| OK new restaurant owner. You open your doors | | | | very good football team, is on the sidelines |
| for the first time; you are staffed to the gills to | | | | watching every play, calling the plays, Coaching |
| ensure you have enough staff to take really good | | | | the team through the series of plays that will lead |
| care of the large amount of business you expect | | | | to winning the game, and living the game through |
| during the opening weeks. Hosts are all over the | | | | the actions of his team, one play at a time. Ever |
| door, greeting each guest with enthusiasm and | | | | see Don Shula on the sidelines? He had one of the |
| smiles. Managers everywhere are talking to | | | | most intense gazes. You would always find Coach |
| guests and supporting staff. There is one server | | | | Shula focused every play, kneeling, squatting or |
| for every 2-3 tables, and one busser and host | | | | standing intently on the yard line marker of where |
| per 5 servers. Hosts are making small talk at | | | | the ball was placed, watching each player execute |
| tables as they seat guests who are eager to hear | | | | his Coaching. Sending in every play. Giving |
| about your menu and drink lists. The kitchen | | | | feedback about everything he could to everyone |
| manager/chef is doing a great job. Food comes | | | | he needed to in order to get the results he |
| out of the kitchen in record time with great | | | | demanded. |
| presentations, feeding the eyes of the guest as | | | | All this, every second of every game. Rewarding |
| they are placed superbly before them on | | | | great players who executed great plays, as well |
| exquisitely set tables. Bartenders are showing off | | | | as redirecting poor performance as it happened, |
| their drink prep skills with awesome flair, while | | | | before it had a chance to taint the rest of the |
| telling jokes and the sound of laughter is heard in | | | | team's effort to lose the game. If they won, he |
| the dining room coming from the bar. Guests are | | | | praised the performances that led to the victory, |
| happy and you are able to put out operational | | | | rewarded outstanding individual efforts as well, |
| fires practically before they flame up. Business is | | | | and then began to prepare for the next game |
| awesome and guest comment cards tell you to | | | | almost as immediately as the gun signaled the end |
| keep up the great job! You must be a genius! | | | | of the current one. If they lost, he praised great |
| "This is easier than I thought!" you tell yourself. | | | | performances and rewarded outstanding individual |
| Fast-forward 4 weeks! | | | | efforts as well, and then redirected poor |
| Guests walk in the front door at 3:30pm and no | | | | performances so that those players could, in the |
| one is there to greet them. They wait for 10 | | | | next game, contribute to the team's effort to win |
| minutes before the two bartenders who are | | | | it. Winningest Coach in NFL history! The only |
| talking to each other at the bar, notice them and | | | | Coach with a totally undefeated season! Several |
| yell back to the kitchen for the host to come out | | | | Super Bowl Rings! I think he has a restaurant or |
| and seat them. The host walks very briskly to | | | | two as well. |
| the host stand barely making any eye contact | | | | Compare that to the team in last place. |
| and says, "Two?" "Smoking or non?" Then walks | | | | Everybody wanting to call their own plays. Lots of |
| away from the guests and motions to them to | | | | penalties due to frustrations by players. No |
| take their seats at the table she throws two | | | | momentum gained at any point and seemingly no |
| menus down onto, before once again she | | | | GamePlan! or team strategy. Lots of yelling by |
| disappears into the kitchen. Ten more minutes go | | | | the Coach and tempers flaring. Player in fighting |
| bye before the server arrives and says, "Are you | | | | and finger pointing as to who is responsible for |
| ready to order yet?" Orders are taken but not | | | | lackluster performances. Low morale. Players |
| written down because the server is, "very good | | | | wanting to be traded or have their contracts |
| at remembering things" and leaves talking under | | | | renegotiated. Draftees not wanting to play for the |
| her breath. Drinks arrive. Food arrives relatively | | | | team. Are you getting the drift here? |
| soon and has 2 side order mistakes as Miss | | | | Coaches must set expectations and performance |
| Icanrememberalotofthings, forgot to put in the | | | | standards in the beginning. Next, the Coach must |
| substitutions, and comments to the guest, "...well I | | | | be focused on watching each player on the field |
| guess I could have not understood what you | | | | during every play in order to give feedback and |
| were telling me!" But brings out the substituted | | | | support. Not pointing out every action to perform, |
| items and fails to apologize. Server does not | | | | but guiding then encouraging each player to |
| check back before all drinks are completely | | | | execute their training 100%. Lastly, Coaches need |
| empty, and guests become worried that their | | | | to reward behavior through the measured results |
| friends who recommended you have misjudged | | | | of active, participative goal setting as well as |
| your restaurant from the opening week they first | | | | through individual performances. Failing to execute |
