Create Change by Reformatting Your Dollar Store Business - Part 1

In today's tough economic climate every retailer is faced with many challenges. First there are the ever-rising costs associated with owning and operating a business. Utilities, advertising, and labor costs are just a few examples. Then there are the costs associated with purchasing and shipping merchandise for resale. If you own a dollar store business and cannot seem to locate enough merchandise to keep your store fully stocked, now is the right time to take a step back and really analyze your business and the best options available for your store. In fact for the true one-dollar price-point business, maybe now is the time to reformat to over one-dollar. This is article 1 of a 3-part series that will review some of the options a dollar store business owner has available.

Have you ever considered that now might be the perfect time to format from the one-dollar price-point to pricing at dollar increments? For example, rather than selling every item in your store for $1 each, you could establish a range from $1 through $3, $1 through $5, $1 through $10, or possibly even $1 through $20. Once you've made the decision to change, the range will depend on your store location and your shopper demographics among other things.

This type of change will affect your current shoppers. In fact it is fair to expect some of your existing shoppers to exit, and move on to shopping with your competitor. Many others will probably give you negative feedback, although they will likely stick with your dollar store business. Existing customer retention will also depend on your ability to keep the most desired $1 price-point merchandise in-stock and available. Keep the items that your customer counted on your store to provide whenever they were needed.

The loss of existing customers can be minimized and new customers can be acquired by implementing an aggressive advertising and marketing program. Establish a budget before the planned pricing modifications are actually initiated. Start the advertising campaign as quickly as possible following the actual changeover. You might even consider holding a 'Grand Re-Opening' event to generate some excitement.

It is important to remember that you will be working with much improved margins. You average sale size will also be increasing significantly. As you rebuild sales in your dollar store business, this combination will be important to establishing and then achieving new sales and profit targets.

To your dollar store business success!

Interesting in learning more about this topic? Download my free ebook on internet marketing.

Bob Hamilton is an entrepreneur, author, writer, business consultant and trainer. http://www.OpeningADollarStore.com

Effective Communication in the Face of Organisational Change

Three features that characterise effective communication of change are dialogue, credible information sources and relationship building. Communicating change is best done in a proactive, well-planned and consultative environment, not one plagued by rumours, uncertainty and damage control.

In situations where change is planned and can be anticipated, consultation and relationship building are simple to achieve. However, where change is sudden attention is riveted on fire fighting to stem a crisis -at that stage damage control is the focus.

Change is complex and how this is communicated determines the extent of success at implementation. Traditional top-down approaches are no longer appropriate in the highly technological world of the 21st century. Change can cause team members and other employees to go through phases of denial and anger before eventual acceptance. They can experience stress, uncertainty and mistrust as a consequence of change. Irrespective of strategy, information about change should be communicated coherently, not in a disjointed manner.

In disseminating information, how your messages are received depend not only on content but the method and timeliness of communicating your messages.

Audience analysis

Audience analysis is an initial part of the process of developing your message to suit the interests and needs of team or staff, i.e., your various stakeholders.

Effective communication requires that messages be given in a way that will enable your different audiences to understand the content and implications of your message according to their specific interests. There is no single approach to communicating change. The first rule of communicating change, therefore, is 'Give yourself flexibility to tailor your message to provide clarity according to interest and need of your various stakeholders'.

Process of communicating change

When the organisation communicating information about change does not have the requisite credibility, getting the message accepted by the target audience is made much more difficult. In communicating change, the second rule is 'Ensure your information is from credible and trusted sources and has been reviewed for objectivity and independence'.

When change is likely to be unwelcome, the message is best communicated directly by senior personnel in the affected organisation -rather than through an intermediary or junior employee. In doing this, you show that senior decision makers consider the issue important enough for them to communicate directly. In large organisations such direct communication may not be face to face meetings, technology is used instead.

Technology allows messages from senior management to be shared by way of videos, internal radio, blogs, podcasts, websites or electronic files (mp3 files). Stakeholders unable to access such technology, should not be ignored. Instead, you could apply rule number one, i.e., tailor your message to the audience and their envisaged needs and/or interests.

