ELECTRONIC HOUSE CALL - October 12, 2007

It may be that I am just getting older or that the airlines are getting worse (probably both), but travel is just less fun all the time. BEING there is terrific, it's just the hassle of getting there and back that I am coming to dread.

Pittsburgh was abnormally warm earlier this week ... which makes me wonder how it is that I came back with a cold! I will dose up on Cold F-X (the Canadian secret weapon) and knock it out in a day or so.

As we get into the cold and flu season, you need to know about this wonderful all-natural product which is finally being distributed in the US (although I still get mine online from Canada Pharmacy). If you can't afford to be out with a cold ... or want to help your staff get over a cold and back to work faster ... pick up a bottle and give it a try. It has certainly become a required item in the medicine cabinet at my house.

ESTABLISHING OWNERSHIP
Getting Them To Give a Damn
Last week I expressed hope that the airline skies would be a little friendlier this fall than they were during the summer. They weren't! In fact, my trip to Pittsburgh earlier this week was one of the most difficult domestic trips in memory. I won't bore you with the details, but I an unconvinced that the problem is that the airlines don't know how to get it right. I think the problem is that they just aren't doing it.

I suspect if it were left to the workers rather than the "suits" to call the shots necessary to get the results, things would run more smoothly. Unfortunately, it usually seems to be that "management" -- particularly absentee management -- often makes things harder rather than easier.

One of the first things I learned as a young naval officer is that the Chiefs really run the Navy (and the sergeants really run the Army and the administrative staff really run most businesses). I discovered that the most effective thing I could do was to establish some direction for my unit and run interference so that my crew could do what they knew needed to be done to get us there.

Which brings me to my insight of the week. I hear a lot of talk from managers about wanting their staff to take ownership of their performance. That's fine as far as it goes, but there can be no ownership without something to own! In order to "own" something in the sense we are speaking of here, you must have the latitude to do it your way without having to get prior approval. You must feel free to achieve the desired results in a way that makes sense to you in the moment and be willing to take responsibility for the results you achieve.

You won't take ownership if the requirement is that you do it the way your boss would have done it nor will it happen if you have to get someone else's permission before you can act. It has to be your call and your reputation on the line, for better or worse.

Does it scare you to think of giving your crew this kind of latitude? Certainly you don't turn someone loose until they have been thoroughly trained, but you will be amazed at how your staff will excel once you get your own ego out of the way.

Still think it can never work? Nordstrom's department store built a reputation for legendary service with this very notion. Their "staff manual" is a card. On one side is the Nordstrom logo. On the other it says, "Use your own best judgment under all circumstances. There will be no other rules. If you have questions on how to interpret this, see your supervisor."

If you want people to take ownership, you must let them own something where they alone determine the results.

WHAT’S WRONG WITH THIS PICTURE?
Crafting Promotions That Work

My thanks to the subscribers who took the time to share their ideas on the fatal flaws in this piece and offered suggestions on how it could be improved. As perceptive as the responses were, I don't think anyone caught all the points that I think could have been included so selecting a "winner" will be a subjective call.

My travel schedule this week has put me a bit behind but I promise that I will lay out all the suggestions I received and declare a winner in next week's EHC. (And yes, I will share the analysis with everyone.)

SLEEP IN THE STREET?
Why You Need to Register For the Birthday Bash TODAY!
We are just about a month away from the Birthday Bash at the Mall of America in Minneapolis. We only had 56 seats available to begin with and now all but 17 have been reserved with cash deposits. If you have been thinking about joining us for this never-to-be-repeated event, it is time to stop thinking about it and just do it!

Register NOW ... before you have to go on the waiting list.

Not only are the seats going fast, but our guaranteed room rate of $129 at the Embassy Suites expires TODAY -- Friday. After that, it's anyone's guess what you will have to pay to stay in the headquarters hotel ... if they still have rooms left at all! You surely don't want to be sleeping in the street ... in Minnesota ... in November!

Find out more about the Birthday Bash and register now ... while there are still seats available!