| tried you. | | | | on the Coaches part is usually related to a failure |
| What has happened? This is the same staff you | | | | to deliver 99% of these Coaching responsibilities. |
| had in the opening that performed superbly. Same | | | | And every time I analyze a bad restaurant, it |
| great food and service? Why would sales begin to | | | | inevitably falls to these causes for the reasoning |
| dip lower than anticipated? Guest counts drop? | | | | behind the poor results. |
| In a word, "UNDER-COACHING"! It is occurring in | | | | How does it get so bad? There are many |
| epidemic proportions everywhere I turn. | | | | reasons, but my top 6 include: a lack of skill due |
| By creating a false sense of the proper Culture in | | | | to poor management training or the lack of |
| your restaurant from the beginning, you have | | | | ongoing training; the failure to establish the proper |
| taught your staff that the sense of urgency and | | | | Culture to achieve the business goals and |
| pride with which you performed in the opening | | | | objectives; fear; trying to be a friend instead of a |
| weeks, no longer is necessary or demanded by | | | | boss; condoning bad performance and failing to |
| you. That now you have to be checking out | | | | develop great players. |
| servers in the office or checking in inventory and | | | | The first one comes from my long-standing belief |
| cannot be on the floor. You did not set up realistic | | | | that you can never Coach or behave in any way |
| labor scheduling from the beginning for either staff | | | | that you have never personally experienced |
| or management and now your staff has to learn | | | | yourself. How can you Coach superior |
| a completely new way of working without the | | | | performance if you have never seen superior |
| support of the army you gave them during the | | | | performance? How can you be a great Coach if |
| opening. You have trained guests to expect to be | | | | you've never been Coached greatly? How can a |
| pampered by that same army but now that you | | | | server be great when they have never |
| need to run a decent labor cost, you cut back to | | | | experienced great service? How can you |
| "normal operating staffing" and leave the guest | | | | overcome training issues if you do not devote |
| wondering what has happened to such a good | | | | yourself to Coaching your team? And who will |
| place so soon? | | | | Coach the Coaches? |
| And now what are you going to do? Coupons? | | | | The Culture question is the extension of the lack |
| Discounts? Quick fix, short-term gimmick | | | | of proper skills point. Culture is what happens in |
| marketing that will only further confuse your | | | | your restaurant in the absence of a policy or |
| guests and at the same time tell them that the | | | | direct supervision. How can you create a high |
| price they paid for their experience in the | | | | performance Culture if you have never been a |
| beginning was way too much? Profits begin to | | | | part of one? Each and every employee needs to |
| drop toward red levels, while costs soar as you | | | | challenge any behavior that doesn't accomplish the |
| sit in your office wondering what the license | | | | goals of the team. And you must develop the |
| number of that truck was that you just got run | | | | security in yourself to allow staff to challenge you |
| over by? | | | | as well. |
| Unfortunately, this is not a made up scenario. It | | | | Fear probably took you by surprise, but it is true. |
| actually happened to the restaurant owners that | | | | Coaches may have the skills necessary to Coach |
| just opened their latest unit close to where I live. | | | | great players, but still lack the courage to |
| And my wife and I were the guests. So when I | | | | challenge unacceptable behaviors or bad |
| asked the manager what happened? His reply | | | | performances, or else the second biggest fear - |
| was, "...well we had hoped it would last longer than | | | | namely the fear of not being liked by the players. |
| it did, but we knew that eventually business would | | | | I have also had Coaches that were actually afraid |
| drop off. Now we're all about our bottom line." | | | | of talking to guests. I have also seen Coaches |
| And of course, when I offered my help (for free!) | | | | who were afraid to work the floor for fear of |
| in recreating the excitement and level of business | | | | what bad things might be lurking about. And the |
| they enjoyed before their expected reality set in, | | | | ever popular fear of actually being successful! |
| they politely declined. What a very sad statement | | | | Trying to be a friend instead of a boss gets more |
| to make on what started out to be a fantastic | | | | Coaches in trouble than most anything else. I |
| example of how to do it right, but is now nothing | | | | know that the feeling of family is a great thing to |
| more than fodder for magazine articles on what | | | | have and it can provide above average results. |
| not to do. | | | | But all too often it is the backdrop to allowing |
| This kind of scenario plays out all too often in our | | | | creeping under-Coaching. It creeps in by taking the |
| world. However, it can be avoided. Moreover, if it | | | | talent for granted. That they can perform on |
| has happened to you, you can recover from it. | | | | their own because "...they know what to do!" |
| Let us start at the beginning. | | | | Hoping that just because you let a player slack |