Communicating potentially controversial and unwelcome changes

Failure -"misunderstanding, frustration, conflict" can be the outcome of poorly communicated messages about organisation change. So, you need to choose carefully the people who will communicate the messages of change across organisations. Choose speakers who can reassure, speak with conviction and demonstrate strong listening skills.

Internal negative messages about change can lead to incidences of greater stress among employees and team conflict. This can result in anger, betrayal and mistrust replacing previous attitudes of indifference or feelings of failure. Refrain from giving conflicting messages or ones designed to confuse rather than enlighten or persuade.

When sharing news about unwelcome change in your organisation, pay attention to the voice and words of critics and sceptics. Do not ignore them. Listen actively so as to adjust your message to address their concerns or prepare additional messages aimed at this stakeholder group of critics and sceptics. Seek to get critics and sceptics to understand your message, even if you do not win their agreement or approval.

The third rule of communicating change is 'Interpret and communicate the message of change so as to enable your team and other employees to understand and contribute to the process'. Avoid instructing and seeking to impose the change on employees or colleagues without briefing them.

Bad news can be communicated well. While you may not be able to change the content, by being up front and respectful you can reduce personal distress and enable people to move forward. Focus on the outcome you want to achieve when preparing message(s) to communicate change.

For more useful FREE tips on public speaking, go online to http://www.executive-solutions.co.uk where Veronica Broomes shares numerous useful tips and quotations, or sign up to her blog at http://executive-solutions.blogspot.com/

REPRINT RIGHTS: This article may be reprinted once copywrite is acknowledged as vested in Veronica Broomes and year of publication given as 2008. Full citation: © 2008 Veronica Broomes executive-solutions.co.uk

Changing Corporate Culture - What Does it Mean?

Introduction

Changing corporate culture -- put the term into Google and you'll find big companies and consultants offering theories, case studies and help. Very often leaders in businesses large and small equate change management with culture change. Let's examine what kind of change they're talking about, and let's see if we can describe it in plain English.

What is Corporate Culture?

Webster's Dictionary defines corporate culture as "the shared values, traditions, customers, philosophy, and policies of a corporation; also, the professional atmosphere that grows from this and affects behavior and performance." Got it?

Do the Google search mentioned above and you may get to read about multi-layered belief systems and organizational psychology and other things that I don't have enough advanced degrees to understand.

Ask people for their definition, and you'll get a variety of responses. The most common one may well be some variation of "I'm not exactly sure, but I know it when I see it."

Do you like simple, straightforward explanations? Me too. Here's one for corporate culture: it's the experience, the feeling you get when you either work for an organization, or when you do business with the organization as a customer.

If you're a leader looking to change the performance of your organization, you need to determine whether you're fixing a few broken processes or changing the culture. Changing corporate culture is fundamental and thus more difficult. But if you pull it off, changing corporate culture can produce breakthroughs, step function improvements in your performance measures.

Two Views of the Culture

In the simple definition offered above, you noticed that corporate culture is comprised of what employees experience, and what customers experience. These are two distinct views, and while one impacts the other you need to address each view uniquely.

Ideally, you want to believe that if you make everything right for your employees they will take care of your customers. There's some truth to that. Herb Kelleher attributes his success at Southwest Airlines to focusing on "employees first, customers second, and profits third".

He's wise, but pay attention to what he didn't say. He did not say take care of your employees and they'll take care of your customers and you'll make money. He's too smart for absolutes. There's an order to things, and based on results he's got the right order for his business. You still need to pay attention to all three things.

The Employee Perspective

Employees describe culture as "what it's like to work here". Indeed job seekers are always wondering exactly that as they research potential employers. Their definition of culture may be impacted by:

• Office layout
• Dress code
• Social environment
• Pay for performance (or not)
• Advancement Opportunities
• Stress Levels
• Accountability (team, individual, management)
• Availability of training

The Customer Perspective

For the customer, your culture is "what it's like to do business with you". Terms that may show up in their description of your culture could include:

• Quality of Products
• Service Levels
• Responsiveness
• Value
• Supplier behavior vs. Partner behavior
• People - their attitude, their skill level

You can probably add to each list (and you're invited to do so by commenting or contacting the author!).

What's the Point?

