Hi All,
I’d like to share a few key messages and requests that Asif recently delivered to our Senior Leadership team. It’s important that we extend the same focus and mindset across all stores so that we continue to operate as one EE Retail Team, aligned, consistent, and striving together for marginal gains that drive both your profitability and EE’s market share.
Be Forensic to Be Strategic
Asif recognised that the current market is challenging, but he remains extremely pleased with the growth we’ve achieved over the last 2–3 years. He’s very thankful for the effort and commitment from all our retail and franchise teams.
His message was clear: to continue growing, we must be forensic in our leadership, focusing on detail at every level. For example, Asif asked Stores Director Alan to identify his 20 lowest-performing Guides on HBB and NPS. The intent behind this challenge was twofold:
- To encourage every leader to dig deeper into performance at an individual Guide level.
- To highlight that a small number of underperforming individuals can have a disproportionate impact on overall results.
Please ensure you are regularly reviewing performance at Guide level, providing targeted coaching and support, All Store Leaders are to embed the habit of being forensic with their teams, making this a consistent and habitual part of how they lead and manage performance.
The ask: Please take time to identify the bottom 20% of Guides within your store and work with your myself to agree a clear plan for how this group will be supported and developed over the coming quarter. The focus should be on practical actions, targeted coaching, closer performance conversations, and setting clear expectations to help these individuals improve and contribute more effectively to overall results.
Winning with Welcome
Analysis of our customer measures has shown that we perform strongly with customers who purchase from us, however, there remains a significant opportunity in how we Welcome customers into our stores. Improving this first interaction can have a major impact on both sales and service outcomes.
Asif’s message is that every leader, at every level, should review the actions and focus areas required to strengthen the Welcome experience within their stores. Competitors are working hard to raise their game, and we must do the same by making every first impression count.
By refining how we Welcome customers, we not only create better advocacy and satisfaction but also unlock meaningful marginal gains in performance.
Store-Specific Action Plans
The ask: Please work with your teams to create an individual Welcome Action Plan for each store. Each store should:
- Understand why improving Welcome is important.
- Display their plan in the back office.
- Track and celebrate improvements by reviewing RISE & PCG data.
- Use the below template to create your welcome plan
Five to Thrive
Asif reflected on the success we achieved through Five to Drive and now wants us to take that same focus and momentum into this quarter with Five to Thrive.
His expectation is that every leader and every store is speaking the same language, driving the same focus areas, and ensuring our priorities are actioned consistently and with precision.
Five to Thrive focuses on the following key growth levers:
- Broadband
- TV
- PAYM
- iPhone
- New Markets
To truly maximise results, it’s essential that our forensic leadership approach, marginal gains mindset, and focus on Welcome are embedded into how we deliver Five to Thrive. When each of these elements work together, we not only strengthen individual performance but also create a powerful uplift across the entire estate, driving profitability and EE’s market share.
The ask: Please ensure that Five to Thrive remains a consistent focus in team huddles, coaching sessions, and daily store conversations.
Leading with Intent – From Unconscious to Conscious Competence
Finally, Asif spoke about the importance of leading with intent and the difference between being unconsciously competent and consciously competent.
Many of us are highly capable leaders, we know what to do, and we do it instinctively. That’s unconscious competence. But Asif’s challenge to all of us is to take this a step further to become consciously competent: to think deliberately about our leadership actions, our mindset, and how we can stretch and reinvent our approach to deliver even greater results.
Being consciously competent means leading with purpose, asking ourselves why we do what we do, how it impacts performance, and what we can refine to achieve marginal gains every day. It’s about turning instinct into intention and ensuring every conversation, decision, and action is deliberate and value-adding.
The ask: It’s a great time to reflect on our teams and ask:
- Who is propelling the boat forward with us?
- And who might be quietly drilling holes beneath the surface?
Great leadership is about spotting both, nurturing those who drive progress and addressing the behaviours or habits that hold us back. When we lead consciously and intentionally, we raise the bar not just for ourselves but for everyone around us.
Let’s make this quarter about intentional leadership, thinking deeply, acting deliberately, and continually stretching our mindset to unlock those marginal gains that, when multiplied across our estate, will drive significant results.
Together, by focusing on the details, both in team performance and customer experience , we can continue to build on our success and deliver strong, sustainable growth across Family Connect.
Thank you for your continued commitment and leadership.