KEEPING YOUR SHIFTS FILLED
Everything in life has its cycles and I am starting to sense that the labor shortage we lived through several years ago is coming back. This month let's take the pulse of the current labor market and see what smart operators are doing to keep their shifts filled ... with the right people.

As usual, I will send copies of the survey results to everyone who participates. In the meantime, you can download copies of all past EHC surveys -- including the massive WOW Ideas collections.

Add your thoughts to this month's survey.

BIG MISTAKE = BIG OPPORTUNITY
Only SIX Chances Left to Cash In on My Confusion
It was a classic "Senior Moment." I pulled the last DVD set of my staff training program off the shelf, went into a panic and ordered twenty more sets. Big mistake! The next day I discovered fifteen DVD sets that I just hadn't labeled.

They would all sell eventually, but I decided to unload the extra sets to make the inventory more manageable. This is where the Big Opportunity comes in ... and fourteen people have taken me up on it already.

Now there are just six "excess" DVD sets left. Purchase one at the regular price of $197 and I will throw in 20 copies of 50 Tips to Improve Your Tips -- an $89.95 bonus! But I can only honor this deal for the next six orders, so act quickly. This is the last week I will offer this deal, period. By next Friday or when the last of the six sets are gone, the deal is gone.

Click here to take advantage of my goof. The next six orders I receive get the book bonus.

THE PERPETUAL QUESTION
"What did you learn from your staff today?"
Since it appears that nobody talked with their crew this week -- at least I can't prove it by the mail -- I am left to recycle a previous answer to my Perpetual Question:

I learned that we talk hospitality, but we only follow up on food and labor cost. We need to constantly cast the leadership shadow we'd like to see reflected by our teams' behaviors. Ken Blanchard was right ... the follow-up does take ten times more effort than the initial rollout.

Everyone appreciates an honest compliment. And when you put it in writing (even just a simple note), they save it.

Take time to share the "Why" along with the "What" and the "How." It takes more time, but the team appreciates the time you spend sharing the bigger picture, and I believe remember it ... provided you model it (ala the shadow effect above.) -- Pat Evans, late of Yum Restaurants

A Note From the Doc:
Nido Quebein, Chairman of Great Harvest Bread Company, once said that "Education is what is left after all the training has been forgotten." We have to train, of course, but to be sure the crew can carry on at a higher level on their own, we must be sure they not only understand the "What," the "How" and the "When" ... but also the "Why."

Never doubt that the most important (and profitable!) skill you can develop is your ability to truly listen.

What did you learn from YOUR staff today?

I will continue to collect your answers to this important question until they put me in the ground. Just click on the link above and contribute your insights for the common good ... and your own as well!

LIGHTEN UP!
The Noble Experiment Continues
Here is the weekly report on my personal project to lighten up:

Goal: -50 Last Week: 0 Total: -7

Usually I come back from a road trip a few pounds heavier, so I suppose no change is actually good news ... and all the more so when you consider that I also put on that massive Great Pumpkin dinner last week. (It went really well ... except for the exploding pressure cooker!)

A growing number of folks have joined me in this audacious venture. I applaud their courage in "going public." Do you have a goal regarding your weight? Do you have the guts to put yourself on record? We all seem to get better results when there is someone or something to hold us accountable.

Mary Jo Beniger -- Goal: -25 Last Week: -1 Total: -11
Cindy Casady -- Goal: -30 Last Week: 5 Total: -12 (no report)
Tom Combs -- Goal: -65 Last Week: -1 Total -13
Chris Corrigan -- Goal: -25 Last Week: -2 Total: -2 (no report ... again)
Trice Micheals -- Goal: -50 Last Week: -.5 Total -6.5 (on vacation)
Steve Ulrey -- Goal: -12 Last Week: -1 Total: -5
Bill Breslo -- Goal: +5 Last Week: +1 Total: +2

If you are interested in how it's going for us, scroll down to the bottom of the EHC each week and check out the progress. If you could care less, don't!

© 2007 Restaurant Doctor