Dr. Wayne Pernell took over a failing retail department and turned it into the company's top performer by giving his team ownership. Comforters sat unsold in the stockroom because they weren't bagged properly. He negotiated markdown money from a bag manufacturer, fixed the problem, and used that win to energize the team around a shared goal.
Chapters
I co opted the team. I said, look, I don't know anything about your business. You know, about your. I just here to try to create the right environment for you to run your business. We talked about a lot of the issues. We got them involved in teamwork. I found that there were a lot of products there, comforters that were thrown into a stock room. And I was told we couldn't sell them because they were not bagged properly. I was able to get money. I went to a bag manufacturer, we got markdown money. Boom. Next thing you know, we were number one in the company. Got the team excited. And that's when I learned something called alignment. That without really being obnoxious in any way, I elevated myself above my peers. There are a lot of people in my position, but somehow I was well known. People would come to the store, you know, say, where's the guy who took the department from last position to first position? And what did I do? I ran it like it was my own business, you know, within the walls. That is so key.