If you don't know what your culture is, how are you going to change it? Many of the cultural characteristics described above can be measured. Others can be clearly described.

The leader who can articulate specifically what needs to be changed in corporate culture will most likely succeed. You know the other side of that coin.

Changing corporate culture won't be easy, mostly because it's about changing attitudes and behaviors and some people aren't going to go with you. The clearer you can be with defining (and quantifying) what's to be changed, the more quickly you can help those people find something else to do and get everyone else engaged.

The organization that isn't changing is probably dying. For more information about managing change and developing leaders, please visit http://www.thomasjodea.com.

Tom O'Dea has more than 20 years of senior leadership experience in companies ranging from startups to multi billion dollar corporations.

7 Tips to Having Success With PRINCE2 Project Management

In order to have success with project management, there are several things you will have to focus on. Unfortunately, it does not come easy for everyone. You have to work at it to make sure you properly handle everything that needs to be taken care of. Here are seven tips to having success with project management.

1. The three dimensions
When seeking out to have success as the project manager, there are three dimensions you will want to focus on. The first of the three is time, which you must take seriously. It is up to you to make sure the project is completed in a timely manner. The second dimension is budget because as you know, nothing comes for free. Make sure you look at everything closely and stay within the budget. Lastly, quality determines how much of a success the project had.

2. Planning
In order to make sure that you can accomplish all three dimensions, it is essential you plan extensively. The plan could very well change over time, but it is vital you plan everything out before starting anything. Planning is one of the single most important responsibilities of the project manager. You want to have a detailed, systematic, and team-oriented plan that will lead to a successful project.

3. Urgency
As the team manager, it is up to you to show a sense of urgency to the rest of the team. Nothing will get completed unless you are on top of the ball. Projects have certain time limits, money limits and other issues to be cautious of. Because of this, it is essential that you stay on everyone involved to make sure the project moves in the right track. Regular status checks, meetings and reminders are essential.

4. Get it right the first time
It is understandable to make mistakes from time to time, especially when you are on a time constraint. But it is vital you do everything you can to complete the project efficiently the first time. You do not want to say you wish you could have done it better. Make sure you have enough time to complete the project correctly without having to change anything after.

5. Hire the best
Just as with any profession, it is up to you to hire the best people to get the job done efficiently. Take the time to look at all of your options so you have the best to complete the project. You want to acquire the most skilled, most experienced, and best qualified people for the job. In addition to hiring the people that are most qualified, you will also have to handle the unpleasant task of letting some people go. There are going to be times when people are not working up to par, and it is up to you to put people in their place.

6. Set priorities
It is not uncommon in project management to have to take on several different responsibilities and teams at once. At times, it can become frustrating trying to handle several projects all at once. Therefore, it is up to you to set your priorities straight and figure out what responsibilities and projects mean the most. You want to look at which projects have the most impact and which can be put on the side-burner momentarily.

When attempting to have success with project management, there are several things you will have to do. It is up to you to make sure the most qualified people are working, they are working with urgency, and you are prepared to lead them to a successful project. Take the tips listed in this article into consideration so you can have success as a project manager.

Nathan Jarmy wrote the Article '7 Tips To Having Success With PRINCE2 Project Management' and recommends you visit http://www.afaprojects.com/training_prince2.asp to find a PRINCE2 course.

Badly Led Change Can Impact on Customer Satisfaction - Four Hotspots of Resistance

Poorly managing change is endemic, it is often done badly and the processes of change management as well as the forms of resistance envisaged are too simplified by most management prescriptions for an effective process to be put together. We all know that if we do not manage a change program well, resistance will occur, and we rationalize this opposition to our plans by assuming the people resisting do not understanding the rationale behind what is being proposed, are acting irrationally, and need educating and convincing of the need for change. The argument being that if they see the reasoning behind the change they will buy-in and drop their resistance. This sort of thinking process results in the communication battery's and forceful top down missives often put in place during major initiatives that have little effect on the ground.

One of the more hidden consequences of poor change processes is the way people respond to the new circumstances - they often do so in indirect ways that can directly impact customer satisfaction.