| Leadership is about creating a Culture that | | | | off due to his "personal problems" and then hoping |
| achieves the vision set out for the business. It is | | | | he gets his act together doesn't cut it either. You |
| about doing the right thing towards your guests | | | | must deal with "C" & "D" players immediately |
| and staff, while at the same time creating | | | | in order to raise the talent level of your bench |
| opportunity for the future of the business to | | | | strength as well as keep those "A" & "B" |
| grow and be successful. The tool used to | | | | players. Rewarding everyone the same falls into |
| accomplish these feats is nothing less than | | | | this category as well. Rewards need to be tied to |
| Coaching! | | | | performance - period! Allowing players to remain |
| I do not think you can talk too much on the | | | | in their "comfort zones" and not pushing them to |
| subject of Coaching in our industry. The second | | | | be better or do more is another "good guy" trait |
| most important subject for us at the unit level is | | | | that must be overcome. And the worst one of all, |
| Culture. Now let us understand more of the basics | | | | always seeking consensus on every decision for |
| first. You will never be lacking in the Coaching | | | | fear of someone "feeling bad" about the decision. |
| department, and you will always have a Culture in | | | | And oh you would never condone bad |
| your restaurant. It may be good or it may be | | | | performances you say? Well you do every time |
| bad, but regardless, you will have a Culture. The | | | | you accept less than the 100% execution of your |
| question is what kind is it? When you answer that | | | | performance models. Every time you allow a |
| question, you have a handle on the type of | | | | server to get drinks to a table in more time than |
| Coaching that exists also. | | | | your training dictates! Every time you let a plate |
| Great restaurants that deliver WOW service AND | | | | go out of the kitchen that you know isn't 100%, |
| amazing food AND unbelievable value, AND deliver | | | | but you let it go anyway for some reason. Every |
| great profits, (like the one in the beginning of our | | | | time you let a player get by with being 5 minutes |
| story) have great Cultures that nurture staff to | | | | late, just because you're just plain happy they |
| perform at their very best, every guest, every | | | | showed up! Etc, Etc, Etc...You need to spend time |
| table, every day. They have superb Coaching | | | | with each employee in order to set goals for |
| driving this Culture as well - leaders who Coach | | | | them (yes each individual employee needs a goals |
| every employee, every play, at every table, | | | | action plan!). And the best tool is Transactional |
| every day. (Sorry if I rhyme!) | | | | Management. |
| Bad restaurants by contrast (and there are only | | | | Failing to develop great players. Great players |
| the two kinds - more on that later!) de-evolve | | | | aren't born, they are made. You might be able to |
| into a Culture of slackers performing tasks | | | | hire what you consider "A" players, but they are |
| somewhat relative to service and placing what | | | | really only "A" level opportunities waiting for you |
| appears to be food in front of people who walk in | | | | to develop them into "A" level players. Just |
| and request something to eat while they sit down | | | | because a great player got to the "Pro Bowl" with |
| at a table where it will be placed for their | | | | one team doesn't mean that he can do it with |
| consumption, and then expected to fork out | | | | another. He must be developed into that |
| greenbacks for it, as well as the opportunity to | | | | superstar he has the potential to be, and then |
| be ignored by their wait person who is off doing | | | | continue to be developed in order to keep that |
| only God knows what, only God knows where. | | | | superstar edge! Skills get rusty if not kept sharp |
| And although you think that these two places are | | | | and used constantly. Plus your Playbook is |
| universes apart, I guarantee you they are only a | | | | different than the last team he played for. The |
| few subtleties different. Coaching is present here | | | | bottom line here is that you have to practice, |
| too, just not in the form you came to expect | | | | practice, practice! Practice each and every play in |
| from the first restaurant. | | | | your Playbook until it becomes second nature to |
| Coaching is the proactive job of restaurant | | | | your team. When that happens, you have the |
| managers in charge of a business. Not a novel | | | | right Culture to win. |
| idea but then again it is 2005 and I still rant over | | | | This game is won by each and every detail of |
| how a manager/owner can expect to be like | | | | each and every play. The more opportunities you |
| restaurant number 1, and sit at a table in the | | | | give your opponent to beat you, the more they |
| dining room all day working the keys of a | | | | will. Play it smart. Coach your team. Work |
| calculator trying to come up with the math that | | | | towards the goal of 100% execution on every |
| will allow him to pay his bills. Then wonder why he | | | | play. Then watch out for that shower of |
| can't. But I digress. | | | | Gatorade! |
| Hey! Let's talk football! | | | | Have Fun Today! |
| Restaurant number 1, (let's call it my restaurant) | | | | Jeffrey Summers, Head Coach |
| has a GM/Owner who, like the great Coach on a | | | | GameOn! |