ELECTRONIC HOUSE CALL - June 29, 2001

I'm back at home after a great week in Cleveland. The weather was perfect, I got to spend time with some old friends I haven't seen in years and I think I was successful in helping a couple of independent restaurants make some real progress.

INSIGHTS R US
I have always maintained that as a consultant, I get paid more for what I can learn than for what I know. On a recent project, I got a real "aha" that might be worth a bit of reflection. We were talking about the importance of delegation and the idea of getting the staff more involved in the operation of the restaurant to free up time for the owner to have a life. My client was saying that he had tried to give away a lot of his tasks, but the staff just wouldn't take them on. As we continued to explore ideas, I got hit with a blinding flash of the obvious! He had been trying to give away the jobs he hated -- the ones that he had been complaining about to his crew for years. No wonder he wasn't getting any buy-in!

I grant you that every job we have to do is not a real favorite. (I still recall spending several hours in a septic tank in St. Croix trying to get the plumbing system functional again!) Still, I assume that every job you have to do is necessary to make the business successful . . . and that is certainly nothing to complain about. Instead of complaining, just do what you have to do and start explaining to your crew why it is important. If someone shows a little interest, get them involved in the process and before you know it, they will be ready to take it off your hands.

You know that you hate to find whiners and complainers on your staff. Well, you are the role model whether you want the job or not. If you find yourself complaining a lot, it is probably a sign that you are starting to get burned out. Better find a way to slow down and get a little time away before you create a really huge problem. Remember that when you lose it, the whole place loses it.

In a broader sense, there is never an acceptable reason to complain about anything. Complaining cannot solve a problem or change a situation -- that can only happen by direct action. For many folks, complaining is just an unconscious habit, but one that works counter to a positive work climate. So stop grumbling, find the joy in everything you do and take action where it is called for. When you start passing along the jobs you love to do, rather than the ones you hate, you will find a lot more volunteers willing to share the load. When you focus on what you like about your work rather than what you don't, life will get easier . . . and for everyone around you.

July 4 is Independence Day in the US. Celebrate the day not only as a historical event, but as an affirmation of the importance of taking charge of your own destiny. You cannot be a victim without your consent. Most often, you give that consent just by how you think. Start to notice the quality of your own thinking. If you notice that you are dwelling on anything negative, just stop it. It is all good news. Have fun!

BY THE WAY
I received a LOT of great suggestions on the retainer issue. I will transfer all of them to the forum on my website if you want to review the collective wisdom of the group. Well done, gang.

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