2021_Alabama_Grocer_Issue_3

Few grocery industry executives are living life on the edge the way Bruce Kirkby is – think camel rides, alligators, mountain treks andmore – but the principles Kirkby lives by can certainly be applied to any organization or industry to help build amore purpose-driven, resilient team.

Kirkby addresses the concept of “grit” versus “grind” and how organizations can use purpose, practice and process to improve their performance. “Tough stuff happens to all of us, whether we choose to take on challenges or they get thrust on us, like the fires, like the pandemic,” Kirkby said in the interview. “We’re either going to grind against the challenge or we’re going to use grit as an opportunity to grow and become better than we were before.” With a society that venerates the “hustle culture,” grind is the way most people and organizations work today, which pushes most people to exhaustion. And while Kirkby said there is a time and place for the grind, it’s not a long-term success strategy. On the flip side is grit – which isn’t about grinding

it can be easy to get swallowed up in the day-to-day operations of business. But Kirkby suggests that grocery companies are also serving an extremely valuable purpose. At its most basic level, a grocery store is offering sustenance, life and health for its communities. “What we instinctively do is move toward grind,” Kirkby said. “So how do we set up the conditions and habits and rituals in our lives that will lead us toward grit instead?” There are three key components: • Develop a clear purpose – Why does our work matter? What do we care about? • Practice the important things – How do we address weakness? And what can we do each day to improve and grow our abilities? • Use process to keep up momentum – What are the small, important things we have to do every day?

more. It’s an opportunity to cultivate growth, opportunity and to identify a true purpose. Building a Purpose-Driven Culture The work of a grocery retailer no doubt leads to a daily grind mentality. From crunching numbers and looking at margins to dealing with supply chain and stocking shelves,

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