Bacary Diatta’s Post

Celebrating a Decade of Growth and Achievements!   What an incredible journey it has been! A decade at Southeastern Grocers has brought forth a tapestry of personal growth, adventures, new challenges, and unforgettable experiences.   Looking back on the past 10 years, I am profoundly grateful for the opportunities to shape and develop both the business and myself, alongside remarkable leaders. Having held eight diverse positions, each chapter brought unique learnings, cherished memories, and significant accomplishments.   Here are just a few personal highlights: 1. Kosher Partnership with Chef Jamie Geller: We built a Kosher partnership program, intertwining my Jewish background and childhood memories with Chef Jamie Geller, creating a meaningful connection. 2. Alcohol Marketing Reinvention: Leading the transformation of our alcohol marketing strategy across liquor, beer, and wine, leveraging my background in the adult beverage industry to Southeastern Grocers. 3. Magazine Manager for 'Flavor' Magazine: From content creation to on-set shoots in New York, leading the development of 'Flavor' magazine was a journey of creativity and collaboration. 4.Leadership in New Store and Renewals Marketing Programs: Overseeing teams to deliver impactful marketing programs for new stores and remodels. 5. Business Lead for Transformational Initiatives: Steering the transformation of the rewards program in 2018, personalization and customer engagement in 2020, and the redesign of our retail media network, SEG Connects, in 2021. 6. Co-Chair of the Women's Development Network: A 2.5-year journey dedicated to empowering and engaging women and allies in their professional and personal lives through impact, inspiration, and leadership.   I owe a debt of gratitude to my mentors, coaches, and sponsors – selfless individuals who played a pivotal role in my journey. And a heartfelt shout-out to all my bosses, team members, cross-functional collaborators and supplier partners who have made this journey so much fun!   As a token of appreciation, over the next 10 days, I'll be sharing my Top 10 Tips learned along the way. I invite you to follow along and share your insights as well. Let's continue this journey of growth and success together!   #DecadeOfGrowth #CareerJourney #Top10Tips #SEGproud #GPTW #PeopleFirstCulture Special thanks to: Anthony T. Hucker, Elizabeth Thompson, Adam Kirk, Raymond Rhee, Gayle Shields, Dewayne Rabon, Zack Bingham, Brian Carney, Jennifer Barnes, Lynn Rushing, Andrea Rodriguez, Kimberly Willette, Brett Mauser, Mario Mijares, Dorlisa, Sharry Cramond, Mary Kellmanson, Sharyla Robinson, Rich Romano, Belinda Mahon, Diane Shelton, Jennifer McEwen, Andrew Nadin

September marks my first full year as CEO of Whole Foods Market, and what an incredible 12 months it’s been. One of the best parts, without a doubt, has been getting to interact with Team Members — whether it’s in the aisles of our stores, at our facilities, at a Team Member Connection meeting or in a banana field in Costa Rica. I never cease to be amazed by the people I meet, and it’s a privilege to hear your perspectives. I hope you see your feedback reflected in the actions we’ve taken this year. It is gratifying to look back at what we’ve accomplished together so far. We co-created Growing with Purpose – our 10-year company vision and strategy. We made unprecedented investments in our Team Member experience, rolling out a much more robust 401K match, a deeper Team Member Discount in Prepared Foods and more career advancement opportunities. We’ve activated several new ways for all Team Members to be engaged in our business – like the quarterly All-Hands Huddle and our E-Team Roadshow. We’ve also taken meaningful steps to simplify the way we work and to refocus on stores. On a personal level, this year has taught me a great deal about myself and servant leadership. I’ve felt the impactful change of supporting day-to-day operations to leading our entire organization. I’m a natural problem solver, but I’ve learned that empowering our teams to create solutions has resulted in tremendous outcomes for the company. I’ve learned that when we’re faced with difficult decisions, looking to our Core Values and our long-term goals can help us arrive at the best outcome. I look forward to another year full of engaging conversations, store visits, lots of learning and, of course, continuing to fulfill our Purpose to Nourish People and the Planet. We’re just getting started. #TeamWFM 

