Q5’s Post

Great Place to Work, which has surveyed employees around the world about their experiences for three decades, is out with its 2024 Fortune Best Workplaces in Retail List. Several grocers made the cut – and actually went to the head of the class – in this year’s report. Wegmans Food Markets, Inc. came in at No. 1 for the ninth year in a row in fact, based on the criteria of positive employee feedback. The c-store chain Sheetz, Inc. took the second spot, followed by Target Corp. Coming in at No. 5 was Publix Super Markets, Other grocery, mass and c-store leaders in the top tier of the retail workplace rankings include Walmart (No. 7), Nugget Market, Inc. (No. 8), The Spinx Co. (No. 9), Island Pacific Supermarket (No. 11) and ALDI US (No. 18).

A huge ROI opportunity…but not as you know it. When I think of ROI, I think of Return On IMPACT. ❓I ask myself, “For the time and energy that this will take from me, will it have the IMPACT that I want it to?” ❓And will it do the same for my clients too? ❌If the answer is No, then I’m out. ✔️If the answer is Yes, then I’m ALL IN! Which is why I was so delighted when ASDA approached me and asked me and my team to run their Intentional Allyship Summit for 290 of their future leaders and 55 Sponsors - I was most definitely an ALL IN YES to this! So, on Tuesday, my team and I will be supporting ASDA’s future leaders to unleash their brilliance, supercharge their confidence, and create careers they love. And we’ll be supporting their Senior Directors to become even more brilliant Mentors and Sponsors for this critical talent. My team and I have invested a huge amount of time and energy into designing an incredible learning experience for the participants both before, during and after the Summit itself. An investment that I know will deliver huge impact on their lives, careers and business results, and so an investment that is well worth making, I think. We… can’t… wait! And of course, as always, I’m curious about you… 🔷Are you delivering ROImpact through the work you do? 🔷Is your Career playing to your Strengths and bringing you a sense of fulfilment? 🔷If not, then what might you do about this and who can help? And finally, a big shout out to my ASDA partners who are also working tirelessly to make this an incredible summit and programme. ASDA are truly being intentional allies for diversity and this team demonstrate the ASDA values through their commitment and hard work Hayley Tatum Mickey Greenhalgh FCIPD Emma Brough Suzanne Arnold , Octavia Chappell Team IA - we’ll see you in Leeds! #IntentionalAllyship #asda #diversity Dunke A. Liz Clayton-Jones

When I talk about our plan to reshape M&S for growth, I often talk about our progress in executing our transformation. Investing in new stores, launching new products, bringing new innovation. But it’s not just what we’re doing that’s important, it’s how we’re doing it – which is why building a high-performance, customer centric culture is a critical part of our plan. It’s also why we’re resetting our culture to put our customers and our colleagues truly at the heart of everything we do. We've got so much to do, but we've started to take some positive steps forward: 1) Getting closer to customers: all support centre colleagues spend seven days in store per year. This isn’t just popping in to say hello; this is a full shift of sleeves-rolled-up serving, selling, and filling - and coming back to the support centre with a learning or opportunity. 2) Updating our inductions: all new senior leaders spend one month working in a store before starting their roles, while all new graduates spend four months. So far this year, 24 new leaders have completed their placements (from our Strategy Director Dominic Maxwell to our Food Chief Commercial Officer Kara Greatorex) while 69 grads are currently midway through theirs. 3) Simplifying our operations: empowering our store managers and freeing up their time to focus on what’s important – serving, selling and filling. We've listened to them and moved from 42 KPIs to 6 key performance metrics. That way, they're not out the back filling out forms and ticking off checklists, they're out the front with colleagues and customers. Leading this reset is Sarah Findlater, our People Director, who spoke to George MacDonald after spending three months ‘back to the floor’ at our Brooklands store recently. As I always say, lots done, lots to do, lots of opportunity.

I often get asked which change model or framework I follow & my response is always the same... - Focus on leadership and then worry about frameworks and models after.  - If the leaders of a transformation are not aligned, completely committed and prepared to truly listen and understand to those at the front line, then it will undermine the and hamper the change effort.  This is a great real life example from Stuart Machin of effective change leadership in action.  #changeleadership #culture #customerfirst #transformation

Exploring McDonald's rich history and its profound impact on American culture. 🏷🍔 Dive into the evolution of this fast-food giant! 🌟 #McDonalds, #FastFood, #AmericanCulture, #History, #USA, #McD, #Impact, #Business, #FoodIndustry, #Innovation, #GoldenArches, #Iconic, #FastFoodHistory

