“Entrust your works to the Lord, and your plans will succeed” (Proverbs 16:3).

Memorial Memories

As the red, white, and blue décor flooded retail stores before Memorial Day weekend, I was reminded of an experience I had earlier in my career, just as this holiday was about to arrive.

Back when I was given a territory of grocery stores to manage in southern California, my supervisor had provided a disclaimer: “Be careful with that general manager,” he warned. Apparently, “Big Store Manager” was not very friendly.

I was nervous to tackle the new portfolio, particularly because one of the metrics by which I would be measured included incremental revenue. I had a challenge ahead of me.

Big Store Bet

My first visit to the “big store” was fine, but the general manager (GM) did not seem excited to meet me. He was not talkative; when I asked questions, his responses were one-liners, and he did not look me in the eye. He eventually hinted that he never saw his account executives. That was a clue I needed: I had to build trust—but how?

I resolved to win over this manager by committing to show up consistently. I informed him of upcoming promotions. I left “hello” and “have a good day” notes. I invited him to company events. Slowly but surely, he began to order incremental product (additional product beyond what was originally designated for the store). To my surprise, he also eventually accepted an invitation to join me for a golf tournament sponsored by my employer. This event was a great opportunity to see a professional connection outside of work and learn more about the person. It was a great learning moment for me early in my career.

The biggest test for me with this account would revolve around a supervisor visit. My boss would be visiting a store I selected. I chose the “big store,” because I wanted to showcase the relationship I had been able to cultivate with the GM. I was making a bet on the big store.

The Biggest Display 

As we arrived for the walk-though, we stumbled upon the largest displays my supervisor had ever seen. Typically, the duty of building displays is the responsibility of the account executive; it’s not a glamorous part of the job (and was my least favorite!). Yet, I was committed to building them, particularly if that meant selling more product.

In this case, the general manager had ordered an immense amount of incremental product for the holiday. As we continued the walk-through, the GM came out from the back store warehouse to roll out a special, wooden display that he had built. The fact that he not only allowed such a large Memorial Day display on site but built it himself shocked my boss and me! I will never forget the look of amazement on my supervisor’s face.

Keeping Connected

This story stays with me, because it is my reminder that no matter where I work, I have an opportunity to create connections and share my Catholic heart:

• I build trust by showing up consistently and keeping my word.

• I enjoy making colleagues happy.

• I hope to leave an imprint of friendship.

No matter who I encounter throughout my professional career, I am striving to build kind corporate connections.

Lilia Grundy is University of Portland’s Pamplin School of Business’ Director of Corporate Partnerships with over 20 years of corporate experience (including Kraft Foods, NBC Television, and Telemundo). Lilia launched Catholic Women Professionals to inspire other working women to grow their faith. She is married to her high school sweetie Rob - they have beautiful twin girls who love art, music and learning about the Saints.