the high value areas of customer growth and retention, competitive advantage and management development. Leadership that has the time and skill to deliver the mission and vision will build strong teams. This leadership focus improves the financial results. These companies consistently increase sales with upselling, add more traffic, increase profits by losing less from shrink. With consistent leadership and teamwork, the customer experience thrives allowing the customer perception to see the brand consistently as they shop. The best systems make the basic services easier to deliver so that the customer experiences what the brand promises. The experience and brand are controlled by the store staff and lead by the manager. The system is there to support these goals and simplify the work.

The Reason We Work Here

The culture, brand and customer experience result directly from a company’s ability to deliver it’s promise. The idea of what a company wants to be is considered its vision. What it does is the mission. Making the vision and mission simple and clear enables a system to be established and improved to drive work towards the resulting goals. Having a purpose defined makes it easier to hire the right staff.

The key is to find people that desire and have ability to be part of a team that serves the purpose. Of course, compensation, schedules and location matter, but the desire to do the work makes any job more interesting and produces better teams. Before you can ‘live the brand’ and create growth a store needs to be built, supplied and staffed. Getting the right stuff and the right staff stack the deck in favor of good results.

Building the Team – Hiring and Onboarding

Having a team that works well together and consistently delivers the desired results begins at the hiring process. Teams that ‘live the culture’ and achieve the results are comprised of people that want for themselves the things they can accomplish in their jobs. When hiring, the goal is to find those that want to work in a manner that fits with the culture of the company. That is, their personal values and goals match the purpose of the company and align with others on the team. With such alignment, personal motivation matches with expectations. There is less resistance to training and work assignments.

As result of the on-going management development, there will be a source of new leaders developed organically. Such growth helps the company to grow as management depth is a factor for store growth. Additionally, when staff have a career path, they stay engaged knowing the company is investing in them.

No Limits to Staff Development

There is no limit to a person’s growth. Bruce, a McIntosh Energy store manager, offers his experience for c-store employment. He reminds each of his hires to “come in with the right attitude – you are going to be successful. Strive to be the best and look for the job that you desire.” As company growth occurs, it is important to build a system to encourage advancement. The system and the staff need to keep improving. Improvement comes from new technology, better processes, clear communication, great marketing and  c-store staff development.

Create the Culture

Store managers are critical to the culture in the store.  Each store takes on the personality of the store manager. In order to provide the resources for growth, you must build a system to develop c-store managers. The resources to add new stores include not only the finances but also the management capacity. A growth system must train managers at a rate that not only addresses c-store attrition but also the need for new managers as store count increases.

In addition to the system components listed in the tables above a typical store manager must be able to address a full range of management duties:

1. Hiring
2. On boarding
3. Compliance Oversight (e.g., age verification, food preparation)
4. Loss Control (inventory, theft, carelessness, labor usage)
5. Time Management
6. Competitive Analysis
7. Customer Service
8. Inventory Management
9. HR Duties
10. Scheduling

Hiring staff with all these skills along with the knowledge of the system technology is very hard. Commit the resources to maximize the resources invested in the systems. Even the best technology fails without proper resources available to the users: time, training, practice and on-going support. Systems change, usage is modified and people make mistakes.

Live the Brand & Drive the Experience

With a strong system in place focus can shift to building a team that focuses on the customer. The goal of a great system is automate and minimize the labor for mundane or less important work, so the skilled staff can focus on the most important work. In a c-store that work is the customer experience. “As the management experts at Bain and Company point out – a 5% boost in customer retention increases overall profits by 25%.” according to Nick Triantafellou the Director of Marketing & Merchandising at Weigel’. Making the customer’s experience wonderful drives loyalty and in turn will increase sales and profits. Nick explains “Customer experience is the core concept address to maximize customer c-store relationships. The purpose of the company defines how to deliver services to every customer that comes into our convenience store. It is the most important marketing goal there is.”

It takes skill, resources and time to train a team to perform basic customer service. There are numerous jobs. Delivering a memorable experience goes beyond great service. It is the ability to act rather than react to customers, to provide a feeling they love rather than make a quick transaction. Getting to the level of great customer perception involves every staff member, a good location, the desired products and service provided as the customer wants. Such delivery means staff that know what they are doing, enjoy where they work and are proud of the location and goods they provide. They need to feel trusted and cared about to deliver such service to the customer. Having such staff in that mindset requires good management and leadership in the store.

