Team Manager Q&A
I HAVE LOTS OF PROBLEM WITH MY TEAM MEMBER. EVERYONE IS WITH THEIR OWN ISSUES. WHAT SHOULD I DO?
Check out the Q&A below with a great manager from a restaurant business in the US.
Q: Can you tell us about your best team ever?
A: I supposed my best team ever was my wait staff team a few years ago. There were four of them. Brad was about thirty-five, a professional waiter. Took great pride in being the best waiter in town. He was brilliant at anticipating. Customers never had to ask for anything.
Then, there was Gary. Gary was innocent. Not naive, just an innocent. He instinctively thought the world was a friendly place, so he was always smiling, cheerful. Everyone liked to be around Gary.
Susan was our greeter. She was lively, energetic, presented herself very well. On busy nights, she would tell them pleasantly but firmly that last-minute reservations couldn't be accepted. During lunch some customers just want to get their order, pay, and leave. Susan would figure this out and let their server know that, with this particular customer, speed was of the essence. She paid attention, and she made good decisions.
Emma was the unspoken team builder in the crew. Quieter, more responsible, more aware of everyone else, she would get the team together before a busy Saturday night and just talk everyone through the need to put on a good show to be alert, to help each other get out of the weeds.
These four were the backbone of my best team ever. I didn't really need to interfere. They ran the show themselves. They would train new hires, set the right example and even eject people who didn't fit. For a good three years they were the restaurant.
[TIPS: Understand who your staff is very important. Understand them so that they would feel connected to you]
Q: Where are they now?
A: Susan, Emma and Gary all graduated and moved back east. Brad is still with me.
[TIPS: Even though you're connected with your staff, doesn't mean that they will stay forever with you. People come and go. That's just how it is]
Q: Do you have a secret to building a great team?
A: No, I don't think there is a secret. I think the best a manager can do is to make each person comfortable with who they are. I didn't try to fix Brad, Susan, Gary and Emma. I didn't try to make them clones of each other. I tried to create an environment where they were encouraged to be more of who they already were. As long as they didn't stomp on each other and as long as they satisfied the customers, I didn't care that they were all so different.
[TIPS: Understand the strength & weakness of each personnel. Put them at a position where are will perform best]
Q: How did you get to know these people so well?
A: I spent a lot of time with them. I listened. I took them out for dinner, had a couple drinks with them. Had them over to my place for holidays. But mostly, I was just interested in who they were.
[TIPS: Spend time to get to know your team member]
Q: What do you think of the statement "Familiarity breeds contempt?"
A: It's wrong. How can you manage people if you don't know them, their style, their motivation, their personal situation? I don't think you can.
[TIPS: If you don't know who you are managing, how can you manage them? They are human being so treat them like one]
Q: Do you think a manager should treat everyone the same?
A: Of course not.
[TIPS: Equal treatment is subjective. Not everyone will be treated equally]
Q: Why?
A: Because everyone is different. I was telling you about Gary before, how great an employee he was. But I fired him twice. A couple of times his joking around went too far, and he really jerked my chain. I really liked him, but I had to fire him. Our relationship would have been ruined if I hadn't put my foot down and said, "Don't come in on Monday." After each time, he learned a little bit more about himself and his values so I hired him back both times. I think he's a better person because of what I did.
My firm hand worked with Gary but it didn't worked at all with Brad. If I even raised my voice with Brad, I would get the exact opposite reaction from the one I wanted. He would be crushed. He'd shut down. So when I disagree with him, I have to talk quietly and reason everything through with him quite carefully.
[TIPS: When any of your team member did something wrong, even though they are close to you, fire them. Don't keep them just because they are close to you. Be objective. What's right is right. What's wrong is definitely punishable. No favoritism.]
Q: Isn't it unfair to treat people differently?
A: I don't think so. I think people want to feel understood. Treating them differently is part of helping them feel unique. If I know that one of my people is the primary breadwinner, then as long as they perform, I will be more likely to give him better hours than someone who is a student. The student might be a little annoyed, but when I explain the situation to him, he usually calms down. Besides, he now knows that I will be paying attention to his personal situation when he needs a special favor. That's always a good message to send.
[TIPS: It's okay to treat your employees differently. Not everyone will get the same perks. It is your decision to choose what's best for your staff]
Q: Other than Gary, have you ever fired anyone else?
