Dave Paris’ Post

#I am recounting the experience of an individual who dedicated over seven years to working at a single store. Despite the store's consistent growth, many companies believe that the store could achieve a higher score by rotating personnel every two years, as they think that a regular change in staff leads to improved performance# leave your thoughts

🌟Driving Success 🌟 🌟 🌟 Leading a Dynamic Stocktaking Team at Landmark Group 🌟🌟 I am thrilled to share my journey as a team leader at Landmark Group, where I had the privilege of spearheading stock-taking operations for two impactful years. Leading a team of 36 dedicated colleagues, my role was integral to the organization's success. This was the first team to be formed on purpose but trial and error over the decades of operations in retail operations came with the best challenges ever and the best success in retail operations Responsibilities: In my dynamic position, I oversaw the end-to-end stock-taking process, ensuring precision and managing a diverse team of professionals. My key responsibilities included: Strategic Planning: Developing and implementing stock-taking strategies aligned with broader business goals. Team Management: Leading and motivating a team of 36 individuals, fostering communication, and conducting regular team meetings. Process Optimization: Implementing streamlined processes that significantly improved efficiency and accuracy. this was always from passion-raising ideas that make it look easy, WE HAVE MADE IT LOOK EASY. Achievements: During my tenure, some key achievements include: 99% Accuracy Rate: Implemented meticulous quality control operational measures, achieving a remarkable 99% accuracy rate in stock-taking, with the help of professional auditors who were always ready to give quality advice on time. Team Performance Enhancement: Improved team productivity through targeted training programs and fostering a collaborative work environment. Cost Savings: Identified and implemented cost-saving opportunities, leading to a reduction in operational expenses. Challenges and Solutions: Addressing challenges head-on, I successfully navigated logistical hurdles and boosted team morale during demanding periods, more during long-distance schedules like the northern Emirates this was always fully managed. Lessons Learned: My journey at Landmark Group taught me valuable lessons in leadership development and strategic thinking. Adapting to challenges and aligning departmental goals with broader organizational objectives became key pillars of my professional growth. Conclusion: Reflecting on my time at Landmark Group, I am proud of the achievements and lessons gained. This experience has strengthened my leadership skills and provided unique insights into effective stock-taking strategies in the dynamic retail landscape. Above all, the moments of joy, we shared with the team are the most remarkable moments. I want to thank Stephen Lobo, and Mohammed Hussain for implementing the idea and believing in the team. I'm excited to connect with professionals who share similar experiences or insights. Let's connect and explore new opportunities together!

Today we had a meeting with our Chief Marketing Officer and one of the question was what do I like about the role I’m in. My answer was very specific because I apply this every time I lead a team. My answer was I do love my role/job and what I do is that I applied the CLICK-(it)method the I came up with to keep me accountable. C-coaching, I coach my team to continue be successful and don’t be afraid to make mistake because this will help them grow. L-Leading, I love leading a team and help them to be the future leader for the company. I-Inspire, inspiring the team helps the overall morale and the employee will take care of the customer which takes care of the business. C-Cheer, I love to cheer for my team or individuals. Wether this is a small victory or step this keeps employee engage and motivated. Lastly, K(it)-Kick-it, when the employee surpasses expectations and reached certain KPI’s we Kick it together by having snack and beverage during our 1:1 to show appreciation and prepare to dominate the next month. I do love the job and the company because the values here at Hoffmann Brothers is align to what I love to do!

LEADERSHIP OVER BOSSHIP In my early days as a naive Sales person, I had the opportunity of working under different types of supervisors with parallel management skills. (Mark my choice of words) Despite of their divergent allegiance to people management strategies, they all had one thing in common - to meet targets and get commission. Some never cared about what their junior went through, instead of being an enabler, they would cripple you to achieve their KPI's emotionally and physically. One made me walk for over 10Km in a single day after a successful sale which I ensured that delivery of the products were done and in perfect condition. My supervisor stopped picking up my calls as I called for transport support. It was getting late so I had to walk back home for over 10Km that fateful day. I sweared to be a better supervisor that day. I promised myself never to revenge innocent lives that God and life would bring under my Leadership. Thankfully over the years I have had an opportunity of leading teams at different operational level and I have lived up to that promise. Sometimes, I went overboard to keep my team happier than I was treated (something I have reduced after having a family-wife&kids). Any team I have ever led have constantly called me Papa, Daddy and Grandpa despite being in my mid 30s. A well motivated team is a good recipe for sustainable growth. Expect to meet your KPI's with a happy team, expect your team members to go an extra mile for you. Moreover, some of the two supervisors that tormented me collapsed after I left. My Happy Team have rescued my performance in torrid times and I gracious eat out with them once in a while. It's beyond numbers, we Lead humans with emotions. Took my hit squad out with my daughter. #SalesIsALifestyle

