SELF EVALUATION
We all have a multitude of skill sets that allow us to be successful as individuals, as well as part of a team. For me, it’s a constant effort of self-evaluation to understand how I can improve. I truly appreciate what I can learn from my friends and colleagues and spend time exploring and assessing their skills and talents.
As a member of this team, I have a responsibility to share my strengths with those around me. Sharing our knowledge and experience is not only beneficial to our colleagues, it's a responsibility we bear. We have a talented pool of people, from master chefs and sommeliers, hoteliers, event managers, service professionals and business experts, that create an incredible opportunity to combine all of our assets.
AUTHORITY AND RESPECT
In the workplace, authority is the right to manage people, assets and tasks granted to an employee, by ownership of their immediate supervisor. Individuals receive respect in the workplace only by earning the respect of their peers. All managers start with a natural authority, but true leaders earn it by establishing the respect of those around them. The concept of respect in the workplace applies to all team members, at every level. We should always work to achieve the respect of our colleagues and strive to become leaders.
LEADERS
First a person must decide to be a leader. This initiative can come in the form of planning menus, wine lists, cocktail lists, beverage programs, events and everything we do for our guests each day. Every team member can influence these decisions. It’s up to you to become part of and define the future.
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Growers, manufacturers, farmers, wholesalers and large retailers predetermine most trends in our industry. Products do not magically appear in mass quantities. Mass-production and marketing takes a substantial amount of advance planning. If we pay attention to what’s coming down the pipeline and incorporate it into our offerings, we become industry leaders.
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The ultitmate goal is to achieve complete guest satisfaction by exceeding their expectations. It is the leadership of those team members and their level of service that will lead us toward a successful future.
APPEARANCE
Pop culture and fashion have always had an affect on attire in the workplace. Many 5 Star hotel companies had strict rules on facial hair or exposed tattoos. I have seen a few of these brands change their regulations recently to adopt the fashion and grooming trends of the day. These changes do not in any way change the expectation that people should maintain excellent hygiene and sharp grooming in the workplace.
The way we present ourselves to the world is how the world will perceive us. Taking pride in our appearance makes us feel better about ourselves. The term “dress for success” transcends to every person in the workforce. If we show people that we take pride in how we come to work, they will take us seriously. People will be more likely to listen to what we have to say and generally be more accepting of us on a personal level.
WORK ETHIC
Tardiness is not acceptable. Early is on time, on time is late and late is unacceptable.
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Separate your personal life from your time at work. Even if you consider your coworkers your friends, while you are at work, you are professional peers.
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Be kind at work. Be kind to your coworkers as well as our guests.
Always carry yourself in a professional manner. Never use bad language at work. Never have inappropriate conversations at work. Yelling is unacceptable. Respect each other’s personal space.
Earn your team members' respect. Help and contribute whenever possible. Ask for help whenever needed.
SACRIFICE
People outside of our industry may not understand what a huge sacrifice hospitality workers make during the holidays. When the rest of the world takes a break to celebrate, the industry is working twice as hard. I want you all to know that we are aware of, and appreciate the sacrifices you make during the holidays.
SAFETY
As leaders and co-workers, we are responsible for the safety of everyone we work with. Safety is a team effort. Cuts and burns. Fires.
Health Department
A health inspection at your restaurant can be a stressful situation. If our team members are well trained and adhere to health codes, inspections should be stress free. Health codes are put in place to protect our guests and team members, and they should be embraced.
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The United States Federal Government does not regulate the codes for retail food establishments. They focus on the growing and production of food at a supplier level. Codes are regulated by individual states and vary from state to state. Some states give local municipalities or townships the right to govern their own health codes when it comes to retail food operations. Whatever agency inspects you, a majority of the codes are basically universal.
The qualifications, licensing or certificate programs can vary from state to state. For example, managers in the retail food industry in NYC are required to have a certificate from the NYC Health Department. At least one manager that is certified must be present when the location is open for business. In Las Vegas, front and back of the house employees who work in a retail food business must go through training and are required to carry their Nevada Health Card at work. Please check with your General Manager or Chef if you are not familiar with the requirements at your work location to ensure that you are compliant with that state’s requirement.