A: Unfortunately, I have. Like most managers, sometimes I don't pick up the right people and things start to fall apart.
[TIPS: Firing people is normal. Don't be afraid to do so. You can't really judge people fully during the 1 hour interview]
Q: What is your approach to firing an employee?
A: Do it fast, the faster the better. If someone is consistently underperforming, you might think you are doing them a favor by waiting. You aren't . You are actually making matters worse.
[TIPS: Hire Slow, Fire Fast. Keeping your underperforming or problematic employees will bring more bad things to you and the company]
Q: What would be you advice to a new manager?
A: Well, I suppose the first would be, pick the right people. If you do, it makes everything else so much easier. And once you've picked them, trust them. Everyone here knows that the till is open, If they want to borrow $2 for cigarettes or $200 for rent, they can. Just put an IOU in the till and pay it back. If you expect the best of people, they'll give you the best. I've rarely been let down. And when someone has let me down, I don't think it is right to punish those who haven't by creating some new rule or policy.
Another thing would be, don't overpromote people. Pay them well for what they do, and make it rewarding in every way, for them to keep doing what they are doing. Brad is a great waiter, but he would be a terrible manager. He loves to perform for an audience he respects. He respects the customers. He is less respectful of some of the new employees. As manager, these employees would be his audience.
And especially important: Never pass the buck. Never say, "I think this is a crazy idea, but corporate insists." Passing the buck may make your little world easy, but the organization as a whole will be weakened. So in the long run, you are actually making your life worse. Even worse are those who find themselves always promising things that don't come to pass. Since you never know what corporate might spring on you next, I recommend living by this simple rule. Make very few promises to your people, and keep them all.
That's it. That's my list.
[TIPS: 1. Pick the right people. 2. Don't overpromote. 3. Never pass the buck. Make very few promises to your people]
Q: Is there anything else that you would like to tell us about your experiences as a manager?
A: Maybe just this: A manager has got to remember that he is on stage every day. His people are watching him. Everything he does, everything he says, and the way he says it, sends off clues to his employees. These clues affect performance. So never forget you are on that stage.
[TIPS: Your team look up to you EVERYDAY. So be the leader that they look up to]
Credit: Gallup Organization Studies
Check out the Q&A below with a great manager from a restaurant business in the US.
Q: Can you tell us about your best team ever?
A: I supposed my best team ever was my wait staff team a few years ago. There were four of them. Brad was about thirty-five, a professional waiter. Took great pride in being the best waiter in town. He was brilliant at anticipating. Customers never had to ask for anything.
Then, there was Gary. Gary was innocent. Not naive, just an innocent. He instinctively thought the world was a friendly place, so he was always smiling, cheerful. Everyone liked to be around Gary.
Susan was our greeter. She was lively, energetic, presented herself very well. On busy nights, she would tell them pleasantly but firmly that last-minute reservations couldn't be accepted. During lunch some customers just want to get their order, pay, and leave. Susan would figure this out and let their server know that, with this particular customer, speed was of the essence. She paid attention, and she made good decisions.
Emma was the unspoken team builder in the crew. Quieter, more responsible, more aware of everyone else, she would get the team together before a busy Saturday night and just talk everyone through the need to put on a good show to be alert, to help each other get out of the weeds.
These four were the backbone of my best team ever. I didn't really need to interfere. They ran the show themselves. They would train new hires, set the right example and even eject people who didn't fit. For a good three years they were the restaurant.
[TIPS: Understand who your staff is very important. Understand them so that they would feel connected to you]
Q: Where are they now?
A: Susan, Emma and Gary all graduated and moved back east. Brad is still with me.
[TIPS: Even though you're connected with your staff, doesn't mean that they will stay forever with you. People come and go. That's just how it is]
Q: Do you have a secret to building a great team?
A: No, I don't think there is a secret. I think the best a manager can do is to make each person comfortable with who they are. I didn't try to fix Brad, Susan, Gary and Emma. I didn't try to make them clones of each other. I tried to create an environment where they were encouraged to be more of who they already were. As long as they didn't stomp on each other and as long as they satisfied the customers, I didn't care that they were all so different.
[TIPS: Understand the strength & weakness of each personnel. Put them at a position where are will perform best]
Q: How did you get to know these people so well?