A Culture Crisis in the Tire Industry: Where's the Incentive for the Hard Work? I recently had the opportunity to sit down with a group of tire technicians and a sales manager who work for Mavis Tire & Automotive, a company that acquired Tire Kingdom in late 2023. What I heard was not just concerning — it was alarming and speaks to a deeper rot within the company. The feedback from these hardworking employees at Mavis stores in and around Sunrise, Florida, painted a grim picture of a toxic work environment. From upper management down to the guys doing the heavy lifting, morale is at rock bottom. Why? Because there’s zero incentive, no acknowledgment of their relentless effort, and frankly, no appreciation for the blood, sweat, and tears they pour into their jobs. Enthusiasm and drive in the shops are dying a slow death. Without proper bonuses, rewards, or even basic respect from upper management, it’s no wonder energy and commitment are practically non-existent. What's even more outrageous is the constant struggle to get vendors paid. How can Mavis expect to operate when their local suppliers and parts distributors are putting them on credit hold? Sales staff can't even get OE replacement tires for potential customers! This isn’t just bad vendor relations; it’s an outright failure to pay the people who keep the business running. To make matters worse, management doesn’t care. Requests for bonuses, proper equipment, or even paying vendors are ignored. I sat in disbelief as an entire crew of techs, during their lunch break, wasn’t talking about the workday or catching a breather. No, they were plotting their exit strategies, discussing which jobs they could move to next to escape this toxic mess. When your entire workforce is hunting for the door, that’s not just a red flag — it’s a five-alarm fire. This crisis isn’t limited to just one location. It’s a wake-up call for the entire tire industry. Culture does matter. Incentives do matter. The people in the trenches — the ones who keep the wheels literally and figuratively turning — deserve better. They deserve recognition, respect, and real opportunities for growth. If we don’t act now, we’ll keep hemorrhaging talented workers who are simply searching for a place where their hard work is valued. It's time for Mavis Tire & Automotive to wake up, or risk losing what makes their business possible — the very people doing the work. #TireIndustry #WorkCulture #EmployeeWellbeing #IncentivesMatter #LeadershipMatters #TireTech #MavisTire #TireKingdom #Management #VendorRelations #TeamBuilding #EmployeeRetention #DoBetterMavis

🎶 You got me workin', boss man, workin' 'round the clock 👔 I wanna little drink of water, but you won't let Jimmy stop 🎶 Big boss man, can't you hear me when I call? 👔 Well, you ain't so big, you just tall, that's all "Big Boss Man" by Elvis Presley Welcome to my continued series of posts about my career. I have shared lessons learned, bosses and colleagues who left a positive, lasting mark on me. Today's post is the hardest one that I have written. Life in retail is stressful. Presentation standards must be met, customers must leave your store feeling satisfied and you must hire and retain the best talent possible to accomplish all these goals. Store Managers report to District Managers. My DM, lets call him Frank, was a long time employee of the company. Frank was a meticulous man with high standards. Beyond the challenge of rising to Frank's meticulous standards. Frank had a habit of visiting my store on my days off. This was not a coincidence has Frank knew my work schedule. The dread of seeing his handwritten notes on my desk after his visit almost was enough to give me an ulcer. This happened regularly. It happened with such regularity that I started to dread my days off. This was my first red flag that something was off with Frank. My working relationship with Frank seemed adversarial. I never felt like Frank was interested in my development. I felt like Frank was there to simply enforce rules and that he had no interest in my development as a leader. After months of dealing with Frank I started to act uncharacteristically around my staff. Barking out orders and having a short fuse. I knew something was wrong. I knew I couldn't stay silent any longer. I asked for an audience with HR and shared my story. I showed them the notes that Frank had left during my days off. HR took my concerns to Senior Leadership. I was apprehensive as I knew if Frank found out about this I might find myself facing more of his wrath. I had nothing to be fearful of. Senior leadership was grateful that I had spoken up. They soon discovered that other Store Managers who worked for Frank were experiencing the same treatment as myself. Soon it was announced that Frank would be leaving his role as District Leader. I had always wanted to be the loyal company person. But by staying silent I was not being loyal. My silence was condoning the behaviours of Frank. I knew from that day forward it was never a bad idea to speak up. Have you had to manage up or deal with a demanding boss? Share your lessons with me. #careerreflections #managingup #speakup Meet Steve Elliot, a distinguished Toastmaster, and the co-founder of e3 Public Speaking. With a passion for empowering individuals, Steve specializes in facilitating public speaking classes for both youth and professionals. Through his extensive experience and commitment, he helps others unlock their potential, gain self-confidence, and refine their communication skills.

