Worksheet 1 Example – Nina

Here is the completed Worksheet 1 from Nina’s perspective at Summit Square department store showing how a retail store works behind the scenes. Nina has answered the three questions for each of the five chapters and completed the Fix-It reflection.

By: Nina | Company: Summit Square (Retail)

Chapter 1: The “Invisible Walls” (Internal & External Environments)

  1. Inside the Walls: The store is owned by a large corporation, and our culture is very “customer-first” with a focus on speed. My managers are always on the floor, and the vibe is busy but friendly.
  2. Outside Forces: We recently had a Legal Force where a new city ordinance required us to stop using plastic bags at checkout. It changed how we bag items and caused us to start selling reusable ones instead.
  3. The Connection: My manager held a huddle to explain the law and updated our registers to prompt us to ask customers if they brought their own bags.

Chapter 2: The Firefighter (Management)

  1. The Plan: For the “Labor Day Sale,” the goal was to clear out summer inventory. My manager Organized this by moving all swimsuits to the front racks and assigning extra people to the fitting rooms.
  2. The Human Element: When a customer yelled at a new cashier, my manager stepped in and talked the employee through it afterward. She used her Human Skills to make sure the cashier didn’t quit mid-shift.
  3. The Quality Check: We have a “Closing Checklist” that every department lead must sign off on before we leave. This is how the manager Controls the store to make sure it’s clean for the morning.

Chapter 3: The People Puzzle (Human Resources)

  1. The Training: My onboarding lasted four hours and mostly focused on Safety Training, like how to lift heavy boxes and what to do during a fire drill. I also learned the Technical Skill of how to use the store’s inventory scanners.
  2. The Reward: One of our best perks is the 15% employee discount on everything in the store. This Motivates us to shop here ourselves and stay loyal to the company.
  3. The Fit: My coworker Jasmine is a great fit because of her Soft Skills; she is always on time and can talk to even the grumpiest customers without getting upset.

Chapter 4: The Vibe and the Sale (Marketing)

  1. The Customer: Our Target Market is mostly local moms and families who live in Oak Ridge and want trendy clothes at a decent price.
  2. The 4 Ps: We sell a high-end line of skin care (Product) that is at a higher Price point than the drugstore brands. We Promote it using big signs near the beauty counter and through the store’s email coupons.
  3. The Difference: The national TV commercials are the Marketing that brings people in, but me helping a customer find the right shade of foundation is the Sale.

Chapter 5: The Truth in the Numbers (Accounting)

  1. The Costs: Our biggest expenses are definitely the Payroll for all the staff and the Electricity needed to keep a store this size lit and cooled.
  2. The Assets: A major asset I use every day is the Point-of-Sale (POS) Computer at the register, which tracks every dollar we bring in.
  3. The Bottom Line: If revenue was high but income was low, it probably means our Expenses (like rent or the cost of the clothes) went up too much this month.

Final Project Prep: The “Fix-It” Reflection

  • The Issue: We often have long lines because only two registers are open, which makes customers angry.
  • The Fix: I would suggest that management uses better Planning to schedule more cashiers during our known “rush hours” (like 4:00 PM to 6:00 PM).