Common Sense Leadership

Here is a simple leadership program for today’s managers:

Know where you are going. A manager must persuade his employees to commit to a goal which will give direction and focus to their energies. There are three essential ways to accomplish this. 1.) The must be a clear defined path for them to take. 2.) There should be a mission why they are taking this past and 3.) A set of values. Values should not be compromised. I remember working for a boss who made many changes in the organization. When he found out many of us managers didn’t not understand what he was doing he tried to explain. He used the analogy that if we were going on a trip to California we would get out our road map and set our course. We would clearly know our vision and how we were going to get there. I said to him “I didn’t even know we were going to California” He had his plan in mind but he didn’t share with us what it was.

Give your people what it takes. You have to put the right employee in the right job. It is your job as a manager to find out what each employee’s strengths and weaknesses are. The foundation of any organization is knowing your greatest strengths and the skills your people have. If you put the wrong person in a job they cannot do, that person’s talent is not capitalized and the job hampers. You waste valuable time and possibly money by outing the wrong person in a job they cannot do.

Develop your employees. We have all heard the empowering our employee is key. While that is very important, enabling them is more appropriate in today’s management style. As a manager you must make your employees take responsibility for their own actions. This can only happen after you have given them the opportunity to develop the skills they need. An employee wants to feel needed by any organization they work for. The more skills they learn and the more they sharpen their own skills, makes them feel good about the work they do.

Help them stay on track. To help your employees improve you must allow time for feedback. This will keep them on course and not allow them to de-rail. Your people will not be able to improve if you do not allow feedback. You can develop an award system that informs your people how they are doing. If you do not allow feedback your people may be going in a direction they think you want them to go, and valuable time could be lost if you don’t monitor what they are doing.

Build trust. Trust is what holds an organization together. Trust will improve performance and sustain an organization during troubled times. When employees trust you they will follow your guidance and direction.

If you follow these simple common sense tips you will see that your organization will get many project accomplished.

Effective Communication

A common complaint among many employees is that their managers don’t seem to know that they are alive. They never criticize. They never praise. They don’t say anything to their employees. Employees often show concern about the quality and quantity of communication at work. Some claim that management gives only lip service to open communication but does little to really communicate with them. Others contend their organizations believe that posting notices on bulletin boards and sending out memos provide adequate communication. Still others sat they receive vague instructions that are difficult to follow.

People who make these complaints don’t work for well-managed companies. Any good company makes certain that there is continuing communication between managers and employees. When good communication exists there will be fewer errors due to misunderstanding.  Ineffective communication often results in poor cooperation and coordination, lower productivity, undercurrents of tension, gossip and rumors, and increased turnover and absenteeism.

Experience shows there are many ways managers can improve internal communication. If you want to be a good communicator, keep the following things in mind.

Tell your employees what you have on your mind. When you keep them guessing, they become insecure. Make sure it’s business related, though. Explain what you expect from them. Give them goals to shoot for, so that their standards become as high as yours. Better yet, develop goals together.

Encourage them to bring you their problems. Frustration is eliminated when they know there is someone to turn to when they have a need. You have to understand that communication is a two way street. It involves giving information and getting feedback from employees. It isn’t finished when information is given.. Listen to employees. Show respect for them when they speak. They’ll feel part of the team and will tend to be more dedicated and productive.

Don’t assume that they know as much as you do. Managers tend to talk in shorthand, not realizing their vocabulary may be different from that of their subordinates. Spell it out. Write it, then explain it verbally. Many people don’t comprehend written communications. After you have sent written instructions, follow it up with personal meetings and discuss it detail by detail. Ask how you can help the employees to do a better job. Then share those things employees can do to help you do a better job.

Inform your employees it is impossible for a manager to run an operation alone. Your employees are the most important person in any business other than a customer. But too often we fail to tell them what’s going on. Always inform your employees so they know the score. Managers who lack credibility and fail to create a climate of trust and openness aren’t believed –no matter how hard they try to communicate.

To Be Followed, Be Honest

As a leader it is essential that we have followers. We are not going to have our employees follow us if we are not a person they can trust. Have you ever stopped to think what people value most in their managers?

Most people want someone who is honest, truthful and straightforward. They want someone who has their interests at heart, someone they can trust. Integrity is something which can’t be faked, at least not for long. If you are trustworthy, it will show in your words and actions. It is a natural part of your being. If you fake honesty people will eventually realize they cannot trust you. As a leader you have to be trusted. You’ll build loyalty in people and enjoy their goodwill. Your people will want to do a good job for you because of the trust they have in you.

