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.
Thursday, December 31, 2009
Holiday Gift Sets
This winter, our region was chosen to be a test market for Holiday Gift Sets. These gift sets include a calendar, gift card, holiday plush cow, cow ornament/gift card holder, and are held in a limited edition cow nutcracker box. They cost $10 + the value of a gift card and are targeted towards customers who are searching for a gift for someone that they are not necessarily close to (i.e. a teacher, mailman, tennis partner, etc).Each unit was shipped and charged for 450 sets in October. Being a bit of a pessimist, I thought that we would have trouble selling more than 50 of these Gift Sets. After paying the bill, however, I decided that selling this few would simply not be an option.
After meeting with my UMD and my leadership, we devised a month-long strategy to aggressively market the Holiday Gift Set during the Christmas season.
Product DisplayFirst, we placed numerous displays around our restaurant to increase customer awareness. We had a basket display in our Dining Room, a hanging display with fishing line above our registers (I was initially against this because it wasn’t very attractive but was a big fan after witnessing its effectiveness), and a display in our Drive Thru window as well as signage around our Drive Thru queue.
The ContestWe divided the entire team into 3 groups, with each leader in our store leading each group. We put a huge sign in our break room with a Christmas tree and a ladder. Each team had a colored snowman that would climb the ladder as the teams sold gift sets. We set a grand prize for the team that sold the most gift sets and smaller prizes for each team that crossed various milestones. For instance, when a team sold 25 gift sets, each member of the team received a free milkshake. The higher the milestone, the better the prize.
Implementation
It was leadership’s responsibility to stir up the competitive juices in the store and pump up their respective teams to sell the gift sets. They did not disappoint. After about 2 weeks of the competition, it was all any of the team members were talking about. Leadership was constantly jawing at one another. Team members were taking gift sets to their churches and schools to sell. People were asking their parents and husbands to sell them at work. It was really incredible how excited the team was over this competition!
The ResultsWhen the dust finally settled, our restaurant had sold 420 gift sets, FAR more than I ever would have guessed at the beginning. To put it in perspective, other local Chick-fil-A’s totals were 100, 150, and 250. This has been such a positive experience – the restaurant was more profitable in December and the leaders and team members are energized and motivated heading into January.
Thursday, December 3, 2009
Signage
Signage is an important (and often overlooked) means of communication with the team. It is a very effective way to communicate vision and measure development.
This past month, I took down all of the old signs and replaced them with my own new signs. This had an immediate effect on the team and has continued to improve performance. The entire first week after hanging the new signs, there was a general buzz around the store – with team members were discussing what they were reading and asking questions about what certain things meant.
The new signs have also provided me with a way to create competition and accountability. For example, recently our closes have not been up to par in terms of cleanliness and setting the morning shift up for success. I decided to create a closing grade sheet and post each night’s sheet
on the wall, along with the names of the closers and the date, and those grades stay up for an entire week. Initially, this improved performance because people did not want their names associated with terrible scores. Now, however, performance is continuing to improve as the closing teams are trying to top one another. I often hear people claiming that their close is going to be “the new record” or “the first perfect score."
on the wall, along with the names of the closers and the date, and those grades stay up for an entire week. Initially, this improved performance because people did not want their names associated with terrible scores. Now, however, performance is continuing to improve as the closing teams are trying to top one another. I often hear people claiming that their close is going to be “the new record” or “the first perfect score."Tuesday, November 24, 2009
Never a Dull Moment
I have witnessed a number of interesting things during my tenure at Chick-fil-A. There have been a number of interesting guest interactions, employee misfires, and crazy events. But this past week, something happened that might top them all.
Here is what happened: There was an armed bank robbery about a mile from our restaurant. This robbery was followed by a high speed car chase with the police. The police chase ended up taking a detour through our Chick-fil-A parking lot!
After exiting our lot, the assailants discovered they were surrounded by police so they made a U-turn and proceeded to drive past our store again. As they were passing our restaurant (literally 10 feet from our windows), they decided to open fire, which was then reciprocated by the police!! It is not everyday that you hear gunshots fired over your drive thru speaker system! (By the way, I am not lying or exaggerating…there was a gun fight between bank robbers and the police RIGHT outside of my restaurant!)