Create Growth

The business must generate results and fund the operations. Higher sales and profits are essential to having a great company. The system must result in a source of managers that are able to step into the roles needed for the desired growth. With all the benefits of a consistent brand, great loyalty and high retention,  there will be an increase in sales. Of course, external factors will impact sales. The point of the system is to control what can be controlled and to understand the factors that are not controllable. Understanding what is not controllable, will identify new or existing controllable things.

The system helps to understand and adapt to the situation at hand. Utilize strengths and minimize weaknesses. There are always opportunities to serve. Knowing the true position within a market – how your compare to others and what creates your customer loyalty – makes it simpler to operate your stores.

With the clarity of your brand and how that impacts your customers, it is much easier for staff to focus on the things that really matter. Having a clear job with great customer feedback, makes staff proud and reinforces the system with the positive feedback.

The Balance Scorecard

Robert S Kaplan and David P. Norton argue that a balanced scorecard provides better guidance for long term success. This concept is described specifically for c-store in the article –The 4 Components of a Balanced C-Store Performance Scorecard. Wikipedia states that there are 4 parts to having a balanced scorecard:

1. Financial

2. Customer Perception

3. Internal Business Processes

4. Learning and Growth

Build a System to Develop C-Store Managers is a key to on-going growth to increase sales.

Having managers available that understand and have proven they can establish the culture makes adding new stores so much easier. A good system will not only keep the operations on track, but will also include learning and growth. Specifically, train managers and staff to ‘live the culture’ and drive growth in the staff, in the store an for the community.

Accountability Sustains the Culture, Brand and Retention

There are five principles that the most successful c-store operators use to apply accountability to get better results.  Thriving organizations practice accountability. Optimized accountability systems use all  five principles. Together, the five principles make work simpler. Over the course of a decade studying accountability, we have found that many owners and managers have expressed frustration, doubts, or uncertainty on the subject. As documented in the book, C-Store Growth Mindset Making Peace with Accountability, the five principles are:

1. 1. Vision & Mission

   2. People & Teamwork

   3. Process

   4. Goals & KPI’s

   5. Tracking  Follow-up

Applying the principles of accountability as you create and implement the operational system ensures you are able to live the brand more easily. Knowing the purpose, hiring and onboarding the right staff with the processes established to achieve the desired goals makes the follow up a positive team activity. The system reduces unknowns, identifies priorities needed for any course corrections and reinforces successful behavior. Removing small defects and reward the desired behavior makes management and work fun and reliable.

It takes a strong system to build a high growth and valuable c-store chain. The process is never done and there is not set timeline for growth. Strong companies move forward and make things better. They invest in their assets, systems and people. The irony of great technology and systems is that they can help to build strong relationships and more personal interactions.

More Resources for a Building a Strong System

Using scorecards to pinpoint trouble shooting

Kendra discusses the value of sharing management issues

The post Building a System to Develop C-Store Management to Drive Culture, Live the Brand and Create Growth appeared first on BandyWorks.

Daily Operations Drive C-Store Management Headaches

There are numerous factors that impact sales growth, customer service quality, store traffic, and profitability. All the essential results that c-store managers must achieve on a consistent basis. Naturally, there is pressure to perform and the seemingly, out of their control issues of the on-going workload are the core source of stress. It can be easy for leaders to feel helpless or limited in their ability to address the challenges and meet their performance expectations.

One of the top sources of c-store management challenges is c-store turnover. It often happens when staff stress levels are too high. While no one can control the staff personal issues, it is essential to address staff drama, work performance and keep the customer experience strong. The store manager must assess and address the team needs. Focus on taking care of the team is lost during c-store manager burnout. Keeping the store manager calm and confident is necessary. Without good leadership the team is much less likely to stay on the job and work as needed.

