What a Director of Product Development and Retail Strategy at DYNACRAFT BSC INC Wishes They Had Known Before Entering the Retail Industry
Rick wishes someone had told them about the "unwritten rules" and expected communication styles when working with large corporate accounts, suggesting prior experience in a big corporate environment would have been beneficial. Furthermore, more "formalized training" on transitioning from an entry-level role to managing and leading multiple departments would have been invaluable, as effective communication becomes crucial when others rely on one's guidance to perform their jobs.
Corporate Culture, Communication, Management, Leadership, Training
Advizer Information
Name
Job Title
Company
Undergrad
Grad Programs
Majors
Industries
Job Functions
Traits
DeCarli
Director, Product Development and Retail Strategy
DYNACRAFT BSC INC
Arizona State University (ASU) - W. P. Carey
Industrial, Supply Chain Management
Apparel, Beauty, Retail & Fashion
Business Strategy
Scholarship Recipient, Took Out Loans, Greek Life Member
Video Highlights
1. Navigating Unwritten Rules: Understanding the informal protocols and communication norms when dealing with large corporate accounts can significantly impact success. Prior experience in a large corporate environment can provide valuable insights into the perspectives and expectations of these accounts.
2. Transitioning to Management: Moving from an entry-level role to managing and leading teams requires a different skill set. Formalized training on management principles and communication strategies can help individuals effectively support their team and ensure smooth workflow.
3. Learning Through Experience: While formal training is beneficial, much of the knowledge and skills required in executive roles are acquired through practical experience and continuous learning on the job.
Transcript
What have you learned about this role that you wish someone would have told you before you entered the industry?
In my current role, I joined this company, and we're a midsize, lean, and horizontally integrated company. It wasn't as formalized in certain regards as a large S&P 500 company.
When working with big corporate accounts, there are many unwritten rules, expectations for email verbiage, and more. Learning those on the fly worked out, but it would have been beneficial to have spent a year or two in big corporate to understand the perspective of the accounts I'm dealing with.
Another thing I've figured out is the difference between performing at an entry-level versus when you're managing others. This transition happened fairly quickly for me, going from having no reports to several, and then to a wide span of departments relying on me.
If you don't learn how to make that transition, you can end up with many people needing things from you, and they can't do their jobs unless you communicate well with them. The jump from being an individual contributor to management is something I wish I'd had more formalized training on early on. Since then, I've learned a lot through experience.