b'explain what each word meant so I had a better understanding of them. For some, Recognition is really about appreciation more than it is about notoriety. Money is often a placeholder for things like security or provision and Advancement doesnt necessarily mean that the individual wants to be a manager. Sometimes, employees consider advancement to be acquiring industrycredentialsorinvolvementspecialtaskforcesor committees. The key here is to hold a conversation that is centeredaroundthemandtheirdesiresandthenconnect what they want with what the company expects.It worked out with Carolyn. Coincidentally, we were both off the day after our conversation. I had a crazy idea and asked a car dealer friend if I could take an extended test drive. I also stopped by a travel agency for brochures to sandy and sunny locales. I showed up on Carolyns doorstep to take her for a ride in a car like she might use to take her daughter to the beach. She was flabbergasted, blown away, amazed that someone would go out of their way like that.When we returned to work, we had a real conversation; one that centered on what was important to her. We set goals around what she needed to accomplish to get the car and the vacation by the end of the year. She wasawillingparticipantintheperformancemanagement process and we regularly updated progress toward the car and the vacation. To say it worked is an understatement. Carolyn quickly became one of the top salespeople in the store and qualified to attend the company awards banquet in Florida. Outof2500salesassociates,Carolynhadbecomeoneof the top in the country and maintained that status until her retirement four years later. And yes, she got the car and took her daughter to Florida.At ORS we help jewelers create plans that improve results and provide support to put them into action.For a free 30-minute consultation, please contact us at 801-907-1650, or at [email protected], [email protected] Rath Vince Rath is the owner of Optimum Retail Solutions, a coaching and operations improvement company dedicated to independent jewelry retailers. If youd like to know more about ORS or how they might help your company improve its results, feel free to contact him at [email protected] or at 801-907-1650. THE RETAIL JEWELER |27'