2021_Alabama_Grocer_Issue_3

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From pivoting operations to adding new offerings and services for customers, grocers’ commitment to being nimble, flexible and adaptable is a key demonstration of grit – and a prime opportunity to continue the momentum. How to Keep Grit Going Like any new habit, philosophy or leadership style, it’s easy to learn something, apply it and then forget it later. So how can grocery organizations build a culture of grit that will last? Kirkby said for starters, there’s a powerful opportunity for purpose to come from the top. Once leaders live grit and show purpose themselves, it can cascade down through all levels of the organization. “Caring is contagious,” Kirkby said. “When we share our purpose, why it matters to us, that resonates with other people.” It can be easy to get lost in the “forest of modernity” – emails, reports and bottom lines – and Kirkby said that this can cause leaders to lose sight of what’s important and how their organization can improve. Rather than focusing on the practice of what counts, companies let go of the essentials that make their stores successful in the long run. That’s why the simple act of sharing a purpose and showing some vulnerability is enough to bring some practice and process into an organization, he said. From there, it’s about staying the course. “We might not see results in the first day or the first week, but we’re going to stick with the plan,” Kirkby said. “Because over time that’s going to make a difference. With these

including Gelson’s, Whole Foods and more provided pay increases, bonuses, and other benefits for their employees. As grocers emerge from the intensity of the last two years, they can take a moment to pause and evaluate how they want to operate moving forward.

The difference between grind and grit is using those three tools of purpose, practice and process to allow that natural grit,” Kirkby said. “If we put those into place, it will drive us to grit.” And while grinding may drive winning, it doesn’t create a collaborative process or foster an environment of value. Kirkby notes that on an individual level, people aren’t loved by family and friends because of winning and success, but because of a set of sensitivities and strengths and weaknesses that make someone unique. Translated to an organization, one with grit is one that shows purpose and instills joy into processes, rather than just operating to get things done. Grit v. Grind and the Pandemic Anyone who works in the grocery industry knows it’s an industry built on hard work, humility and service. Never was that tested more than during the Covid-19 pandemic and subsequent events over the last 18 months. “I’m sure there was a lot of grind during the pandemic, but I bet there was a lot of grit, too, with grocers realizing the importance of what they were doing,” Kirkby said. To be sure, the way the grocery industry collectively stepped up to serve customers in uncertain times was a major demonstration of resilience, creativity and collaboration. For example, retailers large and small added or expanded curbside pickup services as customers drove years’ worth of growth in a matter of weeks. Other grocers added or upgraded store apps to make online shopping easier, and still others, like Albertsons, added contactless checkout methods. Southern California-based Barons Market reimagined its soup and salad bar with pre-made gourmet salad offerings and an employee to serve up the store’s beloved hot soups. Employees across the industry stepped up to work long hours, provide extra cleaning and serve customers on the front lines of the pandemic. Grocers hired as many people as possible to support essential and ever-present needs, and stores throughout California

“Coming out of the pandemic is an opportunity for reflection for all of us,” Kirkby said. “It was such a seismic shift that could alter our outlook and how we go about work.” With that in mind, Kirkby said that while our culture has created a generation of workforce that is focused on the grind, now there is an opportunity to shift toward a grit mindset, focusing on growth, possibility and opportunity. “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.”

processes we don’t see the results right away and it just takes a deep faith, and that comes down from the top.”

Some grocery stores are well on their way to establishing this type of culture.

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