The LPM “Magpie” Awards offer a means to celebrate industry accomplishments on an ongoing basis, recognizing the loss prevention professionals, teams, solution providers, law enforcement partners, and others that demonstrate a stellar contribution to the profession.
Excellence in Partnerships and Community Service
John Tabor, Senior Vice President, National Retail Systems
“When building business partnerships, listening and learning are the two most critical pieces,” said Tabor. “Whether it’s listening to customers’ needs, understanding our employer’s expectations, or listening to the employees themselves, there’s a lot of great talent with wonderful ideas that can lead to substantive change within an organization. Also, ongoing learning is critical. When you think there’s nothing more you can learn, that’s pretty much career suicide. Not allowing individuals at all levels of the organization to get out and network is probably one of the worst management decisions that a leader can make. It creates a glass ceiling for the employee.”
For those working their way up the career ladder, Tabor stresses the importance of communication. “Just about every leadership tool we end up putting in our toolbox is something we’ve learned from someone else,” he said. “Too often today we see people’s eyes buried in their cell phones. No one is talking anymore. Having the ability and humility to communicate, understand, and have compassion is essential.”
That same compassion and understanding has served Tabor well in his personal life. He has served as a volunteer fireman in his hometown for more than thirty years, acting as a first responder at Ground Zero during the events of 9/11. He sits on a board working with children born with Down syndrome, recognizing those who make a difference, and providing learning tools that will help them reach their full potential. He assists with autism awareness groups, Homes for Heroes, and cancer-recovery initiatives. Most recently, he was involved in a fundraiser following a fatal New Jersey school bus crash, which took place in his hometown.
“I cannot say enough about the importance of getting involved and supporting your community,” he said. “Volunteering can be a life-changing experience. I’ve always loved giving back, coaching, helping with events, and so forth. Being able to contribute gives me great pride and a sense of fulfillment like nothing else.”
Nominate Your Peers
Those of you working as LP practitioners witness these exceptional performances on a regular and ongoing basis, and we strongly encourage you to provide us with nominees for each of the award categories. We encourage creative nominations and want the program to cast a positive light on the many tremendous contributions of the loss prevention community. Nominations can be submitted via email to excellence [at] LPportal.com.
