This is the fourth in an occasional series, responding to letters received from people in the restaurant business about issues that concern them.
Letter from a concerned employee:
“Say, Jay” …
Several months ago, the general manager of our restaurant announced that he was leaving, which he subsequently did. The owner, however, decided that he didn’t want to replace the GM so that he could save money and that he, the owner, would step in to run the restaurant. He has only been here sporadically and his inconsistent presence has left a strange and anxious feeling among the employees and we are not sure what is going on. Is there any way you can tell what might be happening and give us some guidance as to what to do? Sales are declining and we don’t want to lose our jobs, but something has to be done to get us out of this.
Signed,
Concerned Employee
Dear Concerned Employee:
First, let’s see what is really going on in your restaurant. The environment that has been created by the absence of clearly defined leadership is not a surprise. Yours is not a unique situation. Anxiety arises out of ambiguity and having more ambiguity results from more anxious employees with no clear direction.
An owner or manager who drops in only infrequently or who does not convey his expectations creates organizational ambiguity. It is a circular situation which, given the continuity of this pattern, is not likely to go away by itself. In short, you are stuck. Usually, when a leader leaves, there is a vacuum created that is filled by uncertainty, through lack of clarity, a missing vision and specifically stated values and belief systems that go away with a leader. The workplace will become anxious and, in some cases, dysfunctional. Ultimately, this toxic environment will be communicated to the customers of the restaurant, if that hasn’t happened already.
In short, the pattern of circular anxiety has to be broken for any progress to be made. The “quick-fix mentality,” a term coined by well-known therapist and Rabbi, Edwin H. Friedman, occurs when the environment (your restaurant, in this case) seeks symptom relief, rather than fundamental change. Anxiety can also be created by highly charged emotional behavior of a leader or owner, who might be screaming or otherwise creating an unpredictable and tense atmosphere. Changing this means someone has to step out of what might be his or her conventional role and begin to lead.
What specifically can you do to change this?
The fact that you came forward with this concern lets me know that you can possibly function as the unmandated and temporary leader to deal with this situation; if not, find someone who can.
When your owner next comes in, make contact with him and let him know what is happening from your perspective. Do this at a quiet time during the day, possibly after lunch and before the dinner rush. He may not even be aware of the effect of his inconsistency is having. Give him a chance to do something about it. We often assume that because he may be causing the situation, he should know all about it and is not interested in changing it. This may not be true.
Look at the restaurant mission statement in the employee policy manual or in some other document to see whether there is a match between the goal of the restaurant and what is actually happening. Discuss this with the owner.
If he can hear you about the problems, see if he can regain his course by being clear about his mission for the restaurant and how to get there, acknowledging that the current situation is causing the anxiety. If he is big enough to admit his part in what is happening, you can solve the problem, possibly resulting in re-hiring a general manager or establishing himself as a more consistent operator with greater presence on the job.
If the owner is not willing to act or balks at the suggestion that anxiety is being created by a lack of leadership, look in a different direction to find a solution. Identify who in the restaurant could exhibit the qualities needed to lead it out of the doldrums. See if that person and the owner are willing to sit down together to establish him or her in a leadership capacity without being formally recognized as the general manager. If the owner does not see the problem and is not willing to do anything about it, there is little you can do to effect a formal leadership role.
If this is the case, take steps yourself to reduce the anxiety created by uncertainty. How do you recognize what these are?
The following clues signal collective anxiety:
An unwillingness of an employee to do little more and sometimes less than asked
Arguments between co-workers for no apparent reason or with little justification
Employees not helping each other and basically watching out for their own backsides at the expense of others
Slow service bordering on uncooperative behavior
Criticizing others in public or where fellow employees or customers might overhear
A state of tenseness in the workplace between employees or between employees and management
Unfair or unequal application of personnel guidelines and policies
If these issues are prevalent, radical change is necessary.
Irrespective of who leads the charge, here are some things to check:
Is there is a clear mission statement and is everyone is familiar with it
Do employees sense value in their employment and do they have a sense of fulfillment
Is the workplace fair to everyone
Does the workplace provide equal treatment
Is teamwork encouraged?
Also, there should be a complete absence of blame for work-related mistakes unless there is intentional undermining going on.
How can you play a part in rectifying the problems that the absence of consistent leadership plays in ambiguity? Find or take a leadership role to change circular anxiety; your restaurant will find its way out only with clear leadership.
Jay Treadwell is a Principal of Optimum Hospitality Services. He and his partner, Ben W. Hiatt, provide management, organizational development, customer service training, business plans and business management, and operational advisory and consulting services to hotels, restaurants, conference centers, resorts and country clubs, senior care facilities, government, business and industry foodservice groups and other segments of the hospitality industry. He can be reached at 301-656-8335, or e-mailed at: ohs1@comcast.net. His Web site is www.optimumservices.net
