Target Store Manager: Model for LCMS Pastors?
By Rev. Jack Cascione

An Interview with Target Store Manager, Ted Davidson

Detroit-area Target Store Manager, Ted Davidson was asked to explain why all three of the Target stores he has managed have increased in sales after he became the manager.

Target is one of America's fastest growing chains. As of January 28th, its parent company, Dayton Hudson Corp., renamed itself Target. In the next ten years Target is projected by analysts to be a survivor in the coming fall out among the big box stores, such as Sears, Penneys, K-mart, Wal-mart, and Wards. Lechner's, Steinbach's, Wool Co., James Way, and Kalder have already gone out of business.

Ted Davidson is going take over a Target "A store" on the East Coast and turn it into a Target "AA store."

Question: Ted, what is an "A store"?

Answer: A "C store" does 18 to 20 million gross a year. A "B store" does 20 to 29 million a year. An "A store" does 30 to 36 million a year. A double "A store" does 36 to 45 million a year. And a triple "A store" does 45 million plus a year.

Question: How many stores are there in the chain?

Answer: About 1200. Last year Target did about 20 billion in gross sales.

Question: How big is an "A store?"

Answer: 80,000 square feet of sales space is a fair number but size is not the first criteria. Some of the smaller stores have higher gross sales than the larger ones. The most important criteria is gross sales.

Question: Why is Target doing so well?

Answer: It has the best employee relations in the business. We take care of our team members. We will have about 250 or more employees in the new store.

It is important to open a cluster of stores in a regional market so we can control distribution, advertising, health care costs, and keep the prices low. Part of making a profit is controlling costs.

Question: You have successfully increased the gross sales of three Target stores and you are now moving to one of the larger stores in the chain. How do you turn a store around?

Answer: You can tell if the store has a sick or healthy environment just by walking in the building. The store has to have the right organizational climate: the right feel.

Question: Could you explain a little more how you know it's a healthy store?

Answer: The team members (employees) are happy and the guests (customers) are happy. Not only are they happy, they are having fun. It is also evident that someone is in charge.

Question: How do you create the right climate?

Answer: (He rattled off ten items strangely similar to Church Grow criteria)

1. Listen to people.
2. Genuinely care about them.
3. Ask for their opinions.
4. Follow up their suggestions.
5. Set Expectations.
6. Show them respect in order to build a sense of team pride.
7. The building leader(s) need a presence.
8. Ask for feedback.
9. You must react to feedback.
10. You must create a no-harm, no-foul working environment by allowing a free discussion and sharing of ideas.

Question: What about the guests (customers)?

Answer: This list applies to team members and guests.

Question: What is an unhealthy environment?

Answer: It feels down and depressing.

Question: How do you handle conflict?

Answer: Some companies use the Dispute Resolution Process but we don't let it get that far at Target.

Question: What do you do?

Answer: We have enough advocates within the company for team members to resolve issues quickly.

Question: How do you increase the number of guests and sales?

Answer: Follow the list I gave you and you create a sense of community pride in the building. The guests take ownership. It must become their store of choice.

Question: Why do Target stores all have the same lay out?

Answer: This way, quests feel at home no matter what Target store they walk into. This also makes it more efficient to operate the stores.

Question: What happens if you start changing the store?

Answer: People will eventually leave because they are uncomfortable and confused.

Question: Tell me more about how to increase sales?

Answer: Clean stores, happy quests and team members, and good in-stock (full shelves.)

Question: What about the employees?

Answer: You want the team members to feel like the store is a reflection of them. There are times when the store environment is better than their home environment.

Question: What are you doing, offering them a life change?

Answer: Some team members don't want to go home or take days off. Of course, we make them take time off.

Question: You mean they want more money?

Answer: No, they prefer the store environment to their homes. I get calls all day long from team members who want to work more hours just because they want to be there. They bring their kids to the store on their day off. They visit with each other. They become part of the family. I get concerned when they don't want to go home around the holidays.

Question: Do you ever counsel your team members?

Answer: Yes. I often refer them to different organizations and agencies and ministers.

Question: How does the counseling begin?

Answer: I walk by the team member and say, "Hi, how are you doing?" If they respond that, "I'm doing fine," and it doesn't sound right or enthusiastic I ask if I can help. I try to find out if there is something wrong.

Question: Do you keep a list of places where you refer them?

Answer: Yes, it may be for substance abuse, physical abuse, childcare, marriage problems, financial counseling, self-esteem etc.

Question: Do you counsel the guests?

Answer: Not really, but I do offer them a sympathetic ear.

Question: How many times a day do you listen to your guest's personal problems?

Answer: Oh, I'd say half a dozen a day. (Ted didn't want to talk about the confidences the guests shared with him. But he sends a number of them to ministers.)

Question: What are your goals?

Answer: If it is all about making money there is not a lot of fulfillment there. My work is about providing people with stable incomes, supporting families, and giving people a fulfilling work environment.

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Observations comparing Managers and Pastors

Watch out competition, Ted Davidson is offering a life change and social services with every purchase.

Corporate culture is offering a safer environment than found in some congregations. It's seeker service for profit.

The astute LCMS pastor will note that much of what is called "Church Growth" has nothing to do with religion, faith, or God. We were told that Dispute Resolution was more "Christian" than the old secular Adjudication Process when it is totally secular in nature.

Some corporations have already moved beyond Dispute Resolution to Advocates. Guess what is coming next for the LCMS? Has the Facilitator been at your door lately?

Ted is a specialist in drawing a crowd, delivering the product, increasing revenue, and keeping his team members happy. Many who specialize in Church Growth are amateurs next to Ted. Ted isn't running a Church. He is running a business and he knows it. Some LCMS pastors are actually running their churches like businesses but still call them churches.

John the Baptist and the Apostles didn't attempt to make a profit. The fantasy of Church Growth is that Ted has a product for sale and Church Growth doesn't.

Did you also notice that Ted's people skills would put him at the top of the COP's list of Church Growth pastors? So why deal with the marketing "wannabes" of PLI and why not send LCMS pastors to Target Management Training Seminars so the Synod will really grow?

Here is another observation. Did you notice Ted's reasoning about why all Target stores are laid out the same way? If they change the stores people will eventually leave because they are uncomfortable and confused.

There is a great deal of research in how to lay out the stock in order to generate the most sales. In other words, making lots of changes in worship from one LCMS church to next will eventually insure the decline of the LCMS.

Guests can't assume ownership over what they don't know or understand. The Church Growth Movement will destroy our market identity. The Church Growth strategy of change would break Target.

If presenting our "best products," Law and Gospel, the Sacraments, the Bible, theology, doctrine, etc. aren't our top priority, Ted can do a much better job running most LCMS congregations.

Incidentally, the Davidsons' joined Redeemer Lutheran because they were tired of the "Church of the Franklin Planner" they used to attend. They are very discriminating guests.

Brother pastors, have you thought about inviting a Target management seminar leader to your next pastoral or circuit conference or congregational meeting?

February 4, 2000