ELECTRONIC HOUSE CALL - December 10, 1999

SUPERSTARS -- A BLESSING OR A CURSE?
With apologies to those who are put off by sports analogies, there is something happening in the NFL this season that got me thinking. No, not the demise of the 49'ers (a moment of silence, please) or the fact that a coaching change in Seattle has suddenly brought the franchise to life . . . with the same players who couldn't quite get it done before. My point of fascination is in Detroit.

For years, the Detroit Lions had a superstar. Barry Sanders, perennial rushing leader, truly a player without equal. Even with a talent like that, the Lions were never really in the chase for the title. At the beginning of this season, Barry suddenly decided to retire. The popular thinking was that the Lions were now completely beyond salvage. Without a premier talent, there were no real star players to carry the team and they would be assured of a permanent spot in the cellar. Absent their superstar, the Detroit Lions have led their division virtually the entire season!

What happened? That is what I have been pondering. Could it be that in the past, the players just deferred to Barry Sanders? ("It's up to you, big guy -- win the game for us.") Could it be that once there was no superstar to turn to, the rest of the team finally accepted that the organization's success -- or lack of it -- was up to each of them individually? Whatever the cause, they have come together as a team and are truly proving that the whole is greater than the sum of the parts.

Might there be parallels in your operation? Several operators have expressed to me their frustration with a staff member who was not a great team player, perhaps a bit of a prima donna, definitely a pain in the butt . . . "but they are my best ________ and I don't dare get rid of them because I don't have anyone else who is that good." This is an individual decision, of course, but I raise the analogy to the 1999 Lions because it may represent a parallel situation. If you eliminate the superstar, perhaps what happens is that everyone else finally steps up and takes responsibility. It is hard to lose a superstar, but in the end, the success of the team is more important than the talent of any individual player.

A note from the Doc:
Is it possible that YOU are filling the role of superstar? With many operations understaffed, it is easy for the manager to become "all of the above" and carry the team on his/her shoulders "because there is nobody else to do it." The devotion is admirable, but I wonder if you are always the one to fill the void, does your staff -- consciously or unconsciouly -- defer to you to save the day? If you did less, would they step up and do more?

WHEN YOUR GUESTS ASK . . .
You may know that having a glass of red wine with dinner can help prevent heart disease. But did you ever wonder if all red wines protect the heart equally? Studies from the University of California at Davis and Cornell University have suggested that an antioxidant contained in wine, known as resveratrol, is the ingredient that helps protect us against cardiovascular disease and even cancer.

Pinot Noir is thought to contain twice as much resveratrol as Cabernet Franc, Cabernet Sauvignon or Merlot. Also, wines produced in humid climates, such as Napa, Sonoma, Burgundy, and Bordeaux, contain more resveratrol than wines produced in dry climates, such as California's Central Valley. Many jug wines and inexpensive table wines are produced in dry climates, so are less likely to be heart healthy.

A note from the Doc:
People love to know things that other people don't know. Use this bit of trivia to educate your staff. When your staff knows something that your guests don't know, they will tell your guests. When your guests know something that their friends don't know, they will tell their friends . . . and everyone will think of you in the process!

Don't forget to buy those twinkle lights before they disappear from the stores!

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