Cost-Effective Ways to Motivate Your Teams in a Challenging Economy
by Jim Sullivan, Founder & CEO Sullivision.com

 If there’s one bright spot in the current uncertain economy for foodservice and retail operators, it’s that there’s more talent on the street and voluntary turnover may  soon  be at a 10-year low. Hopefully you’ve taken advantage of the downturn to prune the “deadwood” at your operation and now the people you have are the people you want to keep. Retaining high-performers begins by understanding that they want to be challenged, recognized and productive. So here are 3 practical and cost-effective ways to jumpstart performance and profits:

1. First, don’t de-motivate. Most team members are intrinsically motivated to do well at work. The problem begins when something—or someone—causes the team member to be de-motivated. Identify common crew de-motivators in your operation (like insufficient training, too few hours, a disgruntled co-worker or manager) and then work to eliminate the offending system, schedule, or person. This may solve your problem without having to implement a contest or incentive. Sometimes motivation is not the problem--de-motivation is--and an incentive is not always the answer. It 's the most-motivated, not the least motivated, who are constantly trying to improve, so give them room to grwo by culling the under-performers.

 2. A frightened captain makes for a frightened crew. A recession affects your hourly team’s mindset too. They read the same websites, papers, and blogs that you do, and too much bad news can impact their confidence, morale, and focus. So it’s important that GMs (and Area Directors) demonstrate resolve and realistic optimism, not constant doom-and-gloom. The donkey Eeyore from Winnie-the-Pooh is hardly the ideal leader. Leaders are not “energy-neutral.” You are either giving people energy or are draining it from them. Be positive and spread energy daily.

3. A pat on the back is just a few vertebrae up from a kick in the butt. Everyday, in your Outlook calendar, or “to-do” list, write down the name of every team member working that shift. After you compliment or recognize each person, cross their name off the list. Now do it again.

In a downturn economy smart operators focus on all the things they didn’t have time to do in an upturn economy, like thanking more team members, training better, sending a note to a loyal customer, and getting brilliant at the basics.

And for those few team members who don’t respond to motivation, recognition and rewards? Consider the words of author Tom Peters who says “Give a lot, expect a lot, and if you don’t get it, prune.”

Biggest non-foodservice trend of 2009: all Social Media is Now Mainstream. If you still think a "hard drive" is a trip to the in-laws and terms like SMS, Twitter, LinkedIn, and Facebook are something only your iPod Generation team members should be concerned about, you're missing the newest and best ways to acquire and maintain more customers through the art of mobile marketing. Rather than explain the entire breadth and benefits of Social Media applications, how they will help you be more productive and help your business grow, simply read Pete Cashmore's blog. Though written awhile back it provides a succinct overview and insight in to what Social Media is and how it can affect your business.

--DIRFT: Means Do It Right the First Time. One of the things you can control in a downturn economy is executing the operational fundamentals better than your competitors. “Practice” doesn’t make perfect, perfect practice makes perfect. If it ain’t a ten, make it again. Practice with team members before every shift via the pre-shift meeting. Check out the hour-long Jumpstart DVD or our best-selling The Shift: How to Plan It, Lead It, Make It Pay DVD. Show your unit managers how to plan, deliver and improve your daily pre-shift meetings and make every shift a profitable one. Be sure to download our FREE daily pre-shift meeting planning template.Training is your secret weapon. Never practice on the customer. 

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 --2009 Leadership Training: get stronger faster If your team is suffering from a lack of real-world  effective leadership training in these challenging times, check out Multi U, Sullivision's brand new 6 hour online leadership training e-learning course powered by DiscoverLink and Nation's Restaurant News. Hundreds of foodservice leaders and multi-unit managers have taken it and the results have been outstanding. You can check out the free demo or take the course at www.sullivision.com/multiu The course is an ideal leadership training tool for Regional Managers, franchisees, Executives and high-potential GMs.
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Click Here for FREE Pre-Shift Meeting Planning Template.
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Truths About Our Industry:
The restaurant business is like oxygen: if you're alive you'll use it.
Different is not always better, but better is always different. 
Never Practice on the Customer.
Training is our secret weapon!
Speed is not everything...direction counts.
Marketing is a philosophy, not a department.
Know the difference between busy and being productive


For a POSTER of more great quotes like these, CLICK HERE.

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