A New Restaurant

Your management style can have a lot to do with your success in running a restaurant, or any other business. While people can debate all day long about which is the best management style to use in different situations, one thing people will agree on, if you get it right (or wrong) it can have a big affect on the success of your business.

There are a variety of management styles, and most effective managers use a combination of styles to handle different situations. (more…)

Mary Sullivan at The First Year blog at AllBusiness touched on an issue I’ve mentioned before, in her article “The Entrepreneurial Curse”.  The gist of her article is that it is hard to be married to your spouse and to your business at the same time.

Yes, it’s hard, but it’s not impossible.  If something is worth doing, then it is worth the time and effort to do it well.  If your marriage and your family are important to you, it is worth doing whatever it takes to make sure you leave enough flexibility in your business day to be there when your family needs you.

Part of avoiding the curse is to go into your new restaurant venture with your eyes open to the time and energy requirements.  It’s not just you that needs to know.  Your family needs to know what to expect.  At some point, you are going to feel tired, cranky, and emotionally drained.  The last thing you need is to go home and walk into a hostile environment.  These are the times you most need the support of an understanding family.

Stephen Covey talks about an Emotional Bank Account.  His point is that you need to make regular deposits into your relationships, or there will not be anything there to withdraw from when you need it.  This means that you need to be there for your family on a regular basis, or else they won’t be there for you when you need them.

You have to decide which is more important, your family or your restaurant.  If it’s your family, you need to tell them, and more importantly, to show them.  You can have both, but not if you neglect one for the sake of the other.

Make time for the things that are important.  It’s hard, but it’s worth it.

In his book First Things First, Stephen Covey tells about a trainer talking to his class about time management.  As an illustration, he took a jar and put some large rocks in it.  He then asked the class if the jar was full.  They all answered that yes, the jar was full.  The instructor then took some gravel and proceeded to pour it into the jar.  Next he poured sand in around the gravel, and finally finished filling the jar with water.

When asked what it all proved, someone in the class observed that there is always room for more.  The trainer told them that what it really showed was that if you don’t put the big things in first they will never fit.

How about you?  Do you put the big things on your schedule first, or does your schedule fill up with all kinds of different small things, and you run out of time to do the things that are important?

Whether it’s handling necessary business functions, or taking time to renew your certification, or attend the monthly Chamber of Commerce meeting, or taking time for yourself, you need to make sure you schedule time for the things that need to get done.

That doesn’t mean you have to be inflexible with your schedule.  Sometimes things come up that you have to take care of, but if things are always coming up that pull you off oyur schedule, you may need to reexamine your priorities.  There are always distractions that call for your attention; phone calls, e-mail, a complaining employee, but you have to decide what’s important enough to pull you off task, and what can be dealt with later.

An open door policy is a great idea, but it does lead to constant interruptions.  You may want to consider a more limited open door policy.  You are always available for emergencies, but non emergency items need to be handled at specified times during the day.  The same with email.  If you are in your office working, turn the auto-update function off and only check your email when you have the time to deal with the distractions.

You have to decide what is important.  If you allow others to set your priorities, you’ll never get your own items handled.

Schedule your important items first.

Let me clue you in on a little secret that many people in the business world seem to forget.

Life is supposed to be enjoyed!

OK.  It’s not really a secret, but so many people miss that point, I felt like I had to bring the subject up.  Sometimes we all need a little reminder of things that should be obvious.  The problem is, we often get to busy to be aware of the obvious.  We go-go-go, and do-do-do, and we miss out on the fun that life has to offer us.

If you’ve been in the restaurant business for more than a day or two you know how hard you have to work at it.  Especially for owners and managers, the hours are long, and customer and employee complaints can just wear you down.  The stress can sap the energy out of you.

So what can you do about it?  Sometimes it’s not possible to get away long enough to really relax, and when you do get away, you spend your time worrying about what’s going on at the restaurant while your not there.  Not so relaxing.

Do you exercise?  If not, you should.  Even if it’s taking some time to step out and walk for a mile or two.  Exercise is a great stress reliever, and as you get in better shape, your energy level increases and makes it easier for your body and mind to handle those long hours.  And as an added bonus, it helps you work off those burgers you’ve been eating for lunch.

Look at your staff.  Are they having fun?  With wages as low as they are in the restaurant business if your employees aren’t enjoying their work, they won’t be your employees for long.  The first time they get a better offer, they’ll leave for greener pastures.

Find a way to inject a little fun into the operation.

