Retail Observer

RETAILOBSERVER.COM JUNE 2026 26 I f you have a leadership role in your company, coaching should be your major responsibility. It's critical that you step up to the plate, keep your eye on the ball, and do everything you can to build and retain a winning team. A coach brings all the disparate parts of team members together in a cohesive unit by providing insight and instruction. When you bring out the best in everyone you manage, you foster their success – and yours. Coaching focuses on motivation, teamwork, expectations, and collaboration. Modern managers as coaches work as team leaders as well as team members. They are approachable, open-minded, and accessible. One of the first steps toward becoming a successful coach is to recognize each of your employees as individuals. What motivates them? What are their interests and aspirations? What inspires them? What are their fears? Have open and honest conversations with them so you know their goals, fears, and concerns. Hold your employees to high standards, no matter what positions they hold or what functions they perform. That means you must communicate clear expectations so they understand their responsibilities and are able to work toward a set of concrete benchmarks, goals, and deadlines. Be specific about your expectations. Set a quarterly schedule to assess their work and where they are on the road to meeting their goals. As a coach, you must also be available for your team members. Be a mentor. Solicit their concerns and ideas. What roadblocks are preventing them from doing their best work? What can you do to eliminate those roadblocks? Ask them how you can help them achieve their goals. Meet with them on a regular basis to assess their performance and to offer a plan for their next steps to success. Training is critical when building a winning team. Give your employees the tools they need to perform at their peak levels. Direct them to workshops, online courses, tuition reimbursement programs, and books that will improve their skills. Training must be consistent so they can continue to improve their skills and increase their enthusiasm. When you invest in training your employees, you are sending a message that you value them and their contributions to the team and to the company. Motivate your employees. Praise and recognition, not money, are the strongest motivators you can use to improve their productivity and strengthen their loyalty to your team and your company. It's also critical that you empower them; trust them to do what is right for your customers and your company. Cheer them on. Remember that everyone likes to be recognized for what they do. Praise your team members for their accomplishments, and do it in front of everyone on your team. That will not only fuel the efforts of the one you are praising, it will spur on the rest of the team to be better and do better. Just as your employees need food every day, they need recognition every day. That recognition must be genuine, specific, timely, and sincere. An example is this: "Kathy, thanks for doing such a great job on the Gunther project." Occasionally, you might need to coach an employee out of your organization. That, of course, is a difficult task, but it's necessary to create a successful team. When you eliminate non-performing or underperforming employees, you send a strong message to the rest of the team. You are letting them know they can trust you to make tough decisions. Finally, remember this: most employees leave their jobs because their managers and supervisors are not coaching, nurturing, recognizing, or motivating them. John Tschohl Customer Service John Tschohl is the founder and president of Service Quality Institute, a global leader in customer service. He is considered one of the world's foremost authorities on all aspects of customer service, and is the author of several books including Moving Up: A Step-by-Step Guide to Creating Your Success. His monthly strategic newsletter is available online at no cost at www.customer-service.com. COACHING FOR SUCCESS Be what your employees need – and want – you to be RO

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