Analytics is increasingly important given the shift in what customers want, their changing buying behavior, and imposed limitations on how businesses are run. 

Before, analytics was of importance only to the big retail giants.  Now, partly to avoid exposure to Covid, more people are leaving corporate jobs to start their own businesses.  As one Washington Post headline reads, “American’s unemployed are sending a message: They’ll go back to work when they feel safe – and well-compensated” (https://www.washingtonpost.com/business/2021/10/08/september-jobs-report-takeaway/).

More customers are turning to different service methods to avoid getting sick or dealing with new rules for being in public.  Managers balance the shortage of employees with the demands of customers.  This requires executives to rethink their culture.  They face a choice between trying to conduct business as usual with a few (or many) modifications or expanding into a new marketplace.  Adaptations to curbside pickup, service over the phone, precautionary measures, and keeping up with local regulations are challenging and necessary. 

Before the pandemic, I was consulting a publishing company focused on retaining talent. There was clarity among leadership that most jobs paid the same across the board in the various publishing roles. The trick was figuring out how to hold onto their staff, who could easily quit and join a different publishing company. The hands-down choice was for this company to focus on how their people are treated and valued.

I caught up with consultant, John Benson who manages a portfolio of retail concerns in the food industry for a global professional services company.  As we discussed our combined years of experience with restaurants across all sectors: some of which have had challenging cultures and some that have created a culture of caring for people, one example of the latter that stands out among its competitors is Chick-fil-A. Or as expressed in a 2015 Forbes article, “A culture that lasts” according to contributing writer, Kevin Kruse.

The fact that the company’s culture was created out of a deep commitment to becoming something bigger than its founder, S. Truett Cathy is compelling. Cathy is sighted for his wisdom and humility to leave an organization with “an enduring culture that values people above everything else. That takes a true interest in doing more than just achieving a bottom line outcome. It takes a visionary leader who is willing to do what is necessary in order to achieve a culture where people can be proud of the work they do for the community that patronizes them. It’s the type of commitment that seems inherent in what Benson sees as the five main points he learned about leadership during his time in the marine corps.

“The 5 points that drive how a culture will manifest,” says John Benson, “are value proposition, target customer, core capabilities, revenue and cost model.” These five strategic points blended together bring about the culture a business will manifest for its people to work in, its customers to shop in, and for its products and services to flourish in the marketplace to gain profits and market share.

John’s background in the Marine Corps also gave rise to other principles that blend well, even within the retail environment. Those principals are steeped in 14 traits and 11 leadership styles, ranging from how you treat and present yourself, how you train employees, and how you handle adversity and success (see the Founder’s Corner for more).

The thing that is seemingly missing from a list of job duties (and is interwoven into each one) is defining culture and empowering employees to embrace their role.  This single concept will unite or divide and make the difference between an organization hanging together by a thread one that is well run.  Here are some obvious steps to take in daily operations.

• Take time during the hiring process to find team members that fit within your culture.  Even though it might be hard these days to find employees, it’s better to wait for the right person rather than deal with potential problems later.
• It is essential to nurture and invest in your management staff.  Have a supervisor on every shift to enforce the systems you put into place.  Consistency is critical whether there are 5 or 200 customers.
• When there is an issue with a particular employee or team, deal with that immediately.  They may be naysayers or underperformers.  Acknowledge the difficulties and address attitude issues.  Spend time training or explaining why things are done in a certain way.  Invest in education and coaching.  Listen to workers at all levels – ideas come from everywhere!
• Provide a career path.  Employees may leave because they feel they have nowhere to go in an organization.  Someone who clears tables or washes dishes can move up to prep cook with some encouragement. It’s sometimes easier to train an existing employee than to find a new one.

Step back periodically to take a look at the whole picture.  Use tools to evaluate whether your culture is working or must be adapted to the changing environment.