To the people affected by the restructuring at Asda this week. There’s something Extra Special (no pun intended) about ex-Asda colleagues. Part of the magic comes from the sheer scale and unpredictability of the retail world—it’s vast, dynamic, and ever-changing. And those who work to shape, evolve, and navigate it become just as versatile, adaptable, and resilient. The skills you pick up in an Asda role reach far beyond the job title. The culture at Asda—whether you can see it now or not—has always been (or at least, used to be) about mindset; “be the customer,” “don’t walk by,” ownership and respect. When you step back into the job market, whether by choice or circumstance, you’ll quickly realise that what makes an ex-Asda colleague special is exactly that. Having left after 10 years myself, about 3 years ago, I was genuinely surprised to find that so many qualities I thought were commonplace really aren’t. If you’ve been affected by the changes at Asda this week, I want you to know that there’s so much more to you than just a job title or a description. Take a moment to reflect on those ‘softer’ skills (yeah, I know, that term is annoying) and make sure they come through as the USP they are, in your job search when the time comes. There’s more to life than the Big Green Machine. Good luck! #asda #restructure

Why McDonald's and Walmart are America's First Jobs Explore the significance of first jobs in America through the lens of iconic workplaces like McDonald's and Walmart. This insightful discussion illuminates how these entry-level positions shape the workforce and launch careers, making them the ultimate American experience. #FirstJobs #AmericanWorkforce #McDonalds #Walmart #EntryLevelJobs #CareerJourney #RetailExperience #FoodService #JobMarket #CareerDevelopment

🍺 INSEAD connection in #NYC Jordane ROLLIN, Managing Director, Head of Trade & Working Capital, Americas Standard Chartered I had a wonderful opportunity to catch up with Jordane ROLLIN, an INSEAD Alum, and learn about dicerse characteristics for financial markets across North America and Asia. Other than The fact that North American markets significantly larger volumes, they are also highly interconnected and responsive to events (financial or non financial) could have swift cascading effect . In comparison, while the fundamentals of Asian markets remain the same, there are a few pockets where interventions are needed, also transaction volume as compared to North American counterpart still leaves room to grow. Both have their pros and cons, yet it was good to learn about a new perspective. Many thanks to Jordane ROLLIN for taking time out. Due to bad weather we had to take refuge at an exquisite setting of Pret A Manger. I am glad that Pret - representing health revolution - has now replaced McDonald's as a prime food spot. Few years ago when i lived in #NYC, total number of Mcdonalds were more than that of Taco Bell Burger King and other fast food chains all together. Pret now represents the new face and lifestyle adapted by NYC. #INSEAD #NYC #catchup #pretamonger Pret A Manger #healthyliving

Jason Tarry's appointment as the next chair of the John Lewis Partnership marks a strategic move, bringing his extensive 33-year tenure at Tesco and frontline retail experience to the employee-owned group. With a track record of navigating challenging retail landscapes, including during the aftermath of the 2014 Tesco accounting scandal and the Covid era, Tarry's leadership is expected to inject a competitive edge into John Lewis. 🛒💼 His emphasis on a "clear" strategy signals a shift in direction, evidenced by recent decisions like abandoning ambitious profit targets from non-retailing activities. The focus now turns towards refining supply chain efficiencies and enhancing IT, analytics, and customer service capabilities. 📊💻 Tarry's appointment also raises questions about the role of Nish Kankiwala, the chief executive, within the partnership's new leadership structure. As John Lewis prioritizes retail fundamentals, Tarry's leadership promises an intriguing trajectory for the iconic partnership. #JohnLewis #RetailStrategy #LeadershipTransition #Recruitment #SupplyChain

A few years ago, on Thanksgiving Eve, I made a defining decision to leave my role at SBG. My parting words were something like "Either I’m the new CEO, or I quit." Some might call that bold; I call it clarity. I knew I had the vision and drive to excel in that role, and I still do. Fast forward to today, I’m working part-time at the commissary on a military installation where I once led the Strategic Experiential Education Lab. Now, my job is to keep aisle 7 fully stocked—the aisle nobody else wants to touch. Within my first month, I earned a cash award, and I’ve seen my coworkers step up their game. That energy fires me up so much I hit the stair machine after work for 2,500 steps almost every day. This experience reinforces what I’ve always believed about leadership: it’s about raising the bar, setting the example, and driving results. I can be tough to manage, but only for those who are content with mediocrity. My boss recently told me, "I like everything you’re doing, but you rub people the wrong way." I take that as a compliment. Leaders don’t coast or make everyone comfortable—they challenge people to grow and perform. Leadership is solving problems, inspiring others to surpass their own limits, and delivering real impact. Whether it’s in the boardroom or aisle 7, I’m here to make a difference.