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As an industry professional, it is your duty to be educated on the health codes where you work. If you feel you need training, please let your General Manager or Chef know.
SUCCESS
Success is a state of mind.
Success is exceeding customer expectations!
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PASSION
Passion is a deep and overwhelming emotion toward accomplishing something. The satisfaction of creating and achieving something, that is the best of all is worth more than anything else. Each day I give 100 percent and strive to produce the best results, whether it is for a co-worker, staff member or guest. The self-satisfaction and energy you get when you have accomplished something – that is “passion.”
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Chef Vincent Pouessel
ENTHUSIASM
Walt Disney said, “Do what you do so well that they will want to see it again and bring their friends."
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The bottom line is that a company’s bottom line depends on customer service that is full of attitude and enthusiasm.
Enthusiastic people are full of energy that spills over to all the people they come in contact with. Napoleon Hill, author of "Think and Grow Rich" and other classic business books, said, “Enthusiasm is a state of mind that inspires and arouses one to put action into the task at hand. Enthusiasm bears the same relationship to a human being that steam does to a locomotive … it is the vital moving force that impels action.”
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Enthusiasm can’t survive in a negative environment. I’ve seen front-line workers whose attitude shows how much they resent that they have to be at work. This kind of work dissatisfaction is a turn off for customers. As many as 68% of customers quit patronizing a business because of perceived indifference toward them. They don’t care that the service person had a bad morning, or that he or she wanted to spend the day with friends. Customers expect a positive attitude every time they decide to spend their money with a business. Being part of a front-line service team might be compared to being an actor — the show must go on, no matter the feelings the actor is having.
Enthusiasm is also one of the most attractive qualities a person can have. Enthusiastic people make interactions and relationships more interesting and more fun. Their voices and body language show that they enjoy their work and that they are happy to serve their customers.
In today’s challenging marketplace, price is not the only thing that matters in finding and keeping customers. A blog I read recently talked about putting a sign in the business window that said, “We give lousy service, but we’re cheap.” I believe that people want to spend their money where they have confidence that they will get their money’s worth and where their business is appreciated.
Employee enthusiasm is a key part of a great customer experience. Enthusiasm starts with leadership. Team members are more enthusiastic about their work when they know they are appreciated and encouraged to grow in their positions. Enthusiasm begins at the top.
When it comes to customer service, be a leader.
MENTORING AND COACHING
Similar but Not the Same
The terms mentoring and coaching are often used interchangeably, which misleads the audience. While similar in their support of someone's development, they involve very different disciplines in practice.
Mentoring consists of a long-term relationship focused on supporting the growth and development of the mentee. The mentor becomes a source of wisdom, teaching and support, but not someone who observes and advises on specific actions or behavioral changes in daily work.
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Coaching typically involves a relationship of finite duration, with a focus on strengthening or eliminating specific behaviors in the here and now. Coaches help professionals correct behaviors that detract from their performance or strengthen those that support stronger performance around a given set of activities.
Both mentoring and coaching offer incredibly valuable developmental support. However, one offers high-level guidance for long-term development, while the other helps provide more immediate improvement in targeted areas.
WHAT IS EMPLOYEE ENGAGEMENT?
Engaged employees are those who are involved in, enthusiastic about and committed to their work and workplace.
How to Identify Engaged Employees
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Engaged employees are involved and enthusiastic about their work. Those who are not engaged are unattached to their work and organization.
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When your employees are engaged, they don’t just become happier, they become better performers.
Although the concept of employee engagement and job satisfaction are interrelated, they’re not synonymous. Satisfaction is about the employee being happy with their job or organization. Satisfaction is an attitude, like organizational loyalty or pride. Engagement is about the employee being actively invested in their work and the value they add to the organization. Engagement predicts satisfaction as well as many other concrete organizational results. When employees are engaged, they become emotionally attached to their work and workplace. As a result, their individual performance soars and they propel their team and organization to higher levels of productivity, safety, and quality.