• Poorly managed change has been seen to be linked to a total lack of decision-making. People are aware that the old way of working is not correct but are unclear regarding the new ways required - they therefore decide to minimize risk by making no decisions at all! In this circumstance a form of organizational paralysis occurs.
• There is also a lot of evidence of staff turnover resulting from poor change management, the better staff who can more easily find alternative employment become dissatisfied with the organization and leave. Some change processes break the attachment people have with a an organization and the better move on and the less able remain which can result in a degradation of service.
• Organizational citizenship behaviors also reduce. As staff are unclear or even nervous about the change they stop putting in that extra effort that oils the wheels in an organization - such as staying late to ship that last minute order or going the extra mile for that disgruntled customer.
• It is possible for change to go in opposite direction to that desired, for example if an organization aims for a more flexible customer facing organization a poor change process can actually lead to a more bureaucratic, self-facing (fear led) organizational culture. The change process itself actually reinforcing existing organizational tendencies during a period of uncertainty - people retreat to the familiar during change.

If we accept that most organizations need to change to remain competitive and/or survive, the implications of reduced effectiveness from the above processes are serious and can have material impacts on customers and clients.

The difference between a well managed change or a poorly one is not good communication - that is necessary but not sufficient. The key is to broker change, to be active and where the action is - demonstrating commitment to the change. Often managers in organizations are poorly prepared or even oppose the change themselves and if so are hardly in a position to support staff through difficult processes - so make sure they understand what is going on and take into account their fears.

It is important to realize that it is not possible to create successful change by pure top down enforcement supported by a few PowerPoint slides - at best this ensures compliance that will break down in time (if you're lucky after your watch) and result in payback. Perhaps the key to successful management of change is to think through the entire process, take account of all the stakeholders, and if possible increase their involvement. Above all cover both the rational and emotional aspects of the transformation it will pay dividends in the long run and not impact on customers who after all are the key stakeholders in any change.

http://www.bizface.co.uk/bizfaceforum/managing-change-consulting-practice/22421-bad-change-management-can-impact-customers.html Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Royston_Morgan

Managing Organizational Change - Using Innovation For Business Growth

The life cycle that is within any business consists of a variety of changes, growth spurts and the need to keep everything stable. As a business grows and changes, is also the need to ensure that the opportunities are taken care of effectively. Managing organizational change in the correct manner is one that allows for everyone who is working within the business to have the opportunity to grow with the business and to do so without resistance or difficulties with the changes.

A business can go through several effective organizational changes, all which are designed to enhance a business and to helps it grow. However, the need for change is sometimes stopped or moves into a yield because of employees, leaders and individuals that don't completely understand the change. Along these lines, the culture may not be as accepting of the alterations that are taking place within the organization, which can lead to discomfort and individuals who are no longer satisfied with the work place. Making sure that this is taken care of first ensures that the right change moves into any business.

The main component that any organization will want to look at when moving towards organizational change is to use innovation when building what is needed within a company. This provides specific needs to take place within the business without having as much resistance as would take place otherwise. Starting by seeing where individuals are in relation to the company provides the best insight into this. For example, taking surveys or filling out a questionnaire will help to see where an organization and it's employees are at.

After there is a complete analysis of the employees, leaders and individuals that are within the work area, there can then be a plan of action to begin implementing the necessary changes to help with business growth. When doing this, the leaders will need to use a step by step process that will help everyone in the business to understand what is occurring. This includes training, knowledge, research and step by step plans to get everyone moving onto the same page. This is where the innovation comes in, so that everyone in the company is comfortable with the changes that occur.

If you are in a business that wants to see how the implementation for managing organizational change occurs, than you can begin by looking at concrete examples of companies who have effectively grown into a new image and internal environment. For example, McDonalds has used concepts with organizational change to ensure that employees benefit from the changes, combined with innovation of the procedures used to build substantial growth for the entire company, from customers to individuals that are affiliated with the restaurant.

Making sure that you are able to build your business through different time frames, as well as through resistance, is what will ensure business growth. Understanding the abilities needed for managing organizational change ensures that everyone within the work area will stay comfortable and will have the ability to continue to move forward with the organization. The result will be the ability for the business to reach it's full capacity within the market and to continue to grow as a company.

Read more information about successfully implementing Organizational Changes for businesses at => http://www.organizationalstructurechanges.com