In recent years, companies have increasingly recognized that their people are one of their most valuable assets.
Whether employees have been with the company since joining as new graduates or have joined mid-career, it is important for each person to fulfill their role effectively within the organization.
One way to think about these roles is to compare employees to gears in a machine. Each gear has a specific function, and the entire system works effectively when all the gears work together.
In this article, let's use a concept called the “Gear Theory” to explain how employees in store-based businesses grow and how their roles evolve over time.
We'll use customer service as our example, since it is a core activity shared by retail, restaurant, and other service businesses.
Step 1: The Small Gear — Learning the Fundamentals
During their first year or two, employees can be compared to small gears.
As newcomers, they have much to learn about customer service. They gradually become more comfortable through studying manuals, observing experienced colleagues, and receiving guidance from senior staff.
At this stage, they focus on mastering the basics, such as smiling and greeting customers, acquiring fundamental product and service knowledge, and maintaining a professional appearance.
The main expectation is that they can reliably perform the basic tasks assigned to them.
It is often said that without a solid foundation, it is difficult to apply skills in more advanced situations. Therefore, much of their time is devoted to learning and practicing the fundamentals.
Step 2: The Large Gear — Demonstrating Expertise and Setting an Example
After three to five years with the company, employees generally become experienced team members who have mastered the basics of their jobs.
At this stage, they are expected to serve as role models for newer employees by demonstrating effective customer service in a variety of situations.
This means more than simply answering customers' questions accurately. They should also be able to recommend products and services offered by the store and suggest options that suit each customer's needs.
At times, they may also take on an OJT role, providing hands-on guidance to new employees.
Compared with when they first joined the company, these employees have become larger gears. The quality and volume of work they can handle have increased, and they are able to contribute at a higher level.
Step 3: The Motor That Drives the Gears — The Store Manager
Once employees become responsible for managing others, they take on the role of store manager.
They are no longer simply individual gears performing customer service themselves. They must now bring many gears—their team members—together and make sure they function effectively as a team.
In other words, the store manager becomes the motor that drives the gears.
Store managers must also maintain the system, ensuring that the gears mesh properly and operate smoothly.
In practical terms, this means coaching team members to improve their customer service skills and creating an environment in which they can perform at their best.
To do this effectively, managers must understand each team member's individual strengths, characteristics, and development needs.
Step 4: Optimization — The Role of Executives
When a company operates multiple stores, it needs people who can look across the entire organization and determine how to help all its motors—the store managers—achieve better results.
These are the company's executives.
Their role is to improve, redesign, and test company-wide systems that raise the level of customer service across all stores.
For example, they may review training programs, introduce new methods of developing employees, or redesign existing processes to improve performance throughout the store network.
In other words, executives are responsible for optimizing the systems that enable the entire organization to perform effectively.
Because their decisions affect customer service across the company, they carry a significant level of responsibility.
Step 5: Designing the Future — The Role of Top Management
The final stage is top management.
While executives and managers are responsible for current performance and operational improvement, top management must also chart the company's future direction.
For example, what should customer service look like five or ten years from now?
What capabilities will employees need to deliver that level of service? What is missing today, and how should the company develop its people and systems to close the gap?
Top management is expected to establish a clear roadmap for building the organization the company wants to become and communicate that vision throughout the business.
Designing the company's future is one of the most important responsibilities of top management.
The Gear Theory illustrates how employee roles evolve as they grow—from mastering the basics, to demonstrating expertise, to leading teams, optimizing company-wide systems, and ultimately shaping the future of the business.
Each stage requires a different perspective and a broader scope of responsibility.
Does your company have enough people who can serve as the “motors” and drive “optimization” across the organization?