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Benefits of Employee Engagement
Engaged employees make it a point to show up for work and do more work. Highly engaged organizations realize a 41% reduction in absenteeism and a 17% increase in productivity. Engaged workers are also more likely to stay with their employers. In high turnover organizations, highly engaged business units achieve 24% lower turnover. Engaged workers are more mindful of their surroundings. They are aware of safety procedures and diligent about keeping their coworkers and customers protected. Highly engaged business units realize a 70% decrease in employee safety incidents.
Finally, engaged workers care more about the products and services they deliver to customers and the overall performance of their organization. Organizations with highly engaged employees experience a 40% reduction in quality defects. When taken together, the behaviors of highly engaged business units result in 21% greater profitability.
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How to Increase Employee Engagement
Employees need to be equipped to perform and then positioned for individual and team success. Managers must ensure that employees know what’s expected of them and have the right materials or equipment to do their work.
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COMMUNICATION
Communication is a skill, and just like any other skill, with practice we can all improve. When mastered, it serves us well in both our personal and professional lives. I experience communication breakdowns in the workplace quite often. I may be sharing a task with a co-worker and when they bring in their part of the assignment, I will look at it and say that the work they just completed was not what we discussed. The response is always the same, they say, “That is what you said to do.” My response is always the same, “I believe that is what you heard, but I assure you, it is not what I said.” This is a common example of a communication breakdown.
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Improving your communication skills:
1. Avoid email and texting as a primary tool for communication. Nothing is more effective than an actual conversation.
2. Think about your message before you speak. Make sure you are delivering the key points of what you intend to express.
3. Listen to the recipient’s response. If it doesn't speak to what you are trying to convey, clarify by continuing the conversation.
TYPES OF EMPLOYEES
Performer – This person is always pushing ahead and takes full responsibility for the job assigned.
Doer – This person has an immense willingness to learn and improve and is a future performer.
Potential Trouble Source – This person alternates between helping and destroying efforts.
Suppressive Person – This person is actively trying to destroy efforts, while hiding behind a pleasant mask.
EMPLOYEE HAPPINESS
Trust each other. Trust is not only leaders to team members, but also between team members.
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Respect each other. Take time to learn and understand who you work with. We are a diverse workplace and need to take the time to learn about each other and show everyone understanding and respect.
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Empower each other. Give each other guidance and the ability to try. When people fail, be supportive.
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Be fair with each other. Treat each person how you expect others to treat you.
Be a listener. Absorb what people are saying, contemplate their message and incorporate it into your decision.
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Be able to change for the right reasons. There are many demands on us at work. We may not always agree with new protocols or philosophies that we are asked to adopt. Learn to embrace these situations and adapt to them.
You may still express your opinion in a positive manner and possibly have an effect on changes.
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A happy work environment has many benefits for team members. It delivers a better quality of life, reduces turnover and creates a more profitable business.
EMPLOYEE HEALTH
There are physical and mental effects of working in commercial kitchens for a long period of time. It is hard work and people need to take care of themselves throughout their career to avoid negative long-term effects. Here are the suggestions from the Culinary Clue Blog:
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HEALTHCARE:
We all need to engage in preventative health care and it should begin early in life. Yearly physicals and preventative measures that protect bones, muscles, and internal organs are a first step. This means that when you seek employment in the food business, seek out those companies that provide or assist you in identifying affordable healthcare. Don’t push this aside as something that is not necessary when you are young. This is just like a savings account that will pay you back with interest, later in life.
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NUTRITION:
Cooks and chefs need to find the time to practice what they know is right: a balanced diet, less fried foods, fewer empty calories, more vegetables and fruit, and portions that are reasonable. Cooks and chefs need to sit down, relax a bit and allow your body to adequately digest this food and convert it into the fuel that keeps the body working at peak performance. We need to dedicate the time to eat well.
CLEARING YOUR HEAD:
Unless you have done it – you just don’t know. The mind of a cook or chef is filled with loads of deadlines, second-guessing, and abnormal stressors that seem to always be present. We have a tough time shutting it off and moving on. Without an opportunity to clear your head, these stressors get more and more intense and complicated and simply wear you down. We all have different ways of clearing our heads, but whatever works for you. Make sure that the time is made available. A walk, swim, bike ride, listening to music, yoga, reading, whatever – make the time available, otherwise you are headed into some dangerous territory.
