Old lessons from years past…
Thank you all who are new subscribers to the newsletter. I am happy to be back from a week in FL with the fam. My wife is an artist and we spent a few days in Dunedin, FL while she taught painting workshops. From there we explored the west coast up to Ozello, then hopped over to St. Augustine for a few days. It was great to recharge to get ready for what looks like it will be a busy few months ahead. This newsletter is a little more personal and reflective than usual.
I had the chance to catch up with my old boss from Chili’s during our trip. We met up mid afternoon on his first afternoon off in weeks. He is in the midst of yet another restaurant clean up operation with a new company. This guy may be the manager who taught me more about how to do what I do for a living now than any other single person. He is the one who taught me about the importance of standing one-on-one meetings with direct reports. He is the one who taught me to be uncompromising over the things that are important but to cut people slack where it is not. He is the one who taught me to build trust with my team through consistency. He taught me how to get to the heart of the interview process quickly and see who people really are with just a few simple open ended questions. He is slow to anger but fiery, tough but fair. TJ is the quintessential restaurant manager. Dedicated to the craft and willing to put in the time.
We worked together for years and we opened two restaurants together. We interviewed thousands of people with one or the other of us the first interview and the other the second. We compared notes after and made decisions about who to bring onto the team, who was worth the time to train because of their personality and who was skilled or even gifted but was not a fit for our team. We were working in a specific industry, restaurants, and a specific sector of that industry, casual dining, but the broad lessons apply across all industries.
There are roles within any team that need to be filled. I have talked about organizational and role “fit” in past newsletters. Understanding the personality that best fits a role will make it easier to fill that role. This means that as a leader, you must understand your organization and the people in it. This means that you must be a manager and also have a deep understanding of every person on your team. What makes them tick, what makes them angry, and what motivates them. This must come from personal connection and regular communication.
Some of the lessons I learned from TJ can be taught, but some must be experienced. If you are new to management or leadership there are a few shortcuts that you can learn from a coach, a mentor, or consultant like me but you will have to do the work of getting to know your team. Who are your most important people, what are they capable of and what can you do, as a leader/manager, to unlock their potential.
My old boss also taught me what not to do. He worked himself out of two marriages and is still down in the trenches. He loves what he does but has sacrificed a lot to be successful in his niche. To some extent that is part of the journey. We all have to find out how much we are capable of and what brings us fulfillment. What is most important to you and to your family?
Thank you for reading, I look forward to supporting you in any way I can. Drop me a note on LinkedIn, at my email address stratton@downeaststratmc.com or forward my intro blog to a friend. It provides tips and explores management principles.
