Current State
When I arrived at Federal Heights there were two managers and a few “leaders in training”. Most of the “leaders in training” have fallen short and lost that title, and only one ended up making the cut to become an assistant manager. The leaders here are great, but the depth is a serious issue. They are stretched too thin when they are here and all of the restaurant’s responsibilities fall on their shoulders. At the beginning of this year, it was my goal to add to the leadership depth at Federal Heights by developing prospective leaders through the use of the SERVE model.
Progress
We are just getting started with the SERVE model training and already I have been very pleased with the results. We are using the Great Leaders SERVE curriculum (Volume 1), spending one to two weeks focusing on each principle. The prospective leaders are learning so much about Chick-fil-A – specifically our culture, our values, and our leadership principles. We have wrestled through concepts such as leadership, strength building, vision, goal setting, and time management.
In addition to being beneficial for my prospective leaders, this has been valuable for my current leaders as well. I am having them lead the sessions which has resulted in their growth through teaching these concepts. It has also built trust among the current leadership and the prospective leaders in the restaurant.
The Great Leaders SERVE model has been an amazing tool and has cultivated growth among my prospective and current leaders.
Monday, January 18, 2010
Monday, January 4, 2010
Top Ten Learnings
10. Low-Awareness Market Challenges
While working in a low-awareness market is very exciting (hardly a day goes by where I do not have the opportunity to introduce someone to Chick-fil-A) it can also be very challenging.
9. Hiring and Terminating Employees
This is an area where I have had to learn from my mistakes. Employee turnover is necessary in order to remain remarkable and continuously improve.
8. Increasing Sales
Although I majored in Marketing and have been involved with a number of marketing events (Project IF), I have learned a lot about the ins and outs of increasing sales in the past few months.
7. Bartering
Recently, I have discovered the value of bartering with other businesses to save money. By bartering, I have been able to obtain other businesses’ products and services for my team by using the retail value of our food, while only spending the actual cost. This has been great for team member incentives and contest prizes.
6. “Lonely on Top”
As an IM/Operator it is my job to be a leader, not a friend. I have learned that it is SO important to have a social network outside of the restaurant in order to keep the priorities of the business in focus.
5. R&M
As an IM, this area is so important because I am responsible for equipping the next operator with a fully functional restaurant. This situation has forced me, out of necessity, to learn the ins and outs of preventative maintenance and the best practices of repairing equipment.
4. Signage
Signage is an effective way to communicate my vision to the team. Signs ensure that there will be nothing lost in translation – my message will reach the team just as I want them to hear it.
3. Goal Setting
It is so important to set SMART (Specific, Measurable, Attainable, Relevant, and Time Specific) goals for the team in order to create focus. By taking time to observe and assess at the beginning of my assignment, I was able to create SMART goals that were tailored for the team at Federal Heights.
2. Vision
Vision is such a key part of leading a team. The past few months I have been given the opportunity to develop a vision for the restaurant, communicate that vision to the team, and make adjustments based on the team’s implementation of the vision.
1. Prioritizing and Organizing Time
My number one learning as an Interim Manager has been on the practice of prioritizing and organizing my time. A few weeks after I started my assignment, I was able to attend a Building Champions workshop where I learned all about prioritizing time, setting a vision, and focusing on the areas that are most important to me.
While working in a low-awareness market is very exciting (hardly a day goes by where I do not have the opportunity to introduce someone to Chick-fil-A) it can also be very challenging.
9. Hiring and Terminating Employees
This is an area where I have had to learn from my mistakes. Employee turnover is necessary in order to remain remarkable and continuously improve.
8. Increasing Sales
Although I majored in Marketing and have been involved with a number of marketing events (Project IF), I have learned a lot about the ins and outs of increasing sales in the past few months.
7. Bartering
Recently, I have discovered the value of bartering with other businesses to save money. By bartering, I have been able to obtain other businesses’ products and services for my team by using the retail value of our food, while only spending the actual cost. This has been great for team member incentives and contest prizes.
6. “Lonely on Top”
As an IM/Operator it is my job to be a leader, not a friend. I have learned that it is SO important to have a social network outside of the restaurant in order to keep the priorities of the business in focus.
5. R&M
As an IM, this area is so important because I am responsible for equipping the next operator with a fully functional restaurant. This situation has forced me, out of necessity, to learn the ins and outs of preventative maintenance and the best practices of repairing equipment.
4. Signage
Signage is an effective way to communicate my vision to the team. Signs ensure that there will be nothing lost in translation – my message will reach the team just as I want them to hear it.
3. Goal Setting
It is so important to set SMART (Specific, Measurable, Attainable, Relevant, and Time Specific) goals for the team in order to create focus. By taking time to observe and assess at the beginning of my assignment, I was able to create SMART goals that were tailored for the team at Federal Heights.
2. Vision
Vision is such a key part of leading a team. The past few months I have been given the opportunity to develop a vision for the restaurant, communicate that vision to the team, and make adjustments based on the team’s implementation of the vision.
1. Prioritizing and Organizing Time
My number one learning as an Interim Manager has been on the practice of prioritizing and organizing my time. A few weeks after I started my assignment, I was able to attend a Building Champions workshop where I learned all about prioritizing time, setting a vision, and focusing on the areas that are most important to me.
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