Business Skills

Conquering your calendar means shining a light on what’s important to your work and to lead by example. If your crammed calendar looks more like a battle plan than a focused, realistic schedule, you’re not alone. Here are some tips for ensuring your days provide the space you need for opportunities, growth and success:

Motivational Interviewing (MI) is a proven counseling method that can help people resolve ambivalent feelings to find the internal motivation they need to change their behavior. The process involves a practical and empathetic facilitative style that takes into consideration how difficult it is to make life changes. This technique helps people become motivated to change negative behaviors and retail dietitians may find this intervention helpful in a variety of workplace situations.

If you follow various industry organizations in social media and through their e-newsletters, you’re likely to see announcements over time about other retail health and wellness initiatives.  Over the summer alone there have been key announcements – Kroger is hosting a wellness and music festival, Hy-Vee has streamlined their store tour process and is marketing the program more, Raley’s added a dietitian back to their organization, to name a few.

Most retail dietitians need to be proficient writers as a means of reaching their target shopper audience. Whether it’s authoring blog articles, ad copy, media scripts or social posts, being able to communicate concise, meaningful messages is vital. Becoming a good writer takes time and practice. Below are some tips to improve your writing skills to ensure your content is engaging and actionable.

Regardless of what stage you are at in your career, success can be contributed in large part by the relationships you develop inside and outside of the office. Effective networking not only provides the opportunity to learn from different individuals, but you can also reap the benefits of association and growing your own influential power. Here are some tips for improving your networking skills:

Do you wonder if elements of your role as a retail dietitian cross a line with the dietitians’ professional code of ethics?

As retail dietitians encourage shoppers to make healthier choices at retail, it’s essential to help the shopper break the autopilot habit and begin purchasing more nutritious options as a new routine.

My local grocery store recently went through a remodel. Even thought it’s been a few months now since the remodel completion, I still can’t find items when I shop. They’ve moved. All the aisles are reconfigured and products are now shelved differently. I find myself annoyed, seeing grocery shopping as more of a chore than ever before.

I’m always excited when I see retailers adding health and wellness and RD programs.  It showcases the commitment to helping shoppers live healthier lives in point-of-purchase environments.  As these programs launch, however, there are bound to be growing pains.  Retailers don’t often know what healthy living programs look like and RDs aren’t initially hired into the retailer at executive levels.  Growing pains.

The professional of dietetics is more than 90% female, skewing the culture in which many RDs historically work.  As you join the retail ranks, you’re quickly moved from a female-centric work environment to a male-dominated one.  To be successful in this culture, it’s essential to learn to navigate this environment.