According to Insha Ali (HR Director), the store manager has control over the key aspects of staff job loyalty. In fact, she states the key factors to retain staff and provide sufficient labor are directly managed in the store. She lists these requirements to keep staff engaged:

1. provide meaningful work,
2. assign work to use staff skills
3. keep good relations between the boss and the team
4. appreciate good work
5. provide freedom to accomplish a task
6. align staff personal goals to company needs
7. illuminate how staff work drives the company mission

Store Managers Directly Impact Teamwork

Considering these important factors, the chief controllable influence regarding effectiveness is the leadership of the store manager. Given the value of store managers, it is necessary to provide an environment and structure that is reasonable, clear, and consistent. Overload happens when there are frequent changes, shortages, and problems. All store managers accept that customers are unpredictable and unfair, staff call out and suppliers do not always have all that you order. It is not reasonable, however, to have consistent and long overtime, uncommunicated and excessive product delivery failures, and ongoing headaches with age stings or store theft. Spending all one’s time firefighting and addressing problems is not a sustainable model for a good store manager job.

It easy to understand the hesitation to give store managers extra tools to learn and utilize when they are already in danger of excessive stress in a tight labor and supply environment. The store managers have to address so many jobs each day and they do not have a lot of desk time to learn and study new things. However, with the right amount and type of information, along with the development to use new techniques and technology, makes a difficult job possible. There are ways to eliminate portions of work to allow time for the important management and leadership development that creates great stores and achieves top results.

C-Store Manager Development – Easy to Postpone

Good management includes the right culture, teamwork, process, goals and tracking. Anyone can easily agree that company culture, compensation, and flexibility matter, but there is little doubt that the store manager is essential to c-store success. Most c-stores are part of a chain that has a brand, store format, back office system, maintenance support, and general procedures that are similar for all stores. These items are important and typically get great attention from the owners and operators in the main office.

Store managers, however, may not have the same focused and consistent support for their professional development. Operations, by necessity, must address the daily challenges – they work in operations after all. The skill and professional development is important, but can easily fall prey to the urgent daily operational needs. As Stephen Covey famously reminds us, however, the important but not-urgent portion of our work allows us to grow and attain our objectives. Store manager development is important to consistent and long term c-store growth. It is the mindset that matters and deserves priority along with the daily oversight responsibilities.

Simple and Effective Daily Plan

No day is the same, but every day has certain things that must be done. Further, the store must have enough staff to do its weekly and monthly work or problems will grow. Ignoring routine tasks causes problems eventually. If only the urgent needs are addressed due to staff shortages or bad management, eventually the time spent fixing things will overtake the time available for normal required operations.

Every store will have issues, but they need to be fixed before they get out of hand. There are different ways to approach a operational structure. A simple plan and checklist to start the operations part of the day, can keep a store manager on track and ensure that all key areas of supervision are addressed. A basic 5-minute plan is one way to ensure the manager does not miss problems as they occur. Ignoring small problems may allow a small problem that is easily fixed turn into a crisis that is hard to resolve. If ignored too long, it can  require supervisors or other leadership to be involved.

Sharpening the Saw

Keeping the skills fresh and avoiding burnout is a matter of learning along with practice. Using role play, learning and professional development thrive. According to Dave Mattson, of Sandler, “Roleplaying gives … the internal strength and the poise they need to execute at a high level of proficiency when it counts: in real time, during discussions with {customers}.” Having a chance to work through a role play of difficult hiring, training or staff-behavior-coaching situations, provides both skills and confidence.

It is much better to learn and try things in a controlled setting than learning and figuring it out as you go. When jobs are on the line and a manager must judge the quality of work, emotions can run high. It is harder to execute well without practice, especially in emotionally-charged settings. The upfront practice allows new techniques to be learned. Thus, the skill is available when a real-life situation occurs. Having practiced for different scenarios provides a much easier way to address a problem professionally.

The ability to practice in a safe environment is a common technique for all professionals. It is so much better to build skills in a safe and calm place than to try to perfect a skill during a stressful situation that may impact someone’s job and career. Clearly, store manager reprimands when necessary are the key to limit c-store turnover. That is, dealing with mistakes should be a positive learning experience that helps the staff to improve and feel better about their work.

Stop C-Store Turnover

In order to have a stable work environment, a C-store must have access to enough staff to cover the store. Sometimes, the only solution is to shorten hours or even keep the store closed completely some days. This can simplify the staff needs in the short run but may hinder hitting profitability requirements and risk having clients shift to other stores and not come back.

