Part 2 of 2: Movin' on Up
Leadership training must look beyond just getting the job done
By Allison Perlik, Senior Editor -- Restaurants & Institutions, 4/15/2004
Foodservice history is peppered with great leaders, from chain pioneers such as Ray Kroc and Norman Brinker to modern-day mentors Charlie Trotter and Ralph Brennan. Moving forward, the industry's prospects rest in the hands of the 12 million people it employs today—the general managers, line cooks and dishwashers—who with the right hands to guide them will become tomorrow's captains of industry.
The task of finding and developing these potential leaders is daunting. Over the next several years, foodservice will require 1.2 million more managers to sustain its continuing growth, says Ellen Nash, vice president of communications for the National Restaurant Association Educational Foundation (NRAEF) in Chicago. Not only must these managers learn the technical skills they need to oversee an efficient, well-run operation, but their training also must cover the more personal "soft skills" that turn good managers into great leaders.
|
That's why the industry as a whole, as well as individual restaurants and companies, is addressing this need for education with specific leadership education programs. For operators, the investment is worthwhile, Nash says, ticking off a list of benefits that includes reduced turnover, more new and repeat customers, greater employee satisfaction and, ultimately, increased profitability.
Managers vs. Leaders
At multiconcept operator Cameron Mitchell Restaurants in Columbus,
Ohio, managers at all levels participate in regular, multiday
seminars where leadership is a major topic. President and CEO
Cameron Mitchell, whose Midwestern empire has grown to 21 restaurants,
says the fundamental difference between management and leadership
training is that the former teaches people what to do while the
latter shows them how to think.
"We have a set of core values, a culture and philosophies we want our people to operate within ... that teaches them how to think about handling problems," he says. "You can have a manual as thick as possible, and it still can't teach your managers what do in every possible situation."
Generally, operators view leadership as the personal side of management, focusing on areas such as team communication and staff development. Bruce Tulgan, founder of RainmakerThinking Inc., a New Haven, Conn.-based firm that researches workplace issues, says effective training in this area should take into account the way modern leadership has shifted from the authoritative style of the past to a more personalized, coaching approach.
Tara Davey, executive director of The Council of Hotel and Restaurant Trainers in Westfield, N.J., shares this outlook. "Managers of old had a command-and-control approach, and that's gone. Today's managers have to be sensitive to employees' individual issues to understand what kind of environment they need to create. Being more aware of these issues can positively affect retention," she says.
Getting With the Program
While leadership-training initiatives typically focus on personnel
in unit-level management or above, they can apply to employees
of all ranks. Some companies choose to create separate curricula
for workers in different positions, while other efforts are more
broad-based.
Edmond, Okla.-based Eateries Inc., parent company of three casual-dining chains, divides training to complement various levels of the organization. Hourly shift supervisors learn about their new roles as leaders through topics including motivating and coaching, disciplining employees, interviewing and hiring. The assistant general manager program addresses turnover and recruiting among other areas, and the company is tailoring a GM curriculum to focus on higher-level leadership skills.
At Rare Hospitality in Atlanta, the Emerging Leaders program focuses on what Executive Vice President of Human Resources Tom Gathers calls "our high-potential operators." The company also offers executive coaching programs for personnel in regional vice president positions and above.
"As people grow organizationally, leadership development becomes inherently personal," Gathers says. "They've probably taken all the courses they can and now need to deal with real issues and think strategically."
New general managers at Columbus, Ohio-based Bob Evans take part in the chain's Building Leadership Teams classes, which minimize lectures in favor of hands-on exercises such as small-group case studies and videotaping interactions to gauge communication skills. The curriculum focuses on consistency, communicating a vision, being caring and enthusiastic, and empowering employees, says Randy Lanning, director of human resources operations.
Leadership guidance takes a different form at MBNA corporate headquarters in Wilmington, Del. Director of Dining & Hospitality Services Gary Gunderson says that rather than using a specific curriculum, he sits down every year with each of his team members to develop a personalized education plan directly linked to their specific career path.
"Then you have linkage between career planning, education and performance management, which are all tied together to be most effective," Gunderson says.
Follow the Leader
To make leadership training accessible on a broad scale, the NRAEF
is partnering with Harvard Business School Publishing eLearning
(HBSP) to offer a leadership and management development program
geared to the hospitality industry.
At Bradley, Ill.-based Monical's Pizza, all managers as well as senior executives and regional trainers are working through the HBSP program. President Harry Bond says the curriculum's emphasis on soft skills fits well with the ongoing educational needs of his employees.
"Training is a no-brainer as far as return if you embrace it, follow up on it and have it well facilitated." he says.
Leaders on Leadership
"I see leadership as a calling. You've got to be committed to wanting it, to really stand up above the crowd and be able to take a position that is not the common one and sometimes be that proverbial green bubble on a blue ocean." —Joe Micatrotto, chairman, CEO and president, Buca Inc., Minneapolis
"We call it a proprietative management approach. We find the right people, train them properly and let them take ownership of their job." —Brad Rosenstein, president and CEO, Jack's Oyster House Inc., Albany, N.Y.
"People have to learn they can't be elected leader unless they have basic skills and earn the respect of those they're trying to lead." —George McKerrow Jr., CEO, Ted's Montana Grill, Atlanta
"You have to be willing to stand up for what's right or wrong in the face of whatever is in front of you, no matter how hard it is. You also have to have the ability to step back, take a strong look at yourself and say, 'I made a mistake, and I'm sorry." —Van Eure, president and owner, The Angus Barn, Raleigh, N.C.
<< Special Report Part 1 of 2: Wealthy and Wise
View All Blogs
