Postitive Management Series

Editor’s Note: (This is part one of a two-part series.)

“Thanks for stopping in, I hope you enjoyed your meal.” “How was everything?” These are a couple of sentences that a manager or owner uses throughout the day. But do you use these same courtesies when speaking to your employees?

Deploying the old adage “Treat your customers well and your employees better” will generate a successful formula. The truth is those who succeed in our business know their employees are a key element that can make or break the business.

Managing your employees in a positive and respectful manner is where good management starts. A manager can be either an energy giver or energy taker. Ask yourself if you are an addition to the team or a subtraction? Do your employees know you’re there to help them with their jobs? Do you manage your facility in a productive and positive manner? Do you communicate in a positive fashion so everyone can attain the understood common goals?

I recently re-read Dale Carnegie’s classic “How to Win Friends and Influence People” and I strongly recommend that others give it a read. It’s strange to think how groundbreaking Carnegie was in 1936 because today its contents are such accepted methods of dealing with people. If you want to have a positive influence on people, you must show a genuine interest in them, looking employees in the eyes when talking, offering a firm confident handshake, remembering names, and addressing everything – even criticisms – from a positive perspective.

Here’s something to think about. A problem is never solved by condemning it. Sure your busboy just threw out silverware with those paper products, and yes your hostess is spending too much time chatting with the servers at their stations and not watching the front door. But when you address the problem do you spend more time condemning it or solving it? Do you offer positive solutions, with reminders of original training methods or correct procedures to follow? Or do you just point out the mistake. Do you concentrate on the solution or the problem?

When I was a server and we had to void an item from a check, we had to call management. One manager habitually referred to the void key as “the moron button.” You can imagine how stressful it was for servers to work for him, especially if a guest was waiting for that check. Did he energize his staff? Were my fellow servers excited to have him supervising our shifts? You probably know the answers. At another place where I worked, a coworker, known for her less than happy expressions, was nicknamed by a manager “Eyore” from Winnie the Pooh. He loved to tease her, using that name and attracting attention to her dour expression. Interestingly, another manager took a different tact, complimenting her smile when it did appear, and joking that her section “lit up” when she smiled. Which manager do you suppose she liked working with and what joke made her laugh?

Managers that condemn those they manage never get the full potential out of their team. Fear and humiliation simply don’t work. Rather, lead your team with positive communication and examples. Address problems with solutions in mind, not blame, and energize your staff in ways you never thought possible.

Because, when the team’s goals are accomplished, everyone is a winner!

Tom Clark is a comic and motivational speaker. He works with the hospitality industry, solving problems for both servers and managers. For more information, visit www.TTTomTalks.com.