Most managers believe themselves to be honest and straightforward. If anyone accused them of presenting things differently than they really are, they’d be upset. Unfortunately, though, the fact is that some do stretch the truth, at least part of the time.

Some managers, for example, pride themselves on knowing what should or shouldn’t be told to their people. For one reason or another, they tell employees only what they want them to know…which may or may not be the complete truth of the matter. Wise managers stick to the facts. When they want to make a change or otherwise do something for the good of the company, they admit frankly, they don’t try to pass it off as a new employee benefit.

Other managers slant things to protect their personal image or to keep up appearances. Some simply fool themselves; they get carried away by their own words. Because they paint a glowing word picture, they think that makes it so. Employees are smarter than that. They will know when something is being pushed on them.

Good managers don’t present everything only in the best possible light. If there’s a bad side to something, they point that out too, rather than risk thinking they’re trying to put something over on them. If that happens then your employees start to not trust you. When you lose trust from your people it takes that much longer to get it back. Being honest and straightforward may not always be the popular way to do things, but it is they right way. Employees may not always like hearing the bad side of something, and may not stay with the company. As a manager you have to ask yourself, is that a trustworthy person? They may be one of your best employees, but, if they are not trustworthy, then you do not need them in your organization.

In short, a smart manager doesn’t try to fool anyone any of the time. He or she knows that nothing undermines people’s confidence faster than twisting the truth. After all, how much trust can be put in a manager who bends or hides facts, or tries to “snow people”?

The Art Of Motivation.

Implementing the three “R’s”

Responsibility, Recognition, Rewards

Are you a good leader? If you have never asked yourself that question, now is a good time.

Let’s be honest. No matter how talented you are, your organization would definitely benefit if you made some improvements. When you move up in the ranks of your organization, you must continue to educate yourself and improve your skills. If you don’t, your peers who are improving will pass you up. Think of all the athletes who have made it to the top or have won championships. The good ones will always say “we have room for improvement”. This is because they are not satisfied with only winning once. They want to remain on top of their game so they constantly strive to do better.

Ask yourself these basic questions:

* What are my weak points as a leader?

* What part of my job as a leader do I neglect because I am poor at it or just don’t like doing?

* Do I spend enough time with my assistants and employees coaching them, communicating with them and giving feedback?

* How can I be a better leader?

If you are sincere in answering these questions and want to improve, then this self evaluation should suggest some areas that could use some improvement.

One of the most powerful ways to motivate employees is to give them responsibility. Most people want a challenge, but leaders frequently hesitate to delegate responsibility because they fear employees may mishandle it. Unfortunately, this fear becomes self-fulfilling, employees are not given opportunities to excel and, thus, don’t. Think of yourself when you were an employee just waiting for that promotion. You would do almost anything to prove yourself to your boss. Just think, if your boss did not give you responsibilities, where would you be today? You owe it to your employees as a leader to help them develop.

To avoid this trap of not delegating responsibility, take risks. Demonstrate confidence in your staff by giving them appropriate amounts of responsibility coupled with clear expectations regarding their performance and accountability. You want to give tasks you know they should be able to handle. If they are given tasks outside of their capabilities then you are setting them up for failure and that is de-motivating. If they are not able to handle the task they are given then you know what areas you have to work on with that employee. People who are expected to achieve will do so more frequently than those who are not. More over, they enjoy their jobs more at the same time.

Much has been written about the importance of letting people know that they are important to the company, regardless of the limitations of their current jobs. While this is good common sense, many leaders don’t do this well or don’t do it at all. In many cases, their attitude is, “my people get paid to do their jobs and do not need a lot of attention or recognition from me”

Sounds logical, but it isn’t so. Most human beings need to be recognized. Without it, people tend to “drop out” of an organization. That is, they lose their commitment to its goals.  Recognition takes many forms, but don’t confuse it with monetary rewards. Believe it or not money is not the best motivator. It’s a temporary fix to a bigger problem. Recognition can be as simple as a “thank you”. It can be focused on individuals or an entire group of employees. One company I was in had an incentive plan to have the highest increase in sales for the month. I was rewarded with a weekend getaway and I rewarded my staff with a party. When it comes to recognition, quantity is the important thing, not the packaging.

People perform in anticipation of rewards. By using rewards properly, you can significantly increase your employees’ motivation.