If you’re a yeller, stop yelling and start coaching.  Create an environment where fun is possible.  Allow your staff to enjoy themselves, and maybe even build a little comradery.

I once worked for a restaurant manager that didn’t allow his wait staff to talk to each other about anything that wasn’t related to the dining room operation.  Even during very slow periods the servers would have to spread out and not stand too close to anyone else.  When the dining room was hopping, that made perfect sense, but there were times that the manager should have lightened up a bit.

Needless to say, there was a constant turnover of servers, and customer service suffered because the servers didn’t stick around long enough to develop any relationships with returning customers.

Think about coming up with some contests or incentives that will encourage your workers to have a little fun.  Be creative.

Life can be fun.  If you’re not having fun, you need to take a close look at where you are and what you’re doing.  If you’re not enjoying your restaurant, your customers aren’t either.  It may be time to move on to something else. 

Grab life by the tail and hang on for the ride.

Years ago there was a commercial on TV for an stock brokerage company called E.F. Hutton. The commercials were always tagged in a public place, and at some point one of the actors would say to the other, “My investor is E. F. Hutton, and E. F. Hutton says…” At that point, everyone within earshot stops what they are doing and falls silent. The catch line was, “When E. F. Hutton talks, people listen.”

It’s the same thing with leaders. They don’t need a trumpet fanfare. They don’t need to remind people they are in charge, but when they speak, people listen. How does a person get others to listen without being told to? What is it about them that makes others want to follow their lead? What about you; are you a manager, or are you a leader? Although some people fail to grasp the differences, those differences are significant, and can be the difference between success and failure.

Every team or organization needs a leader. Ideally that leader is the manager, but that isn’t always the case. People have to trust someone before they will follow them. If the manager is not someone who instills trust in the people under their supervision, the people will find someone else to lead them. The greatest danger in someone other than the manager leading is that the person who is chosen as the leader may not have your businesses best interest in mind.

Leaders have followers

This may seem like a no-brainer, but it is a key difference between managers and leaders. While managers have subordinates who may or may not do what they are told to do, a leader has followers who will follow the leader’s direction.

True leaders are more concerned with doing what is right rather than being right. This shows through in the way they treat people. When credit is given, the leader shares that credit with the team, rather than taking all the credit for themselves, Likewise, when things don’t turn out as well, the leader steps up to accept that blame. Managers who are not leaders give the impression that their personal well being outweighs the well being of the group. They accept the praise, and pass along the blame.

The Power of Formal Authority

Managers have the formal authority to make the people under them do what they are told to do. Their position gives them the right to give orders, and punish those who fail to follow those orders. However, formal authority does not give managers the power to make their people care. It does not give them the power to make their people make the extra effort. That requires a leader.

Leaders have the ability to get people to want to do what they are asked to do. People will be willing to go above and beyond the call of duty for a good leader, not because they have to, or because of some personal reward, but because they want to please their leader. This goes back to the issue of trust. People trust that the leader is looking out for them, and has their best interest at heart.

One way leaders get people to take more interest in succeeding at their job is by encouraging members of the team to help in making decisions. When a manager makes an authoritarian decision, people will distance themselves from that decision. On the other hand, if people feel like they had an active part in the decision making process, they are more likely to take ownership in the decision.

The good news is that the myth of the born leader is just that, a myth. While some people seem to naturally excel in leadership skills, they are skills that anyone can learn. With practice and patience, anyone can become a leader.

The first skill you need to learn is active listening. Stop what you’re doing, make eye contact, and try to really hear and understand what the other person is saying. A bad habit that some people fall into is planning what they are going to say next instead of paying attention to the speaker. If that’s you, stop it. You can not understand the other person if your mind is focused on you.

The second, and for many people the hardest step, is to take your own ego out of the equation. If you’re not in it solely for yourself, then it doesn’t matter who gets the glory. A good idea is a good idea, regardless of who came up with it.

I can assure you, upper management knows that if the manager looks good, it’s because of a strong team. If the team is strong, it’s because they have a good leader. Upper management is also aware of who that leader is. You all need each other to succeed. By alienating your team, you are hurting your chances of success.

If you want to succeed as a manager, you need to be a leader. The more you develop your leadership skills, the better manager you will be. It all works together.

One of my jobs was working for a church camp, first as the Food Service Director, then later as the Camp Director. During the summer camp season, it wasn’t unusual for me to work 16 hour days.

My wife would half jokingly tell people that she was the camp widow. I would give her a kiss goodbye before I left for work, and I would be home to kiss her goodnight. (more…)