Dear Restaurant Stars,
It's been a week in the leadership development arena, let me tell you. People are stressed, and it's bringing up some things.
Employees are feeling the pressure of the economy, with rising gas prices making it harder for some folks to get to work each day. Here in New England, everyone is sick of the snow and are itching to get to warmer weather and be outdoors. People are getting snappy with each other over small things, and honestly I get it.
Here's what I'm seeing with the "rising star" level of managers, or early-in-their career leaders: employees are getting short tempered with each other and/or performing subpar, and the supervisors are engaging in problematic ways.
I've had two examples of this shared with me over the past week alone. One manager lost their temper with a direct report over performance, and another listed examples of ways they unintentionally got wrapped up in staff drama. Both examples damaged credibility and trust that will take time to rebuild with their teams. Both examples could have been prevented with better support from upper management, plus systems that support learning leaders.
I'll explain. In example one, this manager initially felt justified in the way they reacted to the situation. After some guidance and reflection, they realized there was a more constructive way to have addressed this employee's performance, and they developed a very targeted tool to track metrics and improvement. This is far more likely to get results, of course, instead of creating resentment and potential turnover.
In story number two, the manager has great empathy for those around them, and is predisposed to engaging in employee conversations that aren't appropriate for engagement from a supervisor. In one example, there were conversations of romantic feelings surrounding 3-4 employees. The manager got involved in the conversation, empathizing with feelings on multiple sides. You can imagine how that turned out.
In both instances, the managers were under pressure (deliver better performance from your employee, keep everyone happy) and were not given tools and modeling of how to handle these scenarios. I can relate, as I was promoted in a typical corporate restaurant environment, and while I knew how to run a great set of numbers, I did not know how to handle many PEOPLE challenges when they arose. Pressure to get results or if I believed I was supposed to act a certain way (be nice to everyone, like manager #2 here... without clarity or support) would make my behavior more erratic.
This is why I am so passionate now about leadership training for frontline managers, I have seen how damaging it can be to have managers in the field lacking these very teachable skills.
Manager #1 found the correct solution after we talked and after they discussed the scenario with their supervisor. These conversations helped uncover what the manager was actually frustrated with, and with that clarity it was easier to develop the tool that would sustainably alleviate the pressure on the manager. If the employee is being tracked, daily conversations for accountability, and coached in the moment when necessary, there's no surprise of long-term poor performance leaving the manager overwhelmed with a large problem. The issue becomes bite-sized and more manageable when it's monitored more frequently and 1:1 coaching is planned, which leaves the manager feeling more secure and in control.
Manager #2 has had little to no support in their leadership journey, which leaves them often trying to find the right things to say or do in a busy environment with no example to follow. This is also an internal promotion scenario, so the manager has the added challenge of having been friends with the staff prior to advancing which makes many scenarios more delicate for them. In every example the manager shared with me, they have been trying to practice "professionalism" (which, given the context that they were engaging in inappropriate conversations may sound strange, but hear me out). Each story had the same pattern - employees doing/saying something that needed to be addressed, the manager would get involved in a way they thought was "empathetic," and then would double back because they believed what they were doing was unprofessional which at times made the situation worse. When I asked them how they'd define professionalism, they floundered to find words. They were trying to act out a standard they had no clarity on, due to no upper leadership giving them positive examples or 1:1 support.
While I'll take any opportunity to get on my soap box to tout the importance of leadership training and support, it's even more urgent now. Restaurants are facing more staffing issues and feeling the tightening of the space between P and L, meaning we can't afford the cost of poor leadership.
So, what's the solution? Solid training for leaders to build leadership skills, weekly or bi-weekly 1:1 sessions for accountability and growth, and providing as many resources as possible to support rising star leaders. There are many coaching plans out there (I offer these services to individuals and organizations), or develop your own if at this time you cannot afford to invest in a full plan. No matter what path you choose, investing the time and/or money in leadership development is more important than ever in a world where we are facing so much uncertainty. Having more skilled, resilient, confident leaders out there is something we all benefit from, and an impactful way to contribute to the world.
I think 1:1 meetings are so important, I'm giving a free downloadable version that I give my clients. Just click here for the file
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