With adequate staffing available, the store manager must still ensure that that staff is trained. Onboarding new staff takes time and effort that is not available for other work. Further, new staff may not perform as well, and they may adversely impact the customer experience. Untrained staff add risk to the store in terms of customer loyalty. Additionally, hiring new staff in a shortage may increase pressure to hire those that do not fully qualify due to a history of poor performance, age violations or even theft.

C-Store Retention Begins with Hiring

High c-store turnover also puts pressure to accept candidates that may not be motivated by the company goals. Such staff may hurt the company culture. Bad work not only risks customer unhappiness but hurts the teamwork and overall culture of the store. It is very hard for staff to stay motivated to do their best if other staff are not fitting into the team and do not share the same goals and commitment to the company goals and mission.

Most c-store managers admit that they have made poor hiring decisions when under extreme staffing shortage. They also admit that they know that hiring is the place that teamwork and accountability begins. Hiring the someone that fits into the team is very important to overall success. Simon Sinek argues that hiring is like adding someone to your family. You should hire slowly and really get to know if they like the company and whether you would like them to be part of it.

Knowing the Problems and Finding Better Solutions

With the pressure to hire, onboard, monitor, and work actively as part of the team, the store manager has a lot of different tasks to juggle each day. Keeping the operations on track is front and center in their thought process. Where possible, a tool that can scan for risky behaviors, find great work, identify both the best and worst items for sales, speed up and simplify work are candidates for making the job a little better.

The balance of the time savings and additional insights must offset the risk of the time and burden to the existing work load as well as the benefit that it brings. Most stores have financial controls for cash, inventory check-in automation and help to place new orders. These are the basics of most back office systems.

Beyond the Back Office for C-Store Management

As a next step, to save time and address risks, many c-stores are adding retail data analytics. They are providing very specific and targeted lists to identify shrink, age verification, daily scorecards, and top up- sellers. They utilize a format that allows the store manager to see just the most important items in just a few minutes. This allows them to  replace slow moving products and maximize vendor promotions as well as coach staff in regards to other customer incentives.

Great service and value is a way store managers increase both traffic and sales. Tobacco scan data, loyalty and customer appreciation services are a big part of c-store technology. They add additional work in the store, but provide a payback and justification for training and skill development. It does add stress to change, but the benefit to risk control and increased sales justifies an investment of time. The time allows a lower stress to store staff which allows them to learn how to make a new service part of operations. Of course, reducing the time needed or even eliminating other low value work is a way many operations make it possible. Improving operations and building professional skills keep the c-store manager’s job both rewarding and reasonable.

Avoid C-Store Manager Burnout

Store managers need a chance to practice and hone their skills. Technique and attitude are key priorities for c-store manager confidence and capability. Leaders become stronger with new skills, effective communication techniques, and the understanding of alternative approaches to manage different types of personalities.

Working and training with other growth-oriented leaders makes everyone stronger. Understanding your issues are ‘normal’ and having support and guidance on different approaches, provides a high level of confidence. Managers that roleplay and train are better able  to deliver even bad news in a positive manner. Addressing problems and maintaining teamwork is essential to keep stores growing and staff retention strong.

Investing in store managers avoids burnout for them and helps to drive c-store retention by reducing staff stress. Having calm, confident and professional leadership makes the whole team better. Investing in c-stores managers provides long lasting results that drive growth in sales and profits.

Additional Resources – How C-Store Managers Avoid Overload

1. Books for C-Store Managers – Tips, Best Practices and Accountability Principles
2. Interview with Kendra – Why Taking Time to Learn with Other Managers Makes Sense
3. C-Store Manager Workshops for Leadership and Management Development

C-Store Manager Best Practices Videos

C-Store Manager Time Management 

The post How C-Store Managers Avoid Overload appeared first on BandyWorks.

The C-Store Growth Mindset book has been published. The findings are based on a decade of operations and a career of retail data analytics. It chronicles family chains that practice the growth mindset to grow their chain. BandyWorks’ Tom Bandy and Mason Cowan published field-proven case studies of principles and best practices that enable high growth, high profit c-store growth.

“During my career, I was fortunate to be part of teams with big missions. They made products and services that stopped bullets, prioritized organ transplants, produced high stock returns, and increased factory production. Working with great companies like Dupont (Kevlar), UNOS (organ transplants), GE Capital, and hundreds of manufacturing companies, I worked on teams that produced data analytics that made products better, improved management and streamlined work.” explains Tom Bandy, Founder of BandyWorks. For the last decade we have used this experience in the c-store world to help make retail operations more profitable and less complex.

