North America, 2006
Why do seemingly similar stores – same size and format, same type of market, same competitive environment – produce such different results? The Coca-Cola Retailing Research Council’s inquiry into great store-level performance began with this question.
“Great managers” is often the first answer suggested, followed by the suggestion that hiring is the key. It is true that some people are born leaders, and it is true that careful selection is important. But it is also true this is not a perfect world, and natural-born leaders are rare; most individuals in store management possess a mixture of leadership skills, with some strengths and some weaknesses. So instead of focusing on who they are, this report focuses on what they do.
Are there practices common to Great Performers that can be used by any management team to improve a store’s performance? We enlisted FranklinCovey Company to help us find out and they did.