Strongly agree but very few understand this on Time! When salaries freeze and growth stalls, it's not just your team that feels the strain—it's your entire company. The real loss isn't in the bottom line, but in the talent slipping through your fingers. #CEOs #employeeissues #socialmediamanager

Leaders who have made a lasting impact on my life and career, Day 4. Bryon Pavelka, it's your day. My first distinct memory of you was when I was Fulfillment Team Lead interviewing others and hiring for our first huge OMNI Fulfillment team at Macy's Rosedale. Normally I would submit for approval for the new hiring rates for you to approve with the qualifying skills and job history to back up those offers as the Division's HR of talent. This day you were in store visiting to support us. Instead of waiting for when you were back out of store or responding through email, you left the office you were meeting in and leaned around the corner into the administrative office and gave me a thumbs up for approval. What I would come to learn as one of many Bryonisms. Some time later, little did I know, you would come to be the Store Manager at Macy's Rosedale. I learned a lot about engagement, positivity, leading by example, and being seen. At this point, I had never worked with a Store Manager who was so involved in their store and on the floor engaged with the colleagues. It wasn't that you needed to be or that things would not get done without you. You did it because you care. You let the team know you are 100% behind them. You do this while also letting us know you expect us to be 100% behind you. If we do it together we will succeed as a team. There is absolutely no one who compares to the energy (and volume 😂) that you bring into a room that you enter. There are people who count the days for when their store manager has a day off. People counted the days until you were BACK. You demonstrated better than anyone that the customer is number 1 in the retail and service industry. You never have anyone do anything you would not do yourself. Because of this level of understanding and respect you create, colleagues and leaders alike look up to you. It is because of your sincere motivating positive personality and way of leading, that you can suddenly become serious and talk about a topic or coaching that would otherwise come across negative and disengaging, and still capture the entire room's attention. I saw you lead Rosedale through COVID and incredibly uncertain times. And you brought us back to profit, high engagement, and fun. You once mentored me and practiced interviewing with me over the phone for what was like 3 hours while you Door Dashed. Because that is just who you are. Thank you, Bryon, for being the shining example of what it is to lead by example. Thank you for being a life coach. Thank you for being an amazing leader! #leadership #growth #career #motivation #inspiration

I wanted to share that I've made the decision to leave my role at iA American Warranty Group after three amazing years. I leave behind an amazing 50+ person Sales Ops team filled with leaders, purposeful workers, and all-around amazing humans. They rolled up their sleeves and took on the creation of a new Sales Ops team through deep discovery and iterative, collaborative, and inclusive design. They joined colleagues from around the country to figure out how the team should be structured, what it should be focused on, and how to make it efficient and scalable at a national level. Leading these people and facilitating this process has been insanely rewarding and I'm wildly grateful for the opportunity and for their support and trust. Big thanks to the leaders who trusted me during this journey: Heidi Langslet Hall, Rob Humble, Ryan Martin, ITIL, and John Lutman. My decision to take time before this last role was so rewarding and productive that I've done the same this time around. I plan to spend the next several months slowing down and figuring out what's next for me. Once I fully embrace the "slow" part of the plan, I'll begin to look for what's next - and if you have or come across an opportunity that you believe might be a good fit for me, I'd love to connect! #sabbatical #opentowork #jobs #salesops #operations #leadership #management

A VIP ask me today that as I move forward with my Entertainment Company how will I keep my team motivated to work and not stand around doing nothing while others do all the work. The answer is simple but takes a bit to put into words. You see I want success for everyone that becomes a teammate along side of myself. In order to do this you have to hire a teammate to fulfill a specific job requirement. Regardless of if it is full time or part time the teammate will start with their own job duties to be accomplished. This is what I consider to be the first performance review of many that will happen every quarter. Ever quarter each teammate will be called into a performance review to determine if the teammate has done their best to achieve their job. A raise will be given to all teammates who achieve their best performance in that quarter. Then a new set of goals of duties and training may be set for the next quarter to ensure that each teammate grows within the company this also goes toward the leadership for they are also teammates. I want the success of my company when it comes to teammates is the growth they do to become the best version of themselves. Including the roles of being the next leader of my company or companies they choose to work for.