Independent research for C-Store Growth Mindset

To ensure we correctly defined the principles, Mason Cowan found and reviewed over 20 university and other resources to ensure our accountability principles were validated by independent professional researchers. Here are a sample of the research findings that confirm the principles.

C-Store Case Studies

Most importantly, we include half a dozen case histories with our clients to document operations-tested approaches using the growth mindset. The case histories include:

1. Garrison Food Mart – Family, Focus and Priorities – 13 stores
2. Split Stop – Staff Are the Most Important Part – 19 Stores
3. Star Express – 8 stores & Express Lanes – 9 stores – Communication Is Key
4. McIntosh Energy – 4 stores – Make It Clear, Simple & Easy
5. Sunrise Convenience – 42 stores – Focused, Easy Actions. Trust Your Instincts
6. Smith & Shores – 12 stores- Make Time to Track

“All five principles are used everyday in my work. I cannot just pick one. This new book is a concise summary of things we do every day. I like it as it just makes it easy to focus on the things that just make sense” observed Greg Hendricks, of Garrison Food Mart (13 store chain in Texas). “We know these things, but the book is a great tool to help us use it daily. We are all busy and it reminds us of what we need to do.”

The book recognizes that c-store operators are great businesspeople. They want a simple way to implement an accountability system. The results of the case studies show how family chains are using best practices to recognize and motivate staff. “We want our staff to achieve great results and work in a store where they like serving customers and having a great team” stated Sam Bhambratt of Split Stop, in Augusta, Georgia.

Accountability Principles

The accountability principles of vision, teamwork, goals, process, and follow-up. The specific explanations with both research and case studies make it easy to share and apply to the everyday work of convenience. Accountability fits best into a system that matches the work culture and is created to support the primary purpose of the company.

You may read more about the book online.

You may order the book from Amazon.

The post C-Store Growth Mindset appeared first on BandyWorks.

1. Vision / Mission – Visions do not change very often, but the mission may change more often to fit the vision. Of course for very successful businesses the vision may evolve – think of The Marlin company that started out making guns, shifted to safety and now delivers world class corporate communications

2. People – People grow and so do companies. Based on the other factors the fit for those people may change as well.

3. Process – Long-term success demands process. The challenge with process is to maintain the leadership quality and/or innovation that lead to the past success when create structure via the process.

4. Goals / KPI’s – When a company has the right vision, team and process, success is soon to follow. This success can be many things but probably means increased sales, higher quality or higher profits. Setting the right goal and then finding true leading indicators is a powerful tool to manage the activities needed to achieve the defined goal(s).

5. Teamwork – Accountability can be accomplished individually, but it is very limited. Great accountability is typically associated with a team. Trust, respect, cooperation and frank communication are characteristics that make accountability work.

6. Tracking – Great tracking means accurate information is derived through the standard operations to maximize efficiency and effectiveness.

Life cycle of accountability

The 6 rights of accountability just make sense. The funny thing is that fixing one of the rights may change the answer to a different right. Think about entrepreneurs. They get things started but often are not the right people later. They may start without a lot of rules. The process is inspiration and hard work. With success, more process and structure may be right. Likewise, the wrong person without a clear process may be the right person once the right process in in place.

Related topics

The post The 6 Rights of Accountability appeared first on BandyWorks.

Why define a vision?

The whole purpose of the vision is to empower your team to make decisions. Of course, the vision is not sufficient by itself; there are many other issues for empowerment and accountability. It is the place, however, to start to create the picture of the destination that will guide decisions for the steps along the journey.

How does a team create a shared vision?

While a leader can certainly write and share a vision individually, it is recommended to take time to include as much of your team as possible in the process of creating a vision. For small companies, this may involve 100 percent of the staff, while larger companies may be restricted to a smaller portion of the entire organization. Regardless of how much participation is included to create the vision, everyone must be involved in knowing and acting upon the vision, once it is defined. When the vision is firmly established, many companies use it to screen and select new staff to ensure a good fit with the company.

