According to J. Richard Hackman’s 40+ years of research,
what teams need to thrive are: a compelling direction, a strong structure, and a supportive context.
We can apply these 3 conditions to our businesses and specifically the restaurant business by sharing our company goals, setting expectations, giving our teams the tools to do their jobs and do them well, and providing an inclusive environment.
Make sure that in the hiring process you share your company’s vision and
mission statements. Be sure to talk about goals and how your crew helps reach these goals specifically. Train your managers to know these goals and your mission and speak to employees daily about them.
Get crew input about their understanding and implementation of tactics that help reach company goals. Have them share these ideas at crew meetings. Celebrate employees that live the company mission and reward them- rewards can come in many forms; praise at staff meetings- maybe posting as employee of the month/week/yea
r, giving a “prize”- candy/gift certificate/day off with pay, offering a bonus, giving a raise…the sky’s the limit.
I have a “Shout Out” box. Employees write down when their coworkers go above and beyond. We pull from the box at staff meetings, read the note and reward both the writer and the coworker. This helps our team members look for the positive and creates good-will among the crew. What can you come up with to get buy-in and engage your teams? Be creative and have fun with this.
Clear recipes to follow, defined goals for front of the house training and a program that leads to your desired results are examples of supportive context and strong structure. We need a strong training framework that employees can re-visit when they have questions about how to do something, or to find the company method for dealing with situations. You cannot expect someone to build a strong house without good architectural plans; the same goes for any business!
Employees appreciate boundaries, and they want to see that rules are being enforced. It is tough in this current labor environment to send someone home when they are not following protocol, but when we allow bad behavior to continue- we are telling the rest of the crew that their good work doesn’t matter. Be firm, frank, and fair. Set expectations and speak to them often. Allowing bad behavior is like leaving the tumor to allow the cancer to spread. DON’T DO IT!
Even in this new world of teams, we need to have leaders. Yes, we all belong to the same team, we are all working toward the same business goals, but we need leaders to lean on and look to for direction. Everyone can’t be the boss, but we can all be collaborators!
Make sure your team leaders communicate often with their teams. Teach your leaders to use “active listening” and focus on helping others feel understood. Create a sense of inclusion – allow for input from team members. This helps everyone feel like they are part of the solution.
Meet with your leaders often. Have open discussion about wins and struggles. Ask specific questions and use dialog that allows for other’s input. Make sure your team knows you are here for them, offer support and encouragement and remind them that they are important to your company’s success.
Without a strong sense of team, no restaurant – or any business, will succeed. It takes everyone to reach your goals, make sure your crew knows you appreciate them and their efforts.
Here’s to your success!
Joan, Your Restaurant Maven
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