 Remember that:

Rewards should be contingent upon performance. They will lose their value if they are given when not deserved.

Rewards should be given as soon as possible after the desired performance occurs so that the employee will associate it with his or her performance. Long-term rewards are also needed to ensure that employees adopt a long term perspective on their jobs. Our company’s highest increase in sales incentive was not only for the month but for the entire year. As the year went on, the more months you had the highest increase, the bigger the prize. The yearly prize was a trip to Las Vegas.

Money is not enough to keep people motivated for the long term. Employees also need the satisfaction that result from engaging in interesting and challenging work.

The Three R’s are simple but effective approaches to becoming a better leader. They should be an essential part of every leader’s repertoire.

 

Where Leadership Begins

 It’s a simple fact that leadership begins in your own head. It starts with the attitude you take toward yourself and the people around you.

How do you think of yourself? Do you see yourself as someone who tells people what to do and sees that they do it? Or do you think of yourself as a person who helps other people do a better job; who tries to get the greatest benefit out of your combined brains and abilities?

And how about the people who work for you?

Do you think of them as really wanting to do good work, provided of course, that you keep them interested and motivated? Or do you think of them as people who have to be watched carefully and forced to do a good job? Managers who think people have to be made to do a good job, who simply tell people what to do and see that they do it, will never become leaders. They will be nothing more than pushers. The best pushers can reasonably hope for is compliance—passive obedience to orders. If they get more than that, they’re lucky—it happens in spite of them, not because of them. Now some people can be good at this. It’s what makes them a good, maybe even a great manager in the eyes of an organization. But that’s as far as they will go in their careers. When upper management looks to promote someone they will be passed up. Oh sure, they get the work done, they follow procedures, their staff produces good results. Many organizations need managers just like that to keep everything running smoothly. But what about you? Where do you want to go with your career?

Real leaders have to have faith in people. They have to believe that people really want to do good work. Instead of merely pushing harder, they try to discover what the obstacle is and eliminate it. Leaders think of themselves as helping other people do better work. I believe people generally want to do good work and will if they are given the opportunity. Think of the people you manage or “lead”. What obstacles are in their way from making them succeed? If these are obstacles you can eliminate then it is your job to do that. If an employee lacks the knowledge to take on a task that you have knowledge of, then you are the one who needs to give them that knowledge. Too many leaders are afraid to have their subordinates know what they know because the employee might take their job. If you are good at what you do you won’t have to worry about that. Think how easy your job can be if your employees are educated. Think about your own career. Are you holding yourself back because no one can take your place? You don’t get promoted because of that. As you move up in your organization they will look for people who can lead and are self motivating. If you think you’re going to move up into a higher level management position and just manage you won’t be their very long. Believe me.

Did you ever see anyone try to push a horse? That person probably didn’t get very far—and also took a grave risk of getting kicked in the bargain. If you want to move a horse, the sensible was is to lead, not push. When you lead people they have a greater respect for you. You not only establish a good reputation and are well respected but when you lead people they know you want to bring them along the way with you. 

Supervisors who want the best out of people have to lead, not push. It’s harder to do, and it takes a lot more skill. But it’s worth the effort. Next time you’re tempted to push—back off and take another look at the situation. Obviously your job as a manager is to get work done through others. Leading people is part of your job as a manager. You get the work done and accomplish the company objectives.

Try leading instead

For more on leadership click the Performance Management link

Management By Delegation.

Do these scenarios sound familiar? You’re walking into your restaurant and an employee stops you to give a rundown of what’s happening; “Mary called off tonight so we have no hostess, our shipment was shorted the supplies you ordered, I’m going to clean out the stock room and after my break I’ll work on those files you asked me to do. The schedule will be done in a couple of days and,. by the way, the oven is not working right. Should I call the repairman?”

As you get farther into the restaurant, another employee stops you to give a rundown of his situation. This lasts another 5 minutes. Frustrating? You Bet. And you wonder. Why can’t these employees take more responsibility and not drop every detail of every project in your lap? Maybe it’s not them but you. Maybe you’re not delegating effectively. Here are some key points to remember.

Stress results, not details. Make it clear to your employees that you’re more concerned about the final outcome of all projects, rather than the day-to-day details that accompany them.

Don’t be sucked in by giving solutions to employees’ problems. When employees come to you with problems, they’re probably looking for you to solve them. Don’t! Teach them how to solve problems themselves. This, too, can be frustrating because it takes time. But in the long run, you’ll save yourself time and money.