One’s role as a manager of a restaurant or other foodservice establishment is critical to its success.  They are in charge of making sure the establishment runs smoothly and efficiently.  This could involve:

• Administration – coordinating front and back-of-house operations, taking reservations, and handling any problems that arise
• Customer service – handling customer inquiries and complaints and ensuring the customers have a pleasant dining experience
• Human resources – hiring, training, and managing sufficient staff; optimizing workflow and productivity
• Supply chain and procurement – planning menus and ensuring the right food is ordered, the quality of the food, and its storage. It is making sure that inventory is in good order and abundant 
• Health & safety – could range from the safety of the food to procedures in the kitchen and ensuring there are no accidents
• Compliance – making sure all rules and regulations are followed and ensuring compliance with internal policies and procedures
• Accounting and marketing – checking bottom-line profits and promoting the restaurant
• Leadership – strong capacity for leading others while forging a path toward leadership readiness and visionary capability.

This can be challenging to juggle the many hats required for a successful operation. This is especially true for the manager who wants to be seen as having the ability to go beyond managing to becoming leadership material worthy of greater opportunities. Implementing systems such as checklists, item trackers, or waste trackers can help. Yet, leadership requires more.

I’ve learned a thing or two about hospitality and the food & beverage industries over time. I spent nearly twelve years covering the spectrum from working as a bag boy sacking groceries with a large corporate grocer to making pizza in a corporate restaurant chain. Then stepping into the gourmet catering industry which set me up for high end steak house restaurant chains that followed. Eventually I made my way into hospitality serving in the banquet departments of medium to upscale hotel chains.

Those experiences led me to more upscale restaurant concerns until I landed in five star dining rooms. I often quip that I’ve done just about everything from pizza to five star dining. Along the way I’ve been introduced to many approaches to leadership, largely due to my personal belief that we are all leaders in one capacity or another. As long as we are influencing others to follow our lead, in those moments we are essentially leading others who chose to follow. It’s a dance between those who aspire to lead and those who chose to allow us to do so by following.

How one manages the terrain of leading people effectively boils down to one overarching concept, credibility. Without which we have little to support us and less to back us up in the eyes of our followers. In the book, Credibility, by James M. Kouzes and Barry Z. Posner the authors dive into leadership from the perspective that most people are driven by many of the same things. Essentially, people are energized by values and visions that give life meaning and purpose. Kouzes and Posner further note that we all vote for something even in the event it may not appear as clear cut as pulling a leaver, checking off a box with a candidate’s name or to support or not, an initiative or ideal whose time may have come.

You might think of your vote as something you stand for and are committed to, that serves as your NorthStar. In that light, the 14 leadership traits and 11 leadership principles of the Marine Corps provide us with guidelines. A set of ideals worth considering as we look at their impact in shaping our thoughts about effective leadership in any culture or industry.

The fourteen leadership traits can be remembered with the acronym, JJDIDTIEBUCKLE.

1. Justice
2. Judgement
3. Dependability
4. Initiative
5. Decisiveness
6. Tact
7. Integrity
8. Enthusiasm
9. Bearing or the carriage and movement a person possesses that leaves a favorable impression on others.
10. Unselfishness
11. Courage
12. Knowledge
13. Loyalty
14. Endurance

The eleven Leadership Principles are:

1. Know yourself and seek self-improvement
2. Be technically and tactically proficient
3. Know your people and look out for their welfare
4. Keep your personnel informed
5. Set the example
6. Ensure that the task is understood, supervised and accomplished
7. Train your people as a team
8. Make sound and timely decisions
9. Develop a sense of responsibility among your subordinates
10. Employ your command within its capabilities
11. Seek responsibilities and take responsibility

As we transition to a new year, I will take a deeper dive into how each of these principles and traits play out and how you can tap into their genius to create your Leadership Advancement Plan (LAP). Click the button below and schedule a strategy session with me to determine how best to approach the next phase of your leadership journey and let’s map out your individual needs to round out a path that serves you and your people.