What are the characteristics or attributes or qualities that make for a good District Manager?
In the Wizard of Oz, Glenda poses the question “Are you a good witch or a bad witch?” I could pose the same question but I will change it to “Are you a good DM or a bad DM?”
There will be many and varying thoughts and opinions here depending on if you are currently a DM or if you are a Manager wanting to be a DM.
So what does make for a good DM? Is it the ability to recognize talent and built a team?
Is it being Conscientiousness? Is it the ability to influence and lead?
Is it having integrity? Is it being a really good listener?
Is it being power hungry? Is it the ability to boss people around?
If you are currently a DM what are the skills and qualities that you possess that lead you to think you are a good DM? Would your team agree with you?
If you are currently a Manager with DM aspirations what are the qualities and attributes that you possess that makes you think you can be a DM? Would your current DM agree with you?
I have found that most DM’s are not as good as they would want to be, some are not as good as they should be or could be and some are not as good as they think they are. Where do you fall?
What about Training? How much training are you receiving as a DM to improve your skill set? I would imagine that most of you have some sort of corporate meetings once maybe twice a year. That is great but what about the rest of the year? As a DM, what sort of training are you providing your team, especially those who want to be a DM to prepare them for that journey?
From my 30 years of experience as a Retail Executive I have encountered many different types of District Managers.
The Climber: This DM has little interest in their current position. They are more concerned and interested in imitating a Hoover for the big shots that they have little if any time for their subordinates or their peers. You know the type; they could suck the water out of Lake Michigan without even trying. Their only goal is to get promoted as quickly and effortlessly as possible.
The General: This DM likes to yell and scream and execute as many people as possible. They go with the ‘if I yell loud enough and talk fast enough and am demanding enough I will get my way come hell or high water even if I’m wrong’ approach. They like it when you are afraid of them. That way you won’t ask questions or seek out logical explanations. Left, left, left right left. Black is black and white is white and there is no in-between. I am not interested in your opinions; you are not paid to think. It clearly states in the manual, section 3, page 37 paragraph 4, sentence 3…blah blah blah, just do as you’re told.
The Comedian: Everybody loves this DM but unfortunately few actually respect them. They are always a good time, have lots of jokes and tell great stories. Always an easy visit because they don’t actually do anything except talk and maybe take you to lunch. They are always fun to be around as long as you don’t want to learn anything or grow in your position.
M.I.A: Calling Mr. /Ms. DM, where are you? You don’t see them and you don’t hear from them except for the occasional email. You might hear ‘I don’t need to come and see you, you are so good and your store always looks amazing.’ How do they know your store looks amazing when they haven’t seen it for 6 months? You might indeed be good but how are you going to get any better if you never receive any direction or feedback?
The Silence of the Lamb: They come, do their checklist, leave notes, no communication and no feedback. They leave. They seem to have no personal interest in the team, everyone is just a number. Why bother?
The Hero: This is the sort of DM that I always loved working with; The DM that everyone wants to work with and be around. All the other Managers say ‘I wish they were MY DM!’ This DM teaches, trains, educates, inspires, shows by example and is a true mentor. They know the business inside and out and can teach and explain it to the associates. They know how to have fun while getting the job done. They know the employees, what makes them tick and who they are and what they are about both at work and outside. They know how to be personable and they know how and when to draw the line. They know the rules, policy and procedures, but they also know where there is wiggle room and when and how to wiggle! This is the DM that does the job because they love it; they love the challenge and being able to grow and develop their teams. THIS is the dream DM!
All of these types above have certain characteristics, attributes and qualities; some not so good and some great.
If you are a DM what qualities or attributes do you feel you possess to separate yourself from the mediocre pack and make you stand out as a leader?
If you are a Manager have you worked with any of the examples I gave above? What was that like for you?
If you are a Manager with aspirations of being a DM, what characteristics, qualities or attributes do you possess which makes you believe you would be a DM?
