Understanding key concepts of leadership, personal development and merchandising are crucial to being a successful retail manager. The Foundations of Retail Program, led by the North American Hardware and Paint Association (NHPA), offers comprehensive online courses to prepare your key staff to become leaders in your operation.
These courses offer flexibility for students’ busy schedules and feature industry-specific training created with the help of industry-leading retailers. Barbara Smith, training and improvement manager for Wilco, completed the Foundations of Retail Program in 2021 because it aligned with her desire to continue her career growth at Wilco.
“Foundations of Retail provided insight into my leadership and communication styles, which now helps me interact better with others on our team, as well as our wider employee base,” she says.
Smith appreciated being able to take the course with a co-worker because it opened opportunities to brainstorm and find additional ways to use the concepts they were learning. Smith also valued the business improvement project that students must complete as part of the Foundations of Retail Program because it taught her how to take a project from concept to implementation.
“I would definitely encourage any retailer to take part in NHPA’s Foundations of Retail courses,” Smith says. “As an older student, it was good for me to stretch my brain and learn new things. The online courses offered flexibility, but it was important to schedule dedicated time to complete the assignments.”
Hungry for Growth
As a young leader in his organization, Josh Weaver went into the NHPA Foundations of Retail Program in 2020 looking to grow as a leader. Weaver, now the merchandising manager for PaulB Hardware in Pennsylvania, had just completed PaulB’s internal leadership courses and had taken a lead role for a major store reset, overseeing several employees. He was ready for the next step when his manager approached him about enrolling in the NHPA Foundations of Retail Program.
“PaulB has always been a career and growth focused company, and NHPA Foundations of Retail was a natural next step for me, as I was just heading into my first leadership role,” Weaver says. “I’m always hungry for the next opportunity, so I took it and ran with it.”
Soon after completing the NHPA Foundations of Retail Program in early 2021, Weaver entered manager-on-duty training through PaulB, became the project manager when PaulB launched a new store, moved into other manager roles and completed NHPA’s Retail Management Certification Program. While a lot has happened since he finished the course, Weaver says he still utilizes lessons he learned, especially building skills in delegation.
“The inability to delegate seems to be one of the biggest roadblocks in management, and I fortunately learned the first level of delegation through Foundations of Retail,” Weaver says. “I sure didn’t learn it to the extent that I needed to, but I received a solid foundation to grow from.”
Another key takeaway for Weaver was the program’s inside-out approach, where he got to know himself through personal assessments and lessons on emotional intelligence.
“You can invest in somebody and teach them how to lead others, but until they understand themselves, they don’t really have a solid foundation to lead others,” Weaver says. “Before you start scrutinizing and vetting others, it’s crucial to take a good look at yourself, which is an important lesson I learned in Foundations of Retail.”
Weaver valued having the course broken down into smaller segments to better digest the information. He also says the capstone project stretched him and helped him better understand what is required to complete a project.
“At the end of the day, we get out what we put into anything, but if somebody is truly seeking to grow, Foundations is a worthwhile course,” he says.
The Next Step
Retailers who complete the Foundations of Retail Program and are looking for additional avenues for leadership training can take part in the NHPA Retail Management Certification Program
(RMCP). Here are five reasons to consider RMCP to grow in your operation.
Scan the QR code or visit YourNHPA.org/rmcp for more information.
1 | The program is a college-level course developed in conjunction with industry experts, university educators and successful retailers.
2 | RMCP provides actionable knowledge to make a difference in your store immediately.
3 | Over 300 retailers have embarked on the RMCP journey, learning skills needed to grow store sales and profits in today’s changing retail landscape.
4 | The course curriculum covers multiple aspects of the business, and its industry-specific nature allows learning to be immediately applied to the business.
5 | The program is designed specifically to benefit employees in the independent home improvement channel.
