People: Our Greatest Asset

Submitted by David Thompson
Regional Loss Prevention Manager, Abercrombie & Fitch


Too often our jobs become task focused, prioritized by metrics, scorecards and results. We forget that to achieve our goals and become world-class organizations that everything starts with our teams, our people. I learned early in my career that our best investment as an industry is within our own teams.

Being an industry that is ever-changing and evolving with the challenges around us it becomes our duty to maintain the same urgency in the development of our people. As a manager and leader we have the responsibility to ensure the leaders of tomorrow are given the tools to succeed. Amidst the conference calls, inventory meetings, internal interviews and all other tasks we find ourselves involved in we need to take a step back and dedicate time to our people. For each of us to become better leaders and to truly contribute to a sustainable division we have to challenge ourselves to develop our team. Whether it's having a formal career progression conversation, or a casual discussion about the individual development, these moments make a huge impact to your core players.

As a leader it's important that we are aware of the strengths of each of our team members, and not just the highlights from a scorecard, but true strengths of the person. The best way to determine your team's strengths is to get them involved and owning their own development plan. Being a manager in our industry is similar to being a coach, and it is our responsibility to put our players in the positions that give them the best opportunity to succeed. I often think to myself after a visit with one of my team members, What development opportunities did I leave with them today? Even more importantly, Is this person playing the best position in our team? and do they know what they need to do to advance to the next step?

When comparing company versus company, and specific markets against each other we have to remember that it's not just who has the latest technology or the best camera system but who has been the most diligent in developing their staff to become world-class leaders. Next time you are visiting a store, calling your team and putting out fires; take a second and think about the most important asset we need to develop and protect our people.