Please give me your comments as I am very interested in what you think! Remember your email address does NOT show on the comments. If you don’t want to use your real name out of embarrassment or fear you can make one up. How about Cher, Madonna, Billy the Kid or Batman?
Someone that not only understands their market, but understands the learning characteristics of all of their people. Mgrs are not all made out of the same mold and they all learn differently. Some are visual learners; some are auditory so you cannot teach them all the same way. Too many DM’s don’t take the time to learn anything about their people and what makes them tick. If they have something challenging going on in their personal life it may affect their performance- you may not know that if you don’t ask. I have worked for too many bosses that the minute they step foot in the building it is “go time” with not so much as a hello. I like to kind of keep it light when I first walk in, spend a few minutes chit chatting, then dive into business. It goes a long way when you show interest in your people because ultimately they are working for you, not just the company. I find it especially rewarding to interact with and get to know the PT associates as well. They give off the first impression to our customers when they walk in.
If they are off their game and do not understand your message then it could lead to a disastrous customer experience. A good DM must also not be afraid to stand up for a good mgr and challenge the status quo- not all locations are cookie cutters of one another- what works in an urban area may work in middle America. Also, do not forget what it is like to run a 20,000 sq ft location on 2/2/2 coverage- challenging to say the least! Always have a bench of people on board to move to the next level. You never know when the bottom may fall out and you are stuck with numerous openings- plan ahead and always have contacts.
A good DM is the same as a good leader, it is really not different than a good store manager, a good regional manager, a good executive leader, etc.
The real question is can an individual lead… can he/she motivate, develop, and inspire others. Are they open to development through challenges and constructive criticism from their peers and subordinates? Are they invested in their people, or are they simply names that complete a given task… true leaders are invested in their people.
Good Leaders/DM’s are partners in the business and are Respected and Followed!
Bad Leaders/DM’s are obeyed!
I have always maintained that to be a great DM you have to be the eyes and ears of the Head Office but a voice of the staff. And I would never want to walk into a store and have everyone hate me for arriving. I always want to be there to help the Manager learn and improve and ultimately do the same for their staff. When I walk out the door everyone is better for the visit. Including me.
Super team building and communication skills…recognizing each store manager’s unique strengths and helping them build high performance teams to drive sales and make their individual locations profitable. Motivating the management teams through rewards and recognition, utilizing their strengths (as opposed to focusing on their weaknesses) to achieve goals. No need to micro-manage strong, experienced store managers…hire the most talented store managers possible, and share your district and regional goals with them, then give them the freedom and support they need to achieve the goals…cheer their successes with all in the district, but be a positive coach…don’t make weaker managers feel “less than” by comparing stores or expecting all to be the same. All managers are different! Utilize that to the district’s advantage…welcome diversity of thought & actions. MOTIVATE at every opportunity!!
The DM is the conduit between operations and the corporate or main office.
You need to have developed reasonable budgets and business plans for the locations, communicate those goals and make sure everyone knows how well they are performing.
You need to develop a team approach with your district; some managers are more skilled with financials, others at team building, and others at developing innovative marketing programs. The DM’s role is to identify the individual store management’s strengths and weaknesses and then either give support or use their strengths to help support other locations and management teams.
This builds a sense of team, healthy competition and allows you to better assess your management team.
You need to constantly look at ways to better your management team in order to strengthen team and be positioned for growth
A good DM is someone that listens to their management and/or sales team. Someone willing to grow with their people and the organization. An individual with integrity that isn’t willing to compromise their values for a few dollars or to “fit in”.
First I would like to say I have had experiences with all kinds of these leaders and being a DM/RM my self
the HERO is the only kind of DM ! I totally agree with Mary as well as the others that have commented.
We need the support of our superiors in the same HERO mode to ensure total company success and keep the Vision going. Being the voice of your employees either management or pt will make the difference between building respect and loyalty vs just being the dictator of the company policies!
Great Forum
You are so right Jackie, thanks for your comments! Top down and bottom up is the only way a message can be delivered with clarity and consistency.