The process should take 30-90 days to collect input from everyone involved.  Start by creating a set of questions that elicit

• core values,
• unique offerings to your clients and community,
• the type of company that you desire to be,
• the manner in which you work and
• benefits to the staff of working in such a company.

If possible, research other great companies to understand their vision and how they use it to drive their success. Hiring a consultant that specializes in facilitating the vision-creation process often helps to accomplish greater participation and frank dialog.

What should the vision include?

The process of creating the vision needs conclude with a written document that can be shared and reviewed. Include these four sections to provide clarity to the team as they build an accountability culture for success.

• Summary – In your first paragraph write 2-3 sentences.  Characterize your clients and define how you help them. Describe your team, how you work and your values. Finish with a summary of your approach to work.
• Describe the future – Narrate a work day in the future when the vision is realized. Include the accomplishments of the team, the benefits to your clients and the manner in which you work.
• Gifts – List the gifts and rewards that result when your company fulfills the vision.
• Key points – Illuminate the critical things that the team must remember and do in order to accomplish the vision.

Accountability – Six Things to Get Right – Start with Vision.

Your vision is the picture of your preferred future. In addition to the detailed vision, take a little extra time to create a single sentence that captures the essence of the vision that can be easily shared and remembered.

Related topics

The post Accountability – Six Things to Get Right – 1. Start with Vision appeared first on BandyWorks.

• the right people and
• the right seat.

Right People

Using a strong vision, it is possible to define both the work that needs to be done and the people that will work well together to make it happen. With so many companies and people, it is important to know what you desire – both from a company perspective and from a staff perspective. There is nothing intrinsically better about one type of company over another. A company driving to provide great value has clients that need their solutions just like a company that focuses on innovation. The people they hire, however, may not be the same ones.

With a clear vision, it is easy to explain to a potential candidate the traits you are seeking. What is not as easy is assessing the real traits of someone seeking a job. The old saying ‘hire slowly and fire quickly’ is geared towards ensuring the right people are selected. Not everyone is great at reading people and there is often intense pressure on those seeking a job to try to make themselves fit. Just like all other jobs, make sure those responsible for hiring know how to do it well. For small companies, the costs of a bad hire is so big proportionally, they must work very hard to get it right. Hire someone to help you if you can, but always take enough time to do your very best to pick the right people in the beginning.

Right Seat

While the vision helps to identify the right people in terms of goals and characteristics. The right seat involves the processes used to achieve the mission. Finding the right seat is about having both skills for the job and the willingness to do the job. Ideal seats match great skill with a passion for the work. Add to the right seat a person that believes and desires the company vision and you have a powerful match.

Wrong seats

Unfortunately, there are numerous cases of great people in the wrong seat. A common example is a terrific sales person that is promoted to sales manager and totally fails. The skills needed for selling are not identical to managing a team of sales people. Learning management skills is possible, however, hence the issue is how much time and investment to make with such a transition from doing to managing.

Other factors that affect the seat selection involve management positions. Rather than doing versus managing, there are different types of management. Setting a vision, establishing resources and establishing priorities is critical for leadership. Likewise, scheduling tasks, assigning work, resolving conflicts are critical project management tasks that cannot be taken for granted. Just like the difference between selling and managing, these differences cannot be overlooked when assigning work.

One other area of seat assignment skills relates to starting versus finishing. Many jobs such as programming, engineering or business plan development have challenges that are different at the beginning of a project versus the completion. The person that can take a vague assignment for a new product or issue may be great at trying different options. This person does not have an excessive fear of failure, but rather relishes the challenge of seeking an innovative approach or solution. However, once the pathway is found, the details of making a solid solution and getting it done on time requires a lot of details, coordination and teamwork that may not fit perfectly in the same skillset. Understanding both the different challenges that occur during projects as well as the skills of those in charge is important as the seat may need a different person at different points in the journey.

Accountability – Six Things to Get Right – 2. The Right Seat on the Bus

There are many opinions about dealing with seat placement. Some argue that once a key person is no longer able to grow and fill new seats, then they must go. Others argue that loyalty warrants finding a seat for a proven performer. Certainly having great accountability will help to identify when a person is in the wrong seat. Having a shared vision may help that person to identify which seat is the right fit. The choice one makes will define the how or if the vision is realized.

Related topics

The post Accountability – Six Things to Get Right – 2. People appeared first on BandyWorks.