Turn the question around. If an employee comes to you with a problem, ask him or her for possible solutions. If an employee comes to you with a question, ask for possible answers. This is key. When you do this you not only will create an employee who can get the job done, and not always bothering you, you will find out how this employee thinks and what leads them to their decisions.

Establish measurable and concrete objectives. With all employees, make your objectives clear and specific. Once this is done, employees will feel more comfortable acting on their own. Think of this plan as a road map and your employees will too.

Develop reporting systems. Get your feedback from reporting systems. The best way is to set up a pre determined time when the employee will meet with you. This way you can give all your attention and eliminate the bombardment when you walk in the door.

Give strict and realistic deadlines. If you don’t give clear deadlines, employees won’t feel accountable for the completion if their tasks. You can always ask the employee when you assign the job when they think they can have it accomplished. This way they are being accountable to themselves.

Keep a delegation log. When you delegate an assignment, jot it down. You’ll be able to monitor the progress, and discipline employees when necessary. Follow up is a key step. You can always ask the employee how the project is going and if you can offer any help. Giving advice or steering them in the right direction is all they may need to get started on the right track.

Recognize the talents and personalities of your employees. Being a good delegator is like being a good coach. You have to know what projects each employee can handle and what projects they can’t.

Performance Management

For a complete guide to restaurant management I encourage you to view these management videos. 

Click on the links

Discover the 3 little known ways to increase sales from your restaurant menu

1. Training your staff
Increase your average check by training your staff to up sell and to get them to only sell your higher contributing items on your menu. This isn't so hard if you put in place a staff incentive program, design the program so they are targeting the higher profit items and reward them for doing it. This can be one of the best ways to increase your sales, just keep in mind they will want something out of it that is worth while.

2. Promote your Desserts
Promote your desserts, desserts are one of the highest profit items you will sell in your venue so take advantage of it by promoting them. You should also design a signature dessert item, that item will become your most famous item on your dessert menu. Make the signature item something that no one else is doing and then let everyone know you are doing it. You can also have for sale a tasting plate, the plate will have "tastes" of all your dessert items so your customer can taste all your desserts without buying the full plate items. You should also offer dessert wine with your desserts, you will be surprised how many people like to have a dessert wine with their dessert, this will send your average check soaring.

3. Design a table tent card
Design a table tent card to promote your signature items and or daily or weekly specials, this can be one of the best ways to promote and get lots of sales from your signature items. Tent cards are both loved and hated by different parts of the industry, but one fact remains it sells items for you. Design tastefully looking cards in full color and promote one or two of your signature items, ensure that the item can be eaten at any time of the day or night and cover the majority of your market demographics. For further information to build your business click on the following banner::

So You Want To Be A Manager?

Managing people is the art of getting work done through others. It's very similar to that of a coach of a team. The coach can only teach the players. The players are the ones executing the plays. The coach however plays an important role. He has to communicate his thoughts and ideas to the players so they can execute them.

Managing an employee is the same way. Without proper training the employee cannot execute their job effectively. So what can you do. I like to use an acronym TSLOP.

T-Tell. The first thing you need to do is tell the employee what it is you want done. Without that the job cannot get done.

S-Show After telling the employee what you want done you must show them how to do the job.

L-Let Them Do It.  Remember the old saying "practice makes perfect"? Well that's the case here. You need to let them do the job until they get it right.

O-Observe. This is a very important step. If the employee does not do the job the correct way this is where you can stop them and show them the right way. If they are not corrected they will continue to do the job wrong.

P-Praise. This is the step where you comment on their performance. Performance management is a crucial step when managing people.

How many times have you been frustrated with an employee because they continue to perform poorly? Well go back to their training. Was everything done correctly?  I believe employees do not perform poorly on purpose. Mostly it's because they have not been taught correctly and they think they are doing their job right.

So before you decide to terminate an employee for poor performance take a minute to think.

1. Did the employee receive the proper training?
2. Can this employee be retrained?

If you answer NO to number one and YES to number two than put this action plan into place. It is much easier to retain an employee then to go out look through applications, interview, hire, go through an orientation and then start training. You already have an employee who has gone through all of that. There must have been something you saw in this person to hire them. If you hired out of desperation just to fill a spot then your in trouble. If you can keep your employee turnover rate down your boss will be happy. He/she may even look to you to help other managers in your organization, thus increasing your value to the company.

Click on the link below for a management guide that I think all managers should have. It's performance management made easy.

Performance management