Member-only story
Organizations get so bogged down in spreadsheets, strategies, numbers and milestones that they tend to forget about one factor, the cornerstone of what Dr Sumantra Ghoshal called the “Smell of the Place”. The basics of human connections are the building blocks used by great leaders.
Here’s a great story by Hend Moussa where she used these connections in a multicultural environment to turn around a department that had been marred by frustration and a lack of initiative.
Here’s Hend:
During my first year working in airport retail, I was fortunate enough to work with over 20 different nationalities in a massively diverse international environment.
A lot of the people I’d worked with came from very different backgrounds to mine some had left war-torn countries, some had left home wanting a better future and some simply were seeking a new adventure.
I remember one particular time I’d been given the responsibility of overseeing the electronics category — the team consisted of supervisors, team leaders, sales staff, external brand promoters & merchandisers.
It was a fast-paced sales environment where brand financial incentives were key — we didn’t have much time to sell as passengers would be rushing for their flights. Most…
