Retail Observer

RETAILOBSERVER.COM NOVEMBER 2015 44 Libby Wagner Culture Coach O ften, people wonder why I might begin a strategy session or a talk on leadership by using a poem. Typically, they're a captive audience, so they can't make a run for the door too easily, so at least for that 2:34 minutes, I have their attention. Many are asking "What possible relevance could this have for me, my team or my business?" Good question! Recently, I was with a group of 80 scientists, engineers, hydrologists and biologists. Before we dove into the important, beautiful questions at hand, which were: • What is our bright future on the horizon? • How will we get what we want in a way that honors who we are? • What do we need to do it right? I asked them the following: When do you need the following elements as part of your work? • Courage • Noticing • Saying the unsayable • Remembering our humanity There was a small pause, then a hesitation. It seems so obvious, right? Every day? All day? Exactly. The same skills that poets use to walk about the world, the same elements of a poetic paradigm, are those that are essential to creating and sustaining compelling and successful business practices. Because we are a primary culture addicted to speed, some of these practices may feel counter-intuitive, especially that of "noticing" or taking notice. How might this positively impact your business interactions and relationships? • With Customers or Potential Customers Sometimes, we are so focused on what we imagine is the desired outcome—the sale—that we fail to notice other important things about this relationship with those who will spend their money and resources to engage with us. If you think back to your last encounter, what did you notice that might have allowed you to create a better relationship? What did you notice that might have increased your sale or commitment from your customer? What questions are you listening for to which you (or your product, store, services) are the answer? Notice. Pay attention. • With Co-workers and Colleagues Collaboration and cooperation are an essential part of business. It's ineffective and inefficient to have poor interpersonal relationships and interactions, not to mention it's stressful and frustrating! What have you noticed in your patterns of communication? What is something that you might be able to address or discuss that could make things better than they are now, even if they're good? If you've noticed something that could help or hurt your coworker or colleague, are you willing to have a courageous conversation with them? Would you like them to take this level of noticing and concern for you? • With You When I work with new supervisors or managers, one invaluable skill we want to mentor and support in employees is the ability to self-assess and self-reflect. What do you notice about your own work patterns or behaviors? What do you notice about what you are thinking or feeling that might be an obstacle to your success or ability to thrive? What about a deeper practice of noticing? Do you recognize gut feelings, intuition or a sense of knowing something that you've been ignoring or devaluing? What do you notice about yourself? PRACTICING TAKING NOTICE Like other practices, if you've been addicted to rushing, worrying and worshipping at the Church of Busy-ness, then you might be out of practice taking notice. You could invest 5-10 minutes each day and get better at this. Practice on your commute to and from work. Remove as many distractions as you can and just look, listen, smell, perhaps even taste. What do you notice? In your next conversation, really notice the other person—their gestures, tone of voice, language choices—and see how this impacts your ability to focus and understand. Not only does this make your walking around life richer for it, it also allows you to differentiate yourself at work as a more effective, observant person. Paying attention means you're actually offering up your time for something, so what if it was worth it? TAKING NOTICE RO RO Libby Wagner, author of The Influencing Option: The Art of Building a Profit Culture in Business, works with clients to help them create and sustain Profit Cultures. www.libbywagner.com

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