Farewell to Fayetteville Street

After a quick blogging sabbatical, I'm back now writing from the great and beautiful state of New Hampshire. My Fayetteville Street Mall assignment ended on September 30. The team sent me away with a cake, card and many sweet, heartfelt goodbyes. While I will miss the store, I can look back with much satisfaction knowing that I meet my goals of increasing food safety, re-teaching key food preparation and developing leadership that can effectively guide the team members. Additionally, I increased our speed of service during our peak lunch hours by re-arranging our entire counter space and dining room-an exciting and rewarding change!

While I am satisfied with these results, I find it was also an invaluable time of learning for me. First and foremost, I learned that I can run a store. Granted the assignment was only for a month; nevertheless, the experience has given me confidence for future assignments. I look forward to the opportunity to prove myself in longer assignments, where I can better see the fruits of my labor over time.

Another lesson I will take with me is to not expect an immediate investment from every employee. The truth of the matter is that people don't follow titles, they follow leaders. If I really want a team to jump on board with me and make great changes in short periods of time, I'm going to have to prove myself and my credibility to them. Because of this I know that I need to work hard, exercise patience, and trust myself in those first few critical days. I think great leaders invest time in their followers, building relationships and learning what makes each person 'tick' - their fears, joys, faults and greatest dreams. Then, a leader will come meet each person on their individual levels to make an impact. For some employees, this may only take a day, but others may take weeks to jump on board and commit to positive changes. It's worth the wait, though, because when that relationship is formed, possibilities are endless.

Or as Dwight D. Eisenhower put it, "Leadership is the art of getting someone else to do something you want done because he wants to do it."