If there is an issue of concern that is affecting your store, there is a logical channel to follow in the organization to seek resolution. But if the channel is closed to you, or if upper management is not responding to your requests, what do you do? Do you keep asking for the go-ahead or do you just go ahead? When you feel strongly that you are posing a solution that is workable or essential but you reach a roadblock in the approval process, it may be time to gamble.

State Your Request in Writing with a Deadline for Response

If you don't receive a response by the deadline, and you are confident that you've made a conscientious effort to gain permission and/or support, and your efforts have been documented, it's your responsibility to do what's right for the growth and well-being of your store.

Certainly there will be instances when acting without prior approval will be a mistake. So how do you determine when to act and when to wait? Ask yourself, "What's the worst thing that can happen if I go ahead?"

If the answer is one you can live with, go for it!

The concept of asking forgiveness, not permission is well worth introducing to your salespeople as well. One of the buzz words of the early 90s was empowerment. Everyone was talking about empowering salespeople to handle customer complaints, special requests or difficult situations without the assistance of a manager or supervisor.

Empowerment can only occur with:

1. adequate training so the best interests of the company are considered prior to acting, and 2. an understanding or belief by the staff that action is recognized and valued, while indecision is not.

Salespeople will only take initiative and make decisions on their own if they are allowed to learn from faulty decisions and are recognized for making wise decisions. So before you fly off the handle for a salesperson's failed attempt at handling a situation effectively on their own, before you let a salesperson's excellent judgment in a situation go unacknowledged or before you hesitate to act autonomously and miss an opportunity to do the right thing instead of nothing, remember to consider exercising your power wisely. More often than not, the potential gain far outweighs the risk.