This week my main focus was on increasing urgency. It seems a little crazy that this would ever need to be a focal point considering our volume, but it was nonetheless. By increasing the team’s urgency, we are able to provide a better guest experience while increasing our productivity as well. This ultimately leads to a busier and more profitable store, both in the short- and long-term.
I had an “aha” moment this week in this area. It became very clear that the team’s lack of urgency was a direct result of my perceived lack of urgency. I am naturally a calm person. Even when I am frazzled internally I come across as cool and collected. This trait was becoming a detriment to the team. I had to make a conscious decision to show emotion, to create a stir, in order to send a message to our brand new team members.
The initial results have been positive. While the team still is not where they need to be in terms of their speed and efficiency, they have become noticeably faster – especially when I am around creating a stir. This is only the beginning, but I am excited to have made this discovery and encouraged by the team’s initial response.
Sunday, October 31, 2010
Thursday, October 28, 2010
Sunday, October 24, 2010
Leadership
In a recent blog post, popular author and entrepreneur Seth Godin said,
“Risking the appearance of weakness takes strength.”
This statement really resonated with me, specifically as it relates to shaping and leading a business. So often leaders fail to do the little things that build trust and good rapport – both with the team and the market. By sharing credit with others, avoiding shortcuts, seeking alliances, and apologizing share credit and be public in gratitude, avoid shortcuts, seek alliances, apologize, etc.
The Market Expansion team did a great job at putting together possibly the best group of trainers ever assembled for an opening. Everyone is a leader at their respective restaurants, but it is interesting to see the differences in how each person trains and operates. The leaders who are willing to get their hands dirty have been far more effective than those who are less willing to appear weak or vulnerable.
Great leaders are confident enough in themselves to risk the appearance of weakness. And – if you are really paying attention – the difference between these leaders and the rest of the pack is easy to differentiate.
“Risking the appearance of weakness takes strength.”
This statement really resonated with me, specifically as it relates to shaping and leading a business. So often leaders fail to do the little things that build trust and good rapport – both with the team and the market. By sharing credit with others, avoiding shortcuts, seeking alliances, and apologizing share credit and be public in gratitude, avoid shortcuts, seek alliances, apologize, etc.
The Market Expansion team did a great job at putting together possibly the best group of trainers ever assembled for an opening. Everyone is a leader at their respective restaurants, but it is interesting to see the differences in how each person trains and operates. The leaders who are willing to get their hands dirty have been far more effective than those who are less willing to appear weak or vulnerable.
Great leaders are confident enough in themselves to risk the appearance of weakness. And – if you are really paying attention – the difference between these leaders and the rest of the pack is easy to differentiate.
Monday, October 18, 2010
Drive Thru
We have now been open for 28 days and it is therefore official...
#1 on the Drive Thru Report for the Chain!
...another reason to celebrate at Chick-fil-A at Fox Valley Center!
#1 on the Drive Thru Report for the Chain!
...another reason to celebrate at Chick-fil-A at Fox Valley Center!
Sunday, October 17, 2010
Sales
It is still so amazing to me what we have accomplished at Chick-fil-A at Fox Valley Center. We have now finished our 5th week of business and still have yet to do less than a $20,000 day!
$20,000
It is remarkable. Lines are still out the doors during peak times. People are still sitting in tents outside because there are no available tables in the Dining Room. And we just finished our FIFTH week!
$20,000
I had only been a part of a handful of $20,000 days before this experience, and they were all memorable! All of those days were triggered by big events, crazy promotions, or local community events…but our only marketing to this point has basically been to unlock the doors!
The last 5 weeks remind me of John 21 when Jesus told his disciples to fish on the other side of the boat and when they did so, they were unable to raise their nets because of the abundance of fish. We laugh now about how nervous we were before we opened - we really did not know what to expect!
What an amazing experience to be a part of…this is truly something that I will never forget!
$20,000
It is remarkable. Lines are still out the doors during peak times. People are still sitting in tents outside because there are no available tables in the Dining Room. And we just finished our FIFTH week!