A: I spent a lot of time with them. I listened. I took them out for dinner, had a couple drinks with them. Had them over to my place for holidays. But mostly, I was just interested in who they were.
[TIPS: Spend time to get to know your team member]
Q: What do you think of the statement "Familiarity breeds contempt?"
A: It's wrong. How can you manage people if you don't know them, their style, their motivation, their personal situation? I don't think you can.
[TIPS: If you don't know who you are managing, how can you manage them? They are human being so treat them like one]
Q: Do you think a manager should treat everyone the same?
A: Of course not.
[TIPS: Equal treatment is subjective. Not everyone will be treated equally]
Q: Why?
A: Because everyone is different. I was telling you about Gary before, how great an employee he was. But I fired him twice. A couple of times his joking around went too far, and he really jerked my chain. I really liked him, but I had to fire him. Our relationship would have been ruined if I hadn't put my foot down and said, "Don't come in on Monday." After each time, he learned a little bit more about himself and his values so I hired him back both times. I think he's a better person because of what I did.
My firm hand worked with Gary but it didn't worked at all with Brad. If I even raised my voice with Brad, I would get the exact opposite reaction from the one I wanted. He would be crushed. He'd shut down. So when I disagree with him, I have to talk quietly and reason everything through with him quite carefully.
[TIPS: When any of your team member did something wrong, even though they are close to you, fire them. Don't keep them just because they are close to you. Be objective. What's right is right. What's wrong is definitely punishable. No favoritism.]
Q: Isn't it unfair to treat people differently?
A: I don't think so. I think people want to feel understood. Treating them differently is part of helping them feel unique. If I know that one of my people is the primary breadwinner, then as long as they perform, I will be more likely to give him better hours than someone who is a student. The student might be a little annoyed, but when I explain the situation to him, he usually calms down. Besides, he now knows that I will be paying attention to his personal situation when he needs a special favor. That's always a good message to send.
[TIPS: It's okay to treat your employees differently. Not everyone will get the same perks. It is your decision to choose what's best for your staff]
Q: Other than Gary, have you ever fired anyone else?
A: Unfortunately, I have. Like most managers, sometimes I don't pick up the right people and things start to fall apart.
[TIPS: Firing people is normal. Don't be afraid to do so. You can't really judge people fully during the 1 hour interview]
Q: What is your approach to firing an employee?
A: Do it fast, the faster the better. If someone is consistently underperforming, you might think you are doing them a favor by waiting. You aren't . You are actually making matters worse.
[TIPS: Hire Slow, Fire Fast. Keeping your underperforming or problematic employees will bring more bad things to you and the company]
Q: What would be you advice to a new manager?
A: Well, I suppose the first would be, pick the right people. If you do, it makes everything else so much easier. And once you've picked them, trust them. Everyone here knows that the till is open, If they want to borrow $2 for cigarettes or $200 for rent, they can. Just put an IOU in the till and pay it back. If you expect the best of people, they'll give you the best. I've rarely been let down. And when someone has let me down, I don't think it is right to punish those who haven't by creating some new rule or policy.
Another thing would be, don't overpromote people. Pay them well for what they do, and make it rewarding in every way, for them to keep doing what they are doing. Brad is a great waiter, but he would be a terrible manager. He loves to perform for an audience he respects. He respects the customers. He is less respectful of some of the new employees. As manager, these employees would be his audience.
And especially important: Never pass the buck. Never say, "I think this is a crazy idea, but corporate insists." Passing the buck may make your little world easy, but the organization as a whole will be weakened. So in the long run, you are actually making your life worse. Even worse are those who find themselves always promising things that don't come to pass. Since you never know what corporate might spring on you next, I recommend living by this simple rule. Make very few promises to your people, and keep them all.
That's it. That's my list.
[TIPS: 1. Pick the right people. 2. Don't overpromote. 3. Never pass the buck. Make very few promises to your people]
Q: Is there anything else that you would like to tell us about your experiences as a manager?
A: Maybe just this: A manager has got to remember that he is on stage every day. His people are watching him. Everything he does, everything he says, and the way he says it, sends off clues to his employees. These clues affect performance. So never forget you are on that stage.
[TIPS: Your team look up to you EVERYDAY. So be the leader that they look up to]
Credit: Gallup Organization Studies
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