Echo Elaine’s comments – Hiring great managers, giving ownership to the retail managers to drive business and encouraging managers to think out of the box. Weekly phone meetings to share ideas and weekly one on one meetings with managers. Ability to manage above as well as below. Ability to establish a sense of urgency by establishing time lines and goals. Establish trust and loyalty amongst the team.
Sense of urgency with the ability to analyze a situation quickly and take decisive action.
What makes a Good DM:
Outside of the obvious skills needed: Familiarity and expertise with the industry, outstanding interpersonal skills financial acumen,You must instill trust and build trust in your on-site management team.
The DM is the conduit between operations and the corporate or main office.
You need to have developed reasonable budgets and business plans for the locations, communicate those goals and make sure everyone knows how well they are performing.
You need to develop a team approach with your district; some managers are more skilled with financials, others at team building, and others at developing innovative marketing programs. The DM’s role is to identify the individual store management’s strengths and weaknesses and then either give support or use their strengths to help support other locations and management teams.
This builds a sense of team, healthy competition and allows you to better assess your management team.
You need to constantly look at ways to better your management team in order to strengthen team and be positioned for growth
I spent over 25 years “in the trenches” with district supervisors, trying to find out what the common thread is among the top performers. I’ve worked with top producing supervisors who had poor communication skills, so that cant be it. I’ve worked with supervisors who were both micro and macro managers, both posting top sales. I’ve worked with supervisors who were given both top managers and bottom managers, and the performers get results from both. I’ve worked with companies who gave supervisors a feeling of ownership and companies who kept their supervisors on a short leash….both have had top performing supervisors. I’ve worked with supervisors who established trust and loyalty but couldn’t get sales over last year if they tried….so what exactly in the one thing that every top performing supervisor has in common??? Hire one that has something to prove! Either to him or herself, their family or the company in general. People who have something to prove are driven. They will succeed regardless of the circumstances.
I’ve been fortunate enough to have had a string of good DMs, only to end my retail career with a bad one.
I feel that good DMs are fair and supportive. I believe the word TRUST comes to mind in this relationship. As a manager, our front lines are the sales floor and we share that with our sales associates. We depend on resources given and distributed to us by our corporate offices (hours, budgets, inventory, etc.). When we as managers come across issues with our resources, we depend on our DM to relay that information to try and deliver that support to us. The best DMs I’ve ever had (3 of them) all fully trusted me and took me under their wings to develop me. They always ensured I had all the resources I could possibly get in order to make my business/store successful. It’s that level of trust in the relationships I’ve built with these three DMs that I still keep in touch with them today.
Another attribute I believe is key is personality, someone who is compassionate, understanding, and resourceful. Someone who makes managers feel like they are important contributing members of a larger team among their peers in the District.
Each manager has a certain unique skill set that they bring to the table. It’s important to have those strengths permeate throughout the district in order for the team to improve and become more successful in reaching their goals. In areas that may be lacking, I believe a good DM will help develop the necessary skills and collaborate to make his or her managers stronger. It’s a combination of finding the right tools, a lot of coaching and one on ones with the managers, and putting together management teams that will shine. A good DM will always have the mind set of developing the team around her, not just thinking about results.
In the end, it’s also up to the DM to make sure that their managers are held accountable for their performance. A good DM will set attainable goals and standards and will never hesitate to professionally criticize or identify coach-able moments. Improvement in each manager equals success for the District. Simply expecting the delivery of results is set up for failure and routine can become boring. Each manager requires follow up, feedback, and development to keep things fresh and moving forward. It’s not about the store visits just to mark it off the calendar. It’s about what the goal of the store visit is suppose to accomplish.
Last thing is VISION. I believe every good DM should have a vision of what they want out of their districts. What does the DM want to be known for? What is his/her strength that they want to bring to the table? What are the expectations? Does that reflect in the district team? Making that Vision clear to his/her managers will certainly make an impact in how things are perceived in the district. The good DM will put together a plan in place in order to make that vision happen.