Somehow, they got away (temporarily) until they ran into a police car barricade a few minutes later. The armed robbers were both killed by gunshot wounds (2 policeman were shot, but neither was fatal).
For the remainder of the week detectives were in and out of our restaurant, police were surveying the land for evidence, and our surveillance cameras were constantly being rewound and observed. This was a fascinating (and memorable) experience and an eye-opening example of the importance of unit safety and security.
Monday, November 2, 2009
R & M
The primary responsibility of an Interim Manager is to set the incoming operator up for success. One of the best ways to ensure that this happens is to ensure that all the equipment in the restaurant is working properly and that all preventative maintenance has been taken care of.
This area of Repairs and Maintenance has been my primary of focus for the past month. While I have repaired approximately 25 or so different items in the restaurant so far, I will only focus on the “highlights” for this post.
Other Henny Penny Issues
The Hennys also had a number of smaller issues that needed to be addressed. There were a number of spacers (for the coils) that were missing, casters (wheels) that no longer would roll, and high limit switches that needed to be replaced. Also, on one of the open fryers, there was a high limit thermometer that was simply laying on the bottom of the henny, with the bracket that is supposed to hold the thermometer in place no where to be found.
Walk-In Refrigerator Door
The Walk-In refrigerator door would not fully close. It closed enough to block the cold air from the room temperature air but about a 1 inch gap remained at all times. After some investigation, in turned out that the hinges on the door were bad (it appeared that one had been rammed by a heavy cart unloading truck) and needed to be replaced. Now that these hinges have been replaced the door closes fully.
Landscaping
One of the first things I noticed when I arrived to Federal Heights was that the grass next to the sidewalks was dead. This was a result of the chemicals that they use to melt the ice in the winter. Once the ice would melt, the water (with the chemicals) would run off the sidewalk and into the grass resulting in about 6 inches to a foot of dead grass next to the sidewalk the following spring. I debated re-sodding the area but decided it would look the same after the winter. Instead, I had a rock boarder put in around the sidewalk. This way, the chemicals will drain onto the rock and the grassy area will be preserved. The entire restaurant looks so much better from the outside with this seemingly minor improvement.
Tile
There are a number of tiles that have been severely broken or cracked. A couple of them are so bad that our health inspector had issues with them. Also, there are some areas in the Dining Room where water was leaking through the grout. Instead of re-grouting these areas, a clear silicone was placed over the grout – which, quite simply, looks terrible. The work orders have been placed through Chick-fil-A Inc, and we are merely waiting for the company to come in and install the new tile.
This area of Repairs and Maintenance has been my primary of focus for the past month. While I have repaired approximately 25 or so different items in the restaurant so far, I will only focus on the “highlights” for this post.
Henny Pennys
Henny Penny Lids
All three Henny Penny pressure fryers had cracks on the top bar that supports the lids. Over time this will cause the arms to break in half, which can obviously be very dangerous. I enlisted the help of Gary Halbritter, and had all three complete lid assemblies replaced (it is actually cheaper to do this than to replace the arm by itself!).
Henny Penny Lids
All three Henny Penny pressure fryers had cracks on the top bar that supports the lids. Over time this will cause the arms to break in half, which can obviously be very dangerous. I enlisted the help of Gary Halbritter, and had all three complete lid assemblies replaced (it is actually cheaper to do this than to replace the arm by itself!).
Other Henny Penny Issues
The Hennys also had a number of smaller issues that needed to be addressed. There were a number of spacers (for the coils) that were missing, casters (wheels) that no longer would roll, and high limit switches that needed to be replaced. Also, on one of the open fryers, there was a high limit thermometer that was simply laying on the bottom of the henny, with the bracket that is supposed to hold the thermometer in place no where to be found.
Walk-In Refrigerator Door
The Walk-In refrigerator door would not fully close. It closed enough to block the cold air from the room temperature air but about a 1 inch gap remained at all times. After some investigation, in turned out that the hinges on the door were bad (it appeared that one had been rammed by a heavy cart unloading truck) and needed to be replaced. Now that these hinges have been replaced the door closes fully.