I used to feel inferior for not knowing much about American and European sports, or the world of premium brands. Once, I worked with a team where everyone discussed fine dining places at length. I've never felt more out of place. Over time, I have realized two things. 1) Do your job well. Everything else is just a cherry on top. 2) Your perspective makes you unique. For me, being grounded and assertive at the same time has turned out to be a superpower. Celebrate your uniqueness - It is what helps you stand out. #careers #management #personaldevelopment I share such thoughts every week in my newsletter. You can read it for free through the link in comments.

I found management early on in my career - real early. At 17 I was an Assistant Manager, and then at 18 I moved to a General Manager position at a busier store with a different owner. Profitability, COGS, labor rates, hire/fire, were all on me. I should have been more freaked out, but I really enjoyed it. Granted, this was at a Little Caesar's Pizza. I had a staff of about 20. We were one of the higher grossing shops in Sacramento. On a really good night we would sell 300+ pizzas. I learned quickly that when work was fun and you let your team know they were appreciated, things went better. I was 18. I didn't read that in a book, or take a class, but I did notice it and so went out of my way to make work enjoyable. I've never stopped. "Fun" is not messing around, or goofing off, although I was 18, but that's not this story... 🙃 🤐 😆. Getting 300 pizzas out the door in one evening is HARD. It takes teamwork. It can be stressful. Setting the stage with the team of what's to come, letting each of them pick part of their role, acknowledging execution as well as effort, and then when it's over for the night giving a collective well done, is still leadership table stakes. There were lots of things I did not do well, learned, and improved (the cycle is still repeating), but this whole leading people/teams to accomplish cool, improbable, challenging, and even more complex/high visibility, company transforming work has stuck. Deep. ❤️ #peoplefirst

I just completed four years at McCormick & Company . Time has certainly flown by, the years have been a mix of challenges, learning, and hard earned wins. The experiences have led to tremendous growth for me - as an individual and as a leader. A few key take aways from the journey so far: ⏳ Investing the time to get to know consumers, customers, and employees is time well spent. Approaching every interaction with curiosity and empathy helps to unlock true understanding, and enables value creation. 🗣️ Communication reigns supreme- the ability to establish context, frame up issues and bring stakeholders along is the single most important executive skill. One cannot influence, if one cannot communicate with clarity and impact. 💪 The comfort zone is the enemy of growth and learning. I’ve found that intentionally seeking learning opportunities (yes, you have the time!) is paramount. The ability to learn is a muscle - use it or lose it. The journey so far has been wonderful because of my fabulous team who’ve worked hard together through tough challenges. And it has been the overcoming of challenges, rather than an easy success, that have helped establish the true growth potential of the business and the team. A heartfelt thank you to my team and all the leaders at McCormick - for the empowerment and trust, for helping me learn and grow, and most of all for role modelling the true meaning of “The power of people”. #PurposeLedPerformance #WinningTeam

