February 2024 - 42

POHMER ON ...
rigid and married to the plan you become, making it
difficult to adjust when you need to.
The stories about the rigorous training that Marines go
through are legendary. The goal of this intense training,
however, is not to make life miserable for the individuals, but
to allow them to practice their leadership and management
skills so that, when they are called upon to act, these learned
behaviors are instinctive. They are prepared for virtually any
situation and can adapt to the changing environment better
than their competition can.
While I'm not suggesting that you turn your business
into a Marine boot camp or manage your teams like they
are raw recruits, there's a lot to learn from both their
leadership and management training and practices -
things that you as a business owner can adopt and use
to both your personal and professional development.
One thing you can't argue with are the achievements and
successes of the Marine Corps, and much of that is the
result of their principles and training. This is why former
active-duty Marine Corps officers are among the most
sought-after and successful business leaders.
Keep It Simple
I was a senior executive at Target some years ago
when it was rapidly growing through both new store
construction and acquisition of distressed regional
chains. CEO Bob Ulrich instilled a new culture to help the
headquarters and store teams manage the challenges of
this rapid expansion and manage the growth. Nicknamed
" Fast, Fun and Friendly, " it emphasized how we would all
treat our guests and teammates in a fun and fast-paced
environment, while creating a sense of urgency in all of
our actions and activities.
Bob led by example and emphasized two key elements
of what became integral to the corporate DNA and
demonstrated the work ethic he expected everyone
at headquarters to approach everything they did,
communicated in two simple phrases: Speed Is Life and
Ready, Fire, Aim. Both guideposts pointed to not overplanning
things, but getting ahead of the competition after
the launch, once you had a better idea of any challenges and
more current situations. These can be equated to the USMC
principles of the 70% solution, situational awareness and
keeping plans simple and flexible.
The USMC and Target have both proven, time and again,
that strong leadership breeds success. Our industry needs
more leaders to help make us more successful. Ready to step
up? Semper Fi!
Stan Pohmer is president of Pohmer Consulting Group in
Minnetonka, Minnesota. He can be reached at spohmer@
pohmer-consulting.com.
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42 | LAWN & GARDEN RETAILER | FEBRUARY 2024
http://wildlifesciences.net
February 2024

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of February 2024