$20,000
I had only been a part of a handful of $20,000 days before this experience, and they were all memorable! All of those days were triggered by big events, crazy promotions, or local community events…but our only marketing to this point has basically been to unlock the doors!
The last 5 weeks remind me of John 21 when Jesus told his disciples to fish on the other side of the boat and when they did so, they were unable to raise their nets because of the abundance of fish. We laugh now about how nervous we were before we opened - we really did not know what to expect!
What an amazing experience to be a part of…this is truly something that I will never forget!
Sunday, October 10, 2010
Building the Factory
This was an amazing week at Chick-fil-A at Fox Valley. We made a number of strides as a leadership team to be proactive instead of reactive. In just this past week we have set up a number of systems to make us more efficient, organized the restaurant, hired even more personnel, and strategically focused our efforts on specific training needs. In essence, we began building the factory.
It is so easy to get caught up in the daily operations of a grand opening of this magnitude. However, merely problem solving and reacting to each day as it comes is no way to manage a business. This week we intentionally decided that we were no longer going to run this restaurant day by day but instead plan and organize and start building for the future.
We created a number of systems in the restaurant in order to stay organized and to track our progress. We now have helpful checklists for opening and closing the store, a new method to more accurately order inventory, and a written down document with roles and responsibilities for each team member and leader.
This new perspective on the business has been so exciting because it really has enabled me to see the potential impact we have on the team. We are starting with a clean slate – no bad habits, no lazy tendencies. The team is excited to learn and eager to show us what they are capable of.
It is so easy to get caught up in the daily operations of a grand opening of this magnitude. However, merely problem solving and reacting to each day as it comes is no way to manage a business. This week we intentionally decided that we were no longer going to run this restaurant day by day but instead plan and organize and start building for the future.
We created a number of systems in the restaurant in order to stay organized and to track our progress. We now have helpful checklists for opening and closing the store, a new method to more accurately order inventory, and a written down document with roles and responsibilities for each team member and leader.
This new perspective on the business has been so exciting because it really has enabled me to see the potential impact we have on the team. We are starting with a clean slate – no bad habits, no lazy tendencies. The team is excited to learn and eager to show us what they are capable of.
Sunday, October 3, 2010
HR
Early into our second full week of business it became apparent to us that we had underestimated the number of team members that we needed to operate Fox Valley Center. It was time to hire…and hire quickly! I found a quiet corner in the back of the restaurant, called a number of prospective team members, and then proceeded to conduct over 40 interviews this week alone (no lie!). It is my philosophy that hiring quality people and training them properly is more important than anything when assembling a team. Because of this philosophy, I was determined to find quality people and not just warm bodies to get us through a short period.
We had the pleasure of having a couple of operators help us out this past week, including Jason Ramsey. Jason is passionate about the hiring process and had a lot of valuable information and tips to share with me during the interview – and training – process.
One tip that I really liked is to start the interview with a short story about my journey with Chick-fil-A. This helps relax the interviewee and results in more honest answers (and less canned responses).
Another tactic that I had never thought to do in an interview is to test the interviewee throughout the course of the interview. For example, if I “accidentally” drop my pen while talking and the prospective team member does not even flinch to pick it up, chances are that she will not pick up a cup in the parking lot on her way in to work.
Overall the week was a success…we ended up hiring 16 new team members who we are VERY excited about and the amount of information that I was able to learn from Jason and the other operators this week was amazing!
We had the pleasure of having a couple of operators help us out this past week, including Jason Ramsey. Jason is passionate about the hiring process and had a lot of valuable information and tips to share with me during the interview – and training – process.
One tip that I really liked is to start the interview with a short story about my journey with Chick-fil-A. This helps relax the interviewee and results in more honest answers (and less canned responses).
Another tactic that I had never thought to do in an interview is to test the interviewee throughout the course of the interview. For example, if I “accidentally” drop my pen while talking and the prospective team member does not even flinch to pick it up, chances are that she will not pick up a cup in the parking lot on her way in to work.
Overall the week was a success…we ended up hiring 16 new team members who we are VERY excited about and the amount of information that I was able to learn from Jason and the other operators this week was amazing!
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