Story #12 of the many to follow! #hawksview Making the extra effort is the way to differentiate yourself from the crowd. And believe that its results can always take you by surprise! I won't go into specifics about whether or not you must work 80 hours a week. But all I can say is that, whether you're a smart worker or a hard worker, you need to work even harder or more smartly to set yourself apart from the other individuals in your experience. I'll share the experiences I've had, particularly from working in the retail sector, and emphasise how crucial it is around the holiday peak season. This is my story 📖👇🏼 👉🏼 That little effort? Like everyone else, I was also tempted to travel and enjoy myself during the lean days, but I made the decision to participate in the peak season war room activities while others were on vacation. 👉🏼 Playing with my strengths! I've never been much of an academic or analytical person, but I always work with the utmost dedication and rationale. Additionally, I approach my work with the goal of learning as much as I can to gain a holistic understanding of things. I therefore consistently approached senior leaders to request opportunities to collaborate with them, particularly during the retailer's peak season. 👉🏼 Gaining the confidence? Because of my enthusiasm and the broad knowledge I acquired from working with several business teams and systems, I was always given the chance to sit down with the key decision makers and site leaders in the War room during those weeks from Thanksgiving to Cyber Monday. 👉🏼 Understanding the why!? ✅ I truly believe that you learn more from people and seasoned leaders than from books. ✅ Helped me understand why meeting company goals demands timely program delivery. ✅ And why compromising on high-quality products and solutions is not an option. 👉🏼 What I learned? ✅ How to make decisions in the absence of others or, on occasion, to confidently step up and ask questions about decisions made. ✅ Also, how to respond swiftly and efficiently to questions asked by seasoned people and to understand the reasoning behind those questions. 👉🏼 What I achieved? ✅ Given my experience and later in my career, I became recognized as an exception, and people trusted me to take charge of the site's war room activities, knowing that I always had experts to fall back on and provide assistance in difficult decision-making situations. ✅ Everything I acquired in the first five years of my work is possibly most of them would have gained in their ten to fifteen years of experience. Thus, I still think that putting in a little more effort helps you stand out from the crowd and valuable to any organization! If you liked this, you can follow me on Aravind Hawk for more. ✍🏼 #hawksview #aravindhawk #leadership #leadershipdevelopment #alwaysbetter #perspectives #learnings #experiences

🍳 🔄 From Culinary Dreams to Career Reflection 🔄 🍽 👨🍳 As a young adult, the kitchen was my kingdom, and cooking was my calling. I had grandiose dreams of becoming a world class chef, wielding spatulas like wands and turning ingredients into works of art. 🎨 Pursuing that passion, I climbed the ranks, eventually reaching the role of restaurant general manager. 💼 Yet, despite the title and responsibilities, I found myself wrestling with a nagging sense of unfulfillment. The very thing I once loved began to feel like a burden, and I couldn't ignore the whisper of discontent that lingered in my heart. 💔 🔍 It was moment of reflection that led me to confront the truth: my journey had taken an unexpected turn, and it was time to reassess my path. While grateful for the lessons learned and experiences gained, I knew deep down that staying true to myself meant embracing change. 🛣 And so, I embarked on a journey of self-discovery, exploring new interests and avenues. Each step forward has brought clarity and renewed purpose, leading me to where I stand today- a testament to the power of listening to one's own inner voice and embracing the journey, wherever it may lead. 🌟 My story is a reminder that the path to fulfillment is not always linear, but it is always worth pursuing. Here's to honoring our passions, embracing change, challenging ourselves, and finding fulfillment in every chapter of our careers. 🔄 🌱 #careerreflections #PassionJourney #embracechange #newbeginnings

Friends lovers... this one is for you 🙌👇 Monica's journey in 'Friends' shows us the power of resilience and passion in pursuing a culinary career 👩🍳✨ From losing her job to becoming a head chef, Monica's story is all about bouncing back and never giving up on your dreams. Whether you're facing setbacks or starting anew, her path reminds us that it’s never too late to follow your passion and achieve success 🥳 How did Monica inspire you in your career journey? Share with us! 👇 #careerchange #culinarycareer #pivotwithpurpose #resilience #dreamjobjourney

Hmm why don't we hear more about these things? 🤔 A great example from Molson Coors Beverage Company on hiring for potential by scrapping the CV altogether. The results are encouraging, as candidates with the right mindset and values seem to be quickly thriving in their new roles. There has been a rather strong support for "hiring for potential" for more than a couple of years. It seems as if most people, at least in the talent acquisition community, can see the benefits of the approach to adress both talent shortage and to improve the diversity outcome of a hiring process. I think this is a wonderful picture of a couple of people who landed new jobs as a result of a future-looking (potential) rather than backwards-looking (direct experience) process. Hope we can see more examples like this. 🤗 Please like or share if you agree! #HiringForPotential #Innovation #FutureOfWork #TalentAcquisition #EmployeeDevelopment