Be proactive — don't procrastinate in produce
I hate putting things off.
In fact, I once worked with a guy who admitted he put the “pro” in procrastination. That’s not good when working in the produce department.
When meeting with Cid, our energic warehouse manager, years ago about an assembly-line fruit basket program I helped coordinated at the facility, I could tell I was talking to the right guy. When I asked about hiring so many seasonal workers, when I asked about an area to set up our basket line, and other things I could count on him to provide, he took notes furiously.
He was also busy on his warehouse walkie-talkie.
“Al, we’re working on the support basket line,” he barked into the mic. “Get someone to clean out the bay across from doors 20-25. Have maintenance give it a good scrubbing, then get the heat tunnel, boxes and the rollers set up like we always do.”
“Cid. I didn’t mean I needed anything done this minute,” I began. “The project doesn’t start for six weeks.” I could tell by the look in Cid’s eyes that that wasn’t how the guy was wired. When something needed done, he wasted no time. Whether arranging for an inbound produce truck or directing order selectors racing up and down the warehouse aisles, he was Johnny-on-the-spot.
A wise produce manger leads by example, then expects the same from the crew.
One place you’d rarely find Cid? In his office.
As retail produce supervisors will attest, sometimes it’s difficult to instill a similar kind of action in the stores. We referred to it as “a sense of urgency” — knowing what to do, how to get things done, when to get it done, and how fast it could happen.
Sometimes a produce manager will set a slower pace and have such a laissez-faire attitude that his own clerks mirror it and follow suit. Even a well-stocked department can break down quickly after a strong shopping rush if a manager isn’t aggressively directing traffic, identifying the hot spots, or redirecting clerks from one area to another. Produce department conditions can spiral downhill, and fast.
That’s why it’s so important to look at anything that needs to be done and either do it or direct a clerk to get it done. Now. And quickly. The produce manager sets the pace and the example.
A wise produce manger leads by example, then expects the same from the crew. If pallets need to be picked up and stacked, do it. Display low? Stock it. If there’s debris on the sales floor, clean it up. “You make a mess, you clean the mess,” was often heard when working for a good produce manager.
And that manager never put things off until tomorrow. Or “in a while.” Or after a break. He very firmly meant now. That’s why he was good.
Armand Lobato works for the Idaho Potato Commission. His 40 years’ experience in the produce business span a range of foodservice and retail positions.
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