I got the call today, oh boy

April 11, 2013

It has finally happened.  I use the word "finally", but in reality everything has happened just as it should.  I have been promoted to be the store manager for a CVS 10 minutes from my house.  It is a 24 hour store which means I will not have to deal with the large workload with only minimal payroll to spend.  It also means I will not have to work until midnight (like I have to tonight) unless I choose to.  It is a challenging store due to the clientele, the volume, and the fact that it never closes, but I will certainly never get bored there.  I don't do boring very well.  It is also a tremendous honor that the powers that be are trusting me with this store.  New managers do not get put into 24 hour stores as their first assignment.  However, due to my background and the work I have exhibited thus far, I am being given this opportunity.

So, who didn't sleep last night?  Could it be this guy?  Am I worried about living up to this billing?  Maybe a little.  However, I have always had the inner drive to live up to my own expectations, so it really is nothing new.  I have my mother to thank for teaching me that there are two ways to do things-the right way or the wrong way.  I try to choose the right way which means setting the bar high and doing everything in my power to get there.

I did not always handle this inner burden well in the past.  My tenure at Old Navy as store manager did not end well.  I took on all the challenges myself and did not hold my team accountable.  Past coworkers at The target will tell you that during especially challenging times, I was not fun to work with.  However, after a mere 25 years of retail, I have started to figure some things out.  Yes, I am a slow learner.  Gorillas have learned sign language more quickly than I learned how to be a successful store manager.  Therefore, I want to thank any and all of you who have helped me see this over the years.  Obviously Beth is a big part of that, but the team at the last Target I worked at were very instrumental as well.  Thank you.

It was not until I started to make some realizations around my goals, my limitations, and how to build a strong team, that I was truly ready to jump back in this store manager boat.  I think I am more ready to keep it afloat than I have been in the past.  Rough seas should not cause me to go overboard anymore.  Fingers crossed.  Once again, thank you all.

For any of you struggling to find your way, please let me tell you that I am an example that there is a higher plan in place for all of us and we have to let it play out.  Sure, we have to do our part and not coast through life, but we can't force things to happen and think they won't turn into a big ole monkey's paw.  Monkey's paw?  Google
W. W. Jacobs, The Monkey's Paw, and see how this short horror story shaped most of my early retail career.
Over the past year I have made a pointed attempt to follow the higher plan.  It started when I did not get the promotion I wanted at Target and I tried to make sense of it.  As I went through the process, I felt that there was a reason.  Then a recruiter called from CVS Caremark, and the rest is history.  Nothing I have done with CVS has been accomplished by me forcing my way into things.  Examples:

• I went to a training store 45 minutes from my house even though other newbies were sent somewhere more convenient for them
• I performed every fill-in task without complaint even though all of them were not pleasant
• I got passed over at least twice for other stores for various reasons even though my district manager considered me the best choice to run a store at the time
• I spoke up when my pay was wrong even though it meant possibly losing money

I am here to tell you that I firmly believe this promotion will not be a monkey's paw.  Will there be some tough times ahead?  Absolutely.  Am I ready to handle them all with grace and a good attitude?  God, I hope so.  I think so.