Electronic House Call - November 25, 2005

ELECTRONIC HOUSE CALL - November 25, 2005

Welcome to the official start of the holiday season. We hosted ten for dinner yesterday ... and on Sunday Margene and I catch a flight to Copenhagen for the start of our two-week Winter Planning Retreat. (That's my story and I'm sticking to it!)

We will spend time in Copenhagen, Burgundy, Geneva, Tuscany and Umbria before we return to the US on December 12th. As usual, I will be posting a daily diary of our travels. Click here to access the itinerary.

The trip does, however, mean that I will be relatively inaccessible for the next couple of weeks ... but you have other things to do anyway! Just be aware that any book orders cannot be sent until we return.

BE THANKFUL

For my colleagues in the US, this Thursday is Thanksgiving Day, a time when -- in addition to stuffing ourselves with turkey and other traditional fare -- we pause to give thanks for the blessings of the year. The world seems to be going through a particularly crazy cycle at the moment, but gratitude is powerful ... and we still have a lot to be thankful for.

We should be grateful to live in countries where freedom is not just an empty dream. We have to fight to keep it that way, but at least we have a chance ... and a better chance than most in the world. Don't ever take your freedom for granted or give it up easily.

We should be grateful to work in an industry that is such an exceptional vehicle for self-expression. What a blessing to make a living by "making people's day" with the gift of hospitality and caring.

We should be grateful for those who work for us. In the day-to-day struggles of management, don't lose sight of their innocence and heroism. In the end, we will have been responsible for what a good portion of their life was all about, truly a humbling responsibility.

We should be grateful for families, official and unofficial. Richard Bach once said, "The tie that binds your true family is not one of blood, but of respect and joy in each others' lives. Rarely do members of the same family grow up under the same roof."

Thank you for being family. Happy Thanksgiving.

LESS IS MORE

When I was a kid, making the trip to Boston at Christmas to see the grandparents was a big deal. There was the visit to Santa Claus at the big downtown department store, the lights, the displays and all the magic of the season as it could only appear to a little kid. But we had to go between Thanksgiving and Christmas. You only got to see these marvels once a year ... and then only for a few weeks. It was all so special.

Now, with the big downtown department store only a memory, Christmas is a television production that runs for nearly three months. As any of you who have ever run a promotion know, you can't keep anyone's interest for three months. Two weeks, easy. Three, maybe. Four is a stretch. Longer than that, forget it.

Merchants somehow have formed the notion that if Christmas runs for a full calendar quarter, they will do more business than if it is only a month long. I say that the truth is just the opposite. People cry out for things that are special and only happen for a brief time every year. By extending the holiday season, we only end up cheapening it and lessening its impact.

This cry is probably too late for 2005 but keep it in mind for next year. Special events that only happen once a year and for a very limited period of time will build anticipation and contribute to the magic that the season should represent. Less is truly more.

FINALLY ...

I am keeping this issue short since I know that your time is otherwise occupied this week ... but I couldn't let the day go by without wishing you a very Happy Thanksgiving ... and perhaps bringing a smile to reduce the stress factor a bit. Hopefully, if you click here, I can accomplish both. Happy Thanksgiving!

THE NOVEMBER SURVEY

This is your last chance to participate in the November survey. This month we are looking at the good, the bad and the ugly about price increases.

Restaurateurs are perpetually engaged in the struggle to manage prices. (This generally means figuring out how and when to raise them!) From my own experience, I believe that operators are more reluctant to raise prices than their guests are to accept the higher numbers.

Still, there is trauma involved ... particularly when the price hikes are not done properly. As usual, I will provide a compilation of all the responses ... but only to those who contribute to this project. Click here to add your thoughts to the November survey.

THE PERPETUAL QUESTION

What did you learn from your staff today?

I learned that I am not the only one with good ideas. I am not the only one that is passionate about the restaurant and what I do. -- Patty, Verzano's, Melrose Park, IL.

In school there may be one right answer to a question ... but in life, there are many right answers. The goal of listening is to discover some of those other right answers. The good news is that people don't argue with their own information. If they learn that if they bring you an idea, you might actually give it a try, they will not bring you junk!

Learning to listen respectfully to everyone you meet - - and being intensely interested in what you hear -- will deepen respect and expand your mind.

Never doubt that the most critical management skill you can develop is your ability to truly listen.

I will continue to collect your answers to this important question ... and you can add comments as often as you want. Just click on the link below and contribute your insights for the common good (and your own as well!)

What did YOU learn from YOUR staff today?

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