“Why is this store so messy?”
Sunday, February 24th, 2008I’m often asked, “Why is this store so messy?”
Yesterday I gave a tour in the basement of a Duane Reade, in the cosmetics section, and was asked, “Why is this display rack so messy?” Products were missing from slots. Eyeliner pencils ran together, barely indistinguishable by price or color. Price tags were askew.
Why’s this store so messy? Lemme step back for a moment and ask you, have you ever lived with anyone else?
Maybe you’ve lived with housemates, or roommates, or family. Maybe there was a time when the apartment started out clean, but gradually things got messier and messier?
Now’s a tough question: “Who lives in the store, 40 hours a week, most of their daylight hours?” Answer: The people who work there.
Now’s another tough question: ”Why’s it so messy?”
Basically, the answer is called “self-governance,” or lack of it. One of my core beliefs is, usually when people are messing up the public space, there’s something messed up in the relationship between the people. Call it miscommunication if you want, but that’s avoiding the bigger picture.
Self-governance is leaving strategic planning to the people it most affects. Let the people affected by the rules, make the rules. A great facilitator can help.
What do people want, and how do they get it? I promise you, they can figure it out. Would you have wanted your landlord telling you and your roommates how to keep a clean apartment?
So: messy store. Products are missing from the display rack and haven’t been reshelved. Tags are hanging off the racks. What can you do? You can cast blame on people for not doing what they’re “supposed to.” You can shrug, “Well what can you do.” Or, you can start to say what you want to do about the relationships people have with each other, and help everyone else say what they want, too. Even better, you can start to take action. If you could personally make one change to the store, what would it be? Then do it.
Instead of focusing on the layout of the store’s display rack, focus on the layout of the store’s relationships. You’ll be surprised. I always am.
There are lots of models for self-governance. The simplest one might be living with housemates. The next step up from that might be organizing a block party on your street. How can people who work together, have relationships more like roommates you know who keep their apartment or street in great condition? I promise you, both models are 100% applicable to cleaning up the mess, living better, and start feeling like it’s a party.
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