From watching television you might get the impression that there are only two types of restaurateurs.

Tyrannical despots, who scream, have tantrums and generally scare the hell out of everyone around them.

Or, the unsuccessful plodder, who simply watches the world and their restaurant move around them.

Usually the former is beating up on the latter and it makes for great reality TV.

There is another Management Style, however, that you can aspire to. It doesn’t have to be an anger filled road to an early heart attack nor does it have to be a slow descent into mediocrity.

Follow these 6 management techniques daily in order to initiate a complete change in the culture of your restaurant;

#1 – Hire the right people
I can’t say it enough. To make positive improvements you HAVE to address this first.

#2 – Kaizen
ubscribe to a philosophy of constant improvement. The Japanese call it Kaizen. Let your team know that today’s standards are just stepping stones to higher quality and success. Great teams love vision.

kaizen (kaɪˈzɛn) — n a philosophy of continuous improvement of working practices that underlies total quality management and just-in-time business techniques [literally: improvement]

#3 – Set Clear Expectations
Traditionally, criticism is met with fear and trepidation. Let them know early that you plan to talk to them about expectations - alot. That you will have quick and honest conversations with them from time to time and you do this with everyone. This way, they expect it, they don’t feel victimized, and yet, they know you still believe in them.

#4 – Get As Good As You Give
Just as your team is expected to listen and absorb your “wisdom”, to be successful you also have to allow for contribution. Not every idea is a good idea. (Frankly, some of yours are going to suck too.) However, you might just glean some tidbits that are useful. So, listen up when your team talks.

There is nothing so powerful to someone than when you put one of their ideas into action.

Occasionally, you are going to get comments that you would rather not hear. You may have been too harsh on someone. A dish you desperately wanted on the menu isn’t going over well and you just can’t see the light. Whatever it might be, you need to take it all in and find the useful parts.

Remember, they may not be great at giving feedback yet. You’ve had practice. They may be less tactful… let it be water off your back. It’s just another training opportunity for you.

#5 – Set Long Term Goals and Share Them.
Set goals. For Sales. For costs. For product reviews. For marketing. For people. Set lots and lots of goals.

Have regular meetings. Meet with your key people; the ones you rely on week in and week out.

A few times a year do a review to see if those goals are even on par with current realities. Maybe a competitor has closed down and you have more sales than you know what to do with and it’s operational control and service that needs all your attention. New systems may be needed to attend to your new situation.

#6 – Mini Training Sessions – The One Minute Manager
A long time ago in the beginning of my restaurant management experience, my mentor gave me a book. (Well several, but this one stands out as the most effective for this industry). The book was the The One Minute Manager . If you want to be in this business and NOT be one of the overwhelmed masses, you need to read this book and pass it along.

It taught me to treat every minute as a series of mini-training sessions. The restaurant business is full of details and during the course of your day you will notice thousands of tiny things that need addressing;

Small details not being executed correctly.
People doing something exceptionally well that needs to be recognized - so that it can be repeated.
Cleanliness issues.
Passing customer feedback to the appropriate person.
Food preparation issues. Over-portioning, waste, etc.
Maintenance Issues.
And so on and so on.

If you simply write these things on a list and tell yourself you will get to them later, they will never to be looked after.

I used to be that guy. I would incessantly write notes during a line or section check and plan for future conversations. The trouble is, I sometimes missed the real opportunity.

You must convey your thoughts, concerns, or your praise right then; or as soon as humanly possible.

One, it will make the most impact immediately after. It has been proven that personal experience combined with reinforcement is the most powerful way to influence learning.

Two, you and your team’s recollection of events will get fuzzy. Let’s face it, something else will become the priority in 5 minutes immediately afterward and that opportunity may not present itself again in the same way.

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Hire the right people. Create an open and honest learning environment. Set goals and follow up one minute at a time. Keep it simple.

Do this and for the first while you will be exhausted, but you will go home at night feeling like you have accomplished more in one day than you ever have before. Over time, it will get easier and less repetitive. Watch as your team starts to have their own mini-conversations with new team members, grooming them on your behalf.

When that happens, it’s time to book that trip to Maui.

Here's to a Productive and Profitable Week.

Kind Regards,

Richard Marken, President and Co-Founder, M4 Hospitality