How the Best Managers
Communicate with their Crew
By Jim Sullivan, CEO Sullivision.com

In the fall of 2005 we surveyed the best practices of 480 high-performing General Managers at 292 different casual theme, family, QSR, fast casual and fine-dining restaurants in North America. The one thing we found they all had in common is this: they made pre-shift meetings mandatory, not optional at each of their stores.

Using their insight and expertise along with our own research, we then produced a dynamic 40 minute interactive DVD called “JUMPSTART: How to Plan and Execute Effective Pre-Shift Meetings” which details the best practices of planning, staging and executing effective team meetings before each shift. Released on January 1, 2006, the program has sold over 5000 copies in less than 10 weeks, a testament to its need in the marketplace and relevancy to the industry’s hard-working leaders looking for a better way.

If you recognize the need for staging and executing better pre-shift alley rallies in your restaurant, naturally I’d suggest you invest in the $99 Jumpstart DVD (click here for more information).

But in the meantime, let’s look at some additional insight that those high-performing managers shared with us relative to improving small group communication or in between manger and crew. It revolves around the concept of K-F-D; what do you want your audience to Know, Do and Feel?

KNOW. Determine first what you want your servers, bartenders, kitchen crew, and greeters to KNOW this shift. Use your weekly manager meetings to determine the specific topic and focus of each pre-shift meeting coming up in the next 7 days. Be sure to stay focused on one topic only, like sales, service, or cost control. Write down the key things you want them to know about the topic. For instance, if your topic is service, you may want them to know that: 1) quick and friendly guest greetings are the foundation of a great experience, 2) customers will forgive mistakes in the kitchen more than they forgive mistakes in service, 3) guests tip better for good service; research shows as much as 3% more, and finally, that 4) good service can save a bad meal; but a good meal cannot save bad service.

FEEL. After detailing what they want their audience to know, the best managers  now determine how they want their team members to FEEL about the information they’ve shared. If the topic in your pre-shift meeting is cost-control for instance, you probably want your team to feel this way about the topic: 1) it’s important because lowering costs increases the likelihood of raises, 2) I can personally do things that minimize waste each shift, 3) I know that the average profit on the dollar is less than a nickel, 4) it’s the right thing to do because creating waste or working unsafely will affect both the environment and my potential well-being.

DO. Information is easy. Execution is hard. The final step in effective small group communication is a call to action; detail what you want them to do with what they now know and how they feel about the topic. If, for instance, your pre-shift meeting was focused on sales-building, the best managers would end the session by detailing specifically what they expect the team to do that shift
relative to driving revenue. For instance, you might say “OK, we know what our featured specials are tonight, and we should also feel pretty confident about selling them now that we’ve had a chance to try them along with the wines we’ll pair up with them, so let’s take a minute to talk about what we can do to make those sales happen. Rosa, tell me one way you’ll try to sell a dessert tonight?” When Rosa responds, repeat her answer, then ask another server to tell you another way to sell
more specials. Repeat his answer, and follow the same pattern until every server in the group contributes a different selling strategy. Repetition is the mother of all learning.

Planning your next speech, proposal, or training session with the KFD focus will transform your information into communication every time. After all, if you don’t have time to do it right, when will you have time to do it over?

P.S. If you’d like a FREE daily downloadable pre-shift meeting planner that just visit our Home Page at  www.sullivision.com .

Jim Sullivan is the CEO of Sullivision.com an Appleton Wisconsin USA company whose clients include Walt Disney, McDonald’s, Coca-Cola, American Express, Applebee’s and Starbucks.