CONCEPT 3

Development

1. Create a learning environment

2. Develop and implement a work-based learning

3. Foster a beneficial learning-facilitation relationship

A Quick Case Study 03

The Container Store – championing the development of their teams

The Container Store is a brand playing to its own tune, making staff development their primary focus and boosting business performance all the way to business sustainability…

Let’s investigate their story further

The story behind The Container Store

Who’s behind the brand?

Garret Boone and Kip Tindell opened

a small store in 1978

What’s their niche?

Specialising in home organisation

products

What do they do differently?

They focus upon culture and team development to deliver success

What’s the result?

25% annual growth since 1978

The story behind The Container Store

What do they do differently?

Each store has a full time trainer

Each staff member has 160 hours of

training per year, in the first year 241

Twice a week team huddle to share

updates on sales initiatives and drive

service

Celebration Mail box

The story behind The Container Store

It is possible to put people first and be profitable, for The

Container Store putting people first makes them profitable

How do Great Retailers do What They Do?

Putting people first …

• Have a strong vision and stick to it

• Believe in people – staff and customers

• Support staff with extensive ongoing development

• Pay people well and they will respond in effort

• Offer a career path for all team members

Create a learning environment

Consider and apply OHS related implications

OHS impactsReview internal

policiesApply OHS

Evaluate current learning practices against objectives

Map work practicesCompare with

learning objectivesAddress gaps

Define the scope and objectives of learning

Learning need Learning objectives Learning scope

Develop and implement a work-based learning

pathway

Build a learning pathway framework

Encourage learner involvement

Maximise skill development

Foster a beneficial learning-facilitation relationship

ACTIVITY – The Container Store

Workshop Activity

1. What actions has The Container Store taken that have

contributed to them being one of Fortune Magazine’s ‘Ten Best

Places to Work’?

2. As an employee of The Container Store how would you sell the

notion of working there to a friend?

3. Choose one of the Australian retail brands below and consider

how to adapt the people policies of The Container Store to their

operation.

- Myer

- Harvey Norman

- Bunnings Warehouse