Parting Words
Mentors, Vendors, and Friends
Jim Lee Executive Editor
Mentors, vendors, and friends—now there is a group you don’t often see having dinner together. But they do. More on them later, but first let me reminisce. Not long ago I was driving through rural Indiana back to my hometown. Perhaps some of you have heard of Marion, Indiana. We are known for automotive plants, high school basketball, breaded tenderloin sandwiches, and not making many changes. As I was driving into Marion I saw the General Motors plant that’s been there fifty years. Then I drove past the basketball gym, but don’t call it a “gym” to anyone in Marion. It is “the arena” and seats 7,200 and always sold out…not bad for a town of 35,000. Driving down the city streets there are plenty of bars and all of them have the infamous breaded tenderloin, fries, and a drink. I saw a few buildings that have been there for many, many years, a few new buildings, a few houses that were empty, and both old and new retail stores.
Everyone wants the same thing—a job, a future, and a fair shake. Forget the material changes in the LP business. Go find a mentor, a vendor, and a friend. They can help you get that fair shake. I parked at a drive-in restaurant that is owned by one of my high school classmates and went inside for a tenderloin and conversation. I asked my old chum, “What’s new?” His answer, “Nothing much has changed.” Sure, he mentioned changes in some material things, like a new this and an empty that. But the people, young or old, he said, all want the same things we did when we left high school—a job, a future, and a fair shake in life. Those words had been echoing in my head for weeks before they became crystal clear recently at dinner in New Orleans at the FMI conference. We were talking about changes in loss prevention over the years. The discussion was all about material changes until someone said, “Not much has changed. People want a good job, a future, and a fair shake from the company.” I was sitting at the dinner table with a few mentors, a few vendors, and some friends. That’s just the group that helps others
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March - April 2012
with their job, their future, and helps others get a fair shake. So, I ask each of you reading this article, do you have a mentor? This issue of the magazine has a really outstanding interview with a really outstanding retail executive—Bob Oberosler from Rite Aid (see page 31). Set aside all of his personal and career accomplishments; the major contribution that Bob has made to the world of LP has been as a mentor to others. Some of those who call Bob their mentor are included in the article, but there are many others. Bob doesn’t necessarily think of himself as a mentor. He just gives people a chance at a good job, with a good company, and a fair shake at a career. We also have featured two other outstanding executives and made mention of their roles as mentors—Paul Jones of eBay and Rhett Asher of FMI (see page 42). There are many who refer to each of them as their mentors. Both Paul and Rhett have something in common—they have always had time for others. So, do you have a mentor, and do you mentor others? As I said, a couple of vendors were at that dinner table. It is my personal opinion that there are two kinds of vendors. There are those who are primarily interested in selling retailers something and wear earmuffs while trying to do so. The other kind of vendor listens and hears, and more often sells a better solution. These kind of vendor partners can be wonderful mentors, too. Lastly, around the dinner table were some friends. No one would argue that friends can be very helpful in our careers as well as mentors to us. Here is my main point on friendships in this wonderful world of LP—grow old in this profession with them. The friends you make today can be your professional friends for a lifetime. One of those friends who had his boss with him, told me later that his boss told him he was envious that my friend had maintained his friendships for years. You’ve probably heard the saying, “Keep your friends close and your enemies closer.” Forget about your enemies; just keep your friends close. So, there was my high school friend in little Marion, Indiana, telling me that everyone wants the same thing—a job, a future, and a fair shake. Forget the material changes in the LP business. Go find a mentor, a vendor, and a friend. They can help you get that fair shake.
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