Landscaping
One of the first things I noticed when I arrived to Federal Heights was that the grass next to the sidewalks was dead. This was a result of the chemicals that they use to melt the ice in the winter. Once the ice would melt, the water (with the chemicals) would run off the sidewalk and into the grass resulting in about 6 inches to a foot of dead grass next to the sidewalk the following spring. I debated re-sodding the area but decided it would look the same after the winter. Instead, I had a rock boarder put in around the sidewalk. This way, the chemicals will drain onto the rock and the grassy area will be preserved. The entire restaurant looks so much better from the outside with this seemingly minor improvement.
Tile
There are a number of tiles that have been severely broken or cracked. A couple of them are so bad that our health inspector had issues with them. Also, there are some areas in the Dining Room where water was leaking through the grout. Instead of re-grouting these areas, a clear silicone was placed over the grout – which, quite simply, looks terrible. The work orders have been placed through Chick-fil-A Inc, and we are merely waiting for the company to come in and install the new tile.
Monday, October 19, 2009
Sales Rising
The goal this month is to have a 10% sales increase.
We have a 3-pronged strategy to acheive this goal.
1. Food Distribution everyday
2. Cow Presence everyday
3. Suggestive Selling contests everyday
The food distribution and cow presence increase the number of visitors to our store. The suggestive selling helps us maximize those visits by increasing our check average.
Increased Transactions
By blitzing everyday we are leveraging our food and people. Briana, our UMD, is visiting what we call the "low hanging fruit" - areas that are close and full of potential raving fans. She hands out Chick-fil-A sandwiches or biscuits as well as a "totally free" coupon to come visit us in the store. She also leaves a few catering brochures for potential future outside sales.
We are leveraging our cow daily with highly visible street presence. Our store is located at the intersection of 2 high traffic streets - 104th Street and Federal Blvd. We are just far enough away from the intersection that cars traveling down 104th Street can drive by without seeing us. By placing a cow on that intersection, we force potential guests to at least consider dining with us.
Check Average
Our suggestive selling contests have really been beneficial in increasing our check average. We have a contest everyday for both the lunch and dinner rushes. These contests provide a number of benefits to Federal Heights. First, the competition creates excitement for the Team Members. Second, it provides a way for us to educate our guests on menu options that they did not previously know about. Last, these contests are a cheap and easy way for us to maximize our sales potential through impulse purchasing.
Results
We began this strategy two weeks ago - the first full week of October. Since then we have only had one day with a sales decrease (and that day we got 2 inches of snow!). Not counting that snow day, sales are up almost 8% and transactions are up 20 per day. (Which is great considering the fact that last month we were down 35 transactions per day). For the month we are up 4% and have positive momentum heading into the second half of the October. Overall, our strategy has been (and continues to be) a great success!
We have a 3-pronged strategy to acheive this goal.
1. Food Distribution everyday
2. Cow Presence everyday
3. Suggestive Selling contests everyday
The food distribution and cow presence increase the number of visitors to our store. The suggestive selling helps us maximize those visits by increasing our check average.
Increased Transactions
By blitzing everyday we are leveraging our food and people. Briana, our UMD, is visiting what we call the "low hanging fruit" - areas that are close and full of potential raving fans. She hands out Chick-fil-A sandwiches or biscuits as well as a "totally free" coupon to come visit us in the store. She also leaves a few catering brochures for potential future outside sales.
We are leveraging our cow daily with highly visible street presence. Our store is located at the intersection of 2 high traffic streets - 104th Street and Federal Blvd. We are just far enough away from the intersection that cars traveling down 104th Street can drive by without seeing us. By placing a cow on that intersection, we force potential guests to at least consider dining with us.
Check Average
Our suggestive selling contests have really been beneficial in increasing our check average. We have a contest everyday for both the lunch and dinner rushes. These contests provide a number of benefits to Federal Heights. First, the competition creates excitement for the Team Members. Second, it provides a way for us to educate our guests on menu options that they did not previously know about. Last, these contests are a cheap and easy way for us to maximize our sales potential through impulse purchasing.
Results
We began this strategy two weeks ago - the first full week of October. Since then we have only had one day with a sales decrease (and that day we got 2 inches of snow!). Not counting that snow day, sales are up almost 8% and transactions are up 20 per day. (Which is great considering the fact that last month we were down 35 transactions per day). For the month we are up 4% and have positive momentum heading into the second half of the October. Overall, our strategy has been (and continues to be) a great success!
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