The Best Managers Don’t Yell – High Morale Means Better Profits

Somewhere in your restaurant career you have worked in “Satan’s Kitchen”. The Chef/Owner/Manager was always on the verge of a stroke, a pot throwing fit or a cursing marathon at the slightest provocation. As an employee working under this person how did it make you feel? Were you inclined to come to him with an important issue?  Most likely you would try to hide the problem or avoid it as long as you could. Many times it meant throwing something away and starting over. Better to throw away product than get bitched at right?  It’s not my money.

Nowadays with new anti-harassment laws these kinds of managers are being weeded out to avoid expensive lawsuits. More importantly, kicking this kind of behavior to the curb will improve your operations’ morale and profits. Why?

Kitchen morale is as fragile as spun sugar. It doesn’t take much to break them. Your average line cook is not well educated and suffers from a lack of self-esteem. Their job is their life and in a busy restaurant it is a tough job. A good line cook is worth every penny you pay. They make the food to your specifications, fast; get it right the first time and the customer has no complaints. Too often they are ignored or beaten down for small errors instead of pumped up for good performance. Good camaraderie and teamwork can be hard to come by so when you have it you need to feed it with positive feedback.

The same can be said for the front of the house. These men and women also have a tough job and are the face to face representatives of your company. How genuinely caring are they going to be to your guests if they just witnessed a top-of-your-lungs screaming match in the kitchen?  No one wants or needs to work in those conditions. This environment breeds contempt which can lead to sabotage, theft or worse. It will translate into poor customer service one way or another, driving business away, so keep your emotions in check.

The best managers are calm under fire. As my wife would say be like a duck, stay calm on the surface but paddling like crazy underneath.  Try to correct the person in a low voice face to face as though you only want them to hear. This will get their attention and focus on what you have to say without yelling and embarrassing the person. If possible, wait until later to correct the person in a quieter area.

Yes, it can be challenge, especially if you feel like strangling them, but you are better than that and the improved restaurant accounting financial performance will be worth it. A little respect can pay big dividends.

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