Stress and the Seagull Visit

Hello Everyone,

It has been too long since my last posting.  I had a fun visit to one of Los Angeles's newest restaurant concepts.  Start ups are fun.  You always seem to be playing catch up, despite your best efforts. The never ending stream of work keeps coming!  Training, Turnover, P&L accuracy and GL double postings.. Not enough time in the day to achieve and develop people.  Days bleed into each other. You look at your watch and your DM is due to arrive. 

You would think this would be about how a General Manager can organize his/her day around this crazy stream of work that continues to be pushed. Its actually not, not at all... This posting is about your boss.  Thats right Mr. DM, Regional, VP. My experience at the LA eatery tells me that things in the industry have not changed too much.  Here is the poor General Manager with his AGM in tow walking around the restaurant with his DM, getting lambasted.  The look on his face was predictable and the process was painful to watch.  With check list in hand (I Pad) he led them across the dining room floor to that table that only the managers sit and started to pour over all of his opportunities and things that were not being done.  The Seagull has landed..

Why do I use the Seagull analogy for this drama being played out?  (Now there are some great multi unit people out there.)  I would like to think i was one of them. Unfortunatley there is  no structure for the Multi Units as far as training.  My first Time as a Multi Unit DR was humorous.  I literally was given keys to all of the units with security codes and told good luck we are all counting on you! Most DM's were high performing GM's and treat their current GM's with a very firm grip. You hold them to your standards that made you sucsessful.  Too bad your charges are nothing like you.  They need to be developed, taught, coached.

THE BIRTH OF THE SEAGULL:  The DM flies into the location craps over everything and then flies away to the next location.  The GM learns nothing and does the best he or she can with the list the Seagull just gave.  Wash, rinse and do it again at the next location.  It's okay as long as the numbers continue to be acceptable.  The Tenured GM will even call the other area stores to be on the look out for the Seagull! He is out there... Somewhere...Lurking..

To become a high performing DM you need to do the following:

1. Know your people and their struggles
2. Know their staff and issues.. Roll those sleeves up. Be a Director
3. Always teach.. Be a Coach at heart.  Always look for teachable moments
4. Know and teach the matrix.  IE FC, Labor and BC.  Don't Assume anything.
5. Always go into a location with a plan.  What's the old saying? "Plan your work, work your plan.
6. Reward behavior:  Don't be reluctant be consistent. 
7. Leadership is a choice not an hourly position.
8. Be collaborative "Many Voices" Approach

Please add more to this list :) Hey I am interactive...