My Best Management Advice
By Deane Parkes
In the early 1980s, I worked at London Drugs. There I got intensive training in merchandising. I also got the best management advice.
Wandering around
On my first day at London Drugs, before I even had a chance to settle in, the store manager taught me a simple lesson that would shape my approach to work and leadership for decades to come.
He explained that the first thing I should do at the start of each workday was a full walkthrough of the store—starting from the parking lot, observing window signs and the entrance, and then going through each aisle to check for empty shelves, end-cap displays, and overall presentation. Finally, he emphasized greeting the floor staff and customers to get a sense of the store’s “tone.”
So, I gave it a go. Now, it’s a habit I’ve kept up for decades: from London Drugs to Flora to Purity Life to Preferred Nutrition—it proved to be consistently beneficial!
Patience and persistence
A walk through the store and its back office quickly provided a clearer picture of the business: how it’s performing, where the gaps are, and how well the various systems are operating in tandem.
Initially, people were a bit confused and skeptical about the new guy walking around their workplace, particularly the Purity accounting team.
But over time, they came to understand I was there to learn and was genuinely interested in what they did. After a while, each time I wandered through the Purity accounting department, I’d have updates on sales, receivables, payables, accounts in trouble, a few laughs, and the occasional baked good. These floor walkthroughs also created a real appreciation for the role each person plays in keeping a business going.
Real-time business intelligence
Those daily interactions helped me gain insights into shipping efficiencies; cost reduction opportunities; out-of-stock issues; production workflow; and the workings of the marketing, sales, and accounting teams. Each aspect of the business offered a wealth of ideas for innovation and improvements—I just had to look around and learn.
Each day, week, month, and year, this simple discipline built a level of understanding of the entire business cycle that I couldn’t have developed any other way. It also strengthened my relationships with employees across the teams. Talking with them made me realize that, as a manager, the best way to improve the business is to listen to the people doing the work; they know where the real opportunities are.
In conclusion, here’s two pieces of advice to managers:
1. Take 15 minutes at the start of your day and walk through the entire business.
2. Just try it.
Happy sales!