Introduction

Most of us would have been advised early in our careers to start with a customer service job. As a novice, I asked Google what makes it special, even though they are not paying me enough. As most of us know the answer by now, it gives you transferable abilities like problem-solving and adaptability, as well as interpersonal skills like communication, empathy, teamwork & collaboration. Later, I realized that these skills form the foundation for approaches like situational leadership.

Why I shifted my view

The capabilities mentioned above are not incorrect. They make one’s resume polished enough to get tracked in an AI tool, but my opinion changed when I started working in retail. With years of experience, I have more than these capabilities on my resume. What has really changed is my personality and leadership style.
“A leader is one who knows the way, goes the way, and shows the way.” — John C. Maxwell. I have always been a passionate learner and love coaching. So, when I got promoted to management at Starbucks, I asked myself ‘How am I going to lead? What should be the approach?’That question eventually led me to explore situational leadership more deeply.

My early attempts

Little did I know that, with time, I would realize leadership must evolve. Initially, there were days when I questioned myself after a long shift. My partners (coworkers) would advise that macro-management is your answer, meaning that when you have a new member on board, you coach them, set clear expectations, and ensure they follow roles and routines.
I tried to follow what they said, but it never worked out for my team. There were execution bottlenecks with rollouts and promotions, inconsistent customer service, and a front-line disconnect. Moreover, partners were not happy that we had 3 new members, two of whom left. Customers were dissatisfied. There was significant miscommunication among partners, from shift managers to baristas.

Adopting situational leadership

As I figured out my approach to leading the team, I adopted the ‘situational leadership’ approach. I noticed a noticeable difference between a completely hands-off macro approach and a restrictive micro approach. We hired 3 baristas, and they are supposed to be trained in four positions: customer service, bar, order support, and POS.

First training session

In my first training session, I would make them feel comfortable. That made them more open to learning and more likely to ask questions as they absorbed more.Secondly, I offered direct, step-by-step guidance to ensure compliance and process knowledge. This team-coaching approach helped them build confidence while following clear standards. However, it was challenging. In fact, some, depending on their ability, made mistakes consistently for the first three months. Even so, as a leader, it was a test of my patience. On the other hand, for someone new, it was their chance to either learn from their mistake or run from it.

The pressure on new partners

When a new partner is hired in a fast-paced industry, there are certain standards that they are obliged to follow:

“I need to learn 250 drink recipes.”
“I have to multitask.”
“I have to connect with the customer while taking their order.”
“I must handle rude customers calmly.”

And many more. From their stance, it is scary, stressful, and overwhelming. In fact, they fear getting a warning. However, the situational leadership approach has allowed me to maintain veteran and new staff on the floor. Moreover, for veteran staff, granting them autonomy and decision-making power in difficult situations provides them with coaching experience.

The test: a busy Saturday

My real test was one day when I worked with 3 new partners. All of them were only partially trained. That Saturday was long and busy. We were in the peak rush. Everyone asked me multiple questions at once. Customers kept complaining. The store was loud. We did not finish the tasks. We were running behind on everything.

One thing at a time

My best decision was first to tell myself and my team, ‘one thing at a time.’ I connected with them individually. I assigned their tasks and positions. I kept myself flexible to help those in need quickly, as we did not want the customer experience score to drop or increase drink wait time at the bar.

Keeping the team steady

As things started operating smoothly, I gave them recognition. I said the right words and joked about a few things to wipe away the stress. I played the right playlist. It kept everyone going. In a stressful atmosphere, a leader’s job is similar to that of an air hostess during turbulence. If she stays calm and makes passengers believe that things will be fine, they do. But if they panic, it scares the team away. This kind of retail leadership relies on staying calm under pressure and supporting new partners through the rush.

Conclusion

To conclude, to be an efficient leader, one must build a foundation of trust with their team members. Help them believe they can perform better under stress. Then, adopt the leadership approach they want while delegating tasks. Each situation has its own challenges. A leader must be adaptable and adopt a new approach depending on their team’s requirements. In my experience, situational leadership has been the most effective way to balance direction and autonomy. I consistently choose directive leadership over delegative leadership with new onboards.