Training staffers to become leaders
When Jason Lutz graduated from college in 1995, he had big plans for Sneaker Villa, his parents' two-store sporting goods business in the suburbs of Reading, Pa. He persuaded them to open a third outpost, in Reading's gritty downtown, and stock it with hip-hop styles, not performance gear. In less than a year the downtown store had generated double the combined revenue of its sister stores.
It was the start of a massive makeover. Based in Philadelphia and rebranded Villa, the company today dominates the market for urban fashion in cities across Pennsylvania, New Jersey, Delaware and Ohio. Villa's 2008 sales neared $40 million, and its 25th store opened this year.
But Lutz, 35, now CEO, says the company offers more than clothing and footwear. It also strives to strengthen the inner-city neighborhoods where it does business -- beginning in the stores.
The company employs 107 full-time and 200 part-time workers, and its staffing policy is as simple as it is ambitious: Hire local kids who understand Villa customers because they are Villa customers, teach them life skills as well as retail skills, and show them a future.
Employees who have put in a year of good performance and community service are invited to attend Villa's 12-session management-training program, which covers everything from sales strategies to building connections in a low-income neighborhood.
It combines discussions with role-playing exercises that provide hands-on practice in navigating sticky situations. Trainees learn how to settle arguments among employees, soothe unhappy customers and prevent shoplifting. The final class addresses ways to build community partnerships. Fledgling manager Scott Levesque, 30, used that lesson to approach a Salvation Army community center in Philadelphia about teaching teens job-search skills. Levesque taught the class and urged his students to apply for jobs with Villa.
In the past four years, 70 employees have completed Villa's program. As a result, 85% of store managers, including 24-year-old Kareem Cathey, have been promoted from within. Cathey took a part-time job with Villa at age 16 and became a full-time employee after graduating from high school. Now he manages a store in Philadelphia's Allegheny neighborhood. Inspired by his training, he plans to return to school to study business management and entrepreneurship.
This year Cathey joined about 40 other store managers at Villa's first financial fitness workshop. He says that although he already knew much of the subject matter -- budgeting, balancing a checkbook, setting financial goals - the class taught him how to discuss money matters with his employees.
"I can give them an advance on their paycheck when they have financial problems, but I'd rather tell them how to keep it from happening again," he explains.
That's exactly what Lutz hoped would happen.
"We can only reach so many people directly, so we try to build strong leaders at the stores who can pass their knowledge on," he says. "Our goal is to leverage the brand to create local jobs, keep local dollars close to home and help people connect with positive community resources. The shoes and clothes just provide a cool entry point."
1995年杰森•鲁茨（Jason Lutz）大学毕业后，为Sneaker Villa策划了大计划。Sneaker Villa是他父母在宾夕法尼亚瑞丁市郊开的两家体育用品商店。鲁茨劝说父母在商业区再开一家店，专卖嘻哈风格的产品，而不是高性能的装备。果然，经营不到一年，市中心新店的销售额达到原来两家店加起来的两倍。
这还只是大变革前的小插曲。这个总部在费城且更名为Villa的公司现在已经占据了宾夕法尼亚、新泽西、特拉华和俄亥俄等州各城市的市场，2008年的销售额将近4千万美元。今年，Villa开了第25家分店。
不过，现年35岁的鲁茨说，公司提供的绝不仅仅是衣服和鞋子。Villa还十分注意加强与所在城市的社会关系，就从商店内部开始。
公司现有107名全职员工和200名兼职员工，员工招聘政策很简单，但又野心勃勃。Villa雇佣当地的孩子，因为孩子就是Villa的顾客，所以他们了解顾客的喜好。公司教给他们生活技能和零售技巧，给他们展示美好的未来。
如果这一年员工在工作和社区服务上表现良好，就会受邀参加Villa有12阶段的管理培训项目，包括销售战略、与低收入人群建立联系等等。
培训项目包括分角色练习的讨论课，员工可以实际操作解决棘手问题，如如何处理与同事的意见不和，怎样应对顾客的不满情绪，怎样预防偷窃行为等。最后一期课程是关于建立社区伙伴关系。30岁的斯科特•莱韦斯克（Scott Lévesque）是位初出茅庐的经理，在一次建立社区伙伴关系的课上，他来到费城的救世军社区中心，教那里的青少年如何寻找合适的工作。他不仅教课，还鼓励孩子们来Villa工作。
过去4年中，有70名员工完成了培训。所以，85%的分店经理都是从普通员工提拔上来的，包括24岁的克里姆•凯西（Kareem Cathey）。凯西16岁就到Villa打工，高中毕业后成了正式员工。现在，他在费城阿勒格尼分店当店长。受到培训项目的启发，凯西计划重回学校，学习企业管理与创业。
今年，凯西和40名分店经理共同出席了Villa首届财务健康研讨会。凯西表示，虽然他对预算、平衡收支、制定财务目标等事项已烂熟于心，但这次讨论会让他第一次了解到怎样和员工商讨钱的话题。
凯西解释说：“当员工们遇到财务困难的时候，我当然会给他们预支工资，但我更愿意告诉他们如何避免类似事情发生。”
这也正是鲁茨希望看到的。
他说：“我们要想管理好员工队伍，就必须培养出强有力的领导，让他们把自己的学识和技能传授给员工。我们的目标是利用品牌的力量为当地人们创造就业机会，防止资金外流，并为人们提供有效的社区资源。销售鞋子和衣服只是我们实现这些目标的一种手段。”
等职位男性所拥有的强大职业关系网络。但是，一个MBA学位可能会在这一点上为女性带来裨益。