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EXERCISE:
I found out just how beneficial this is way too late in life, but now that I have, my exercise routine is my solace, my happy place and the part of my checklist that allows everything else to happen. When I can’t check off my daily exercise, then my day loses direction and I feel it deeply.
Cooks and chefs need to make the time for that 20-30 minutes of daily exercise, no matter what it is: walking, running, racketball, tennis, shooting hoops, swimming, weight lifting, etc. It all helps immensely. Do it! Take care of yourself!
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CREATE TIME FOR BALANCE:
Those missed family events, lost opportunities to connect with friends, or discarded opportunities to start working on a relationship, will catch up with you at some point, and then it will be much more difficult to correct your inaction.
The job is important and restaurant demands are always in a state of flux, but your quality of life, in the long run, is far more important. The opportunities have never been better for cooks and chefs to find the restaurant or company willing to do the right thing with employees and pay attention to these physical, mental and emotional needs. Seek those employers out. It is important. When an employer helps you to find the opportunity to serve the operation and your wellbeing, then he or she is a real keeper.
ADDRESS A SENSE OF PURPOSE:
Finally, maybe even more than ever before, those who are considering a career in food are also seeking to find a place where they can feel whole; where what they do seems to really matter and where they can feel good about making a difference. Whatever your stakes in the ground might be, try to find an employer that aligns with this. If you wake up in the morning, look in a mirror and say, “What am I doing this for?”, then it is time to think about a new direction. We all need a purpose if we are to keep the devil at bay.
MOTIVATING EMPLOYEES
Managing and motivating your employees is no easy task. If you want your business to thrive, it's a necessity. One of the best ways to achieve this is by making your employees feel like part of a team. Start with these tips to create a more inclusive atmosphere.
1. Choose and use the right communication tools.
There are hundreds of tools that make communicating with your employees easy. This includes everything from phone, email, text, and in-person interactions. Make sure to schedule one-on-one time with each of your employees. It’s a simple and effective way to show you genuinely care.
2. Give employees the authority to make important decisions.
To show an employee that you truly trust and respect their opinion let them make decisions that will impact your company’s culture and future. Allowing team members to reward and mentor each other, or empowering an employee to decide which vendor you'll use can propel them to take further initiative and trust their own judgment.
3. Encourage each person to contribute during meetings.
We’ve all been in meetings when an urge to speak up struck, only to keep quiet. Eventually, you start to feel as if your voice isn’t valued. As a leader, you can prevent that from happening by encouraging your employees to participate in meetings. Prep your meetings accordingly by keeping them short and focused. Assign attendees specific duties for the meeting so they remain involved and regularly ask for feedback. Invite questions and make your meetings interactive. If you have trouble getting everyone to weigh in, use your powers of persuasion. Get attendees to say “yes” by having everyone agree to something right from the start. Actively listen, be empathetic and let people “own” their ideas.
4. Foster workplace friendships.
According to Adam Grant, professor at the Wharton School at the University of Pennsylvania, jobs bring more satisfaction when they give employees opportunities to form friendships. He noted that research showed that groups of friends outperformed groups of acquaintances. That's likely because friends have deeper trust and a vested interest in each other's success. To foster workplace friendships, give your team a chance to discuss non-work things, like weekend plans or things they're excited about. Bringing good feelings into the office can foster more good feelings within your four walls. Create shared activities that allow your team to interact. Working out together, going on a retreat, having dinner or volunteering together can all be bonding experiences; celebrating personal events, such as birthdays and baby showers, can also build comradery.
5. Recognize each employee's contribution.
Rather than simply assign a task to a team member, explain why they've been chosen for this specific task. For example, you could tell them how awesome their design of Client X's website was and that you have another client who could benefit from their unique skills. Showing how an employee's specific contributions are helping the business succeed offers new motivation.
6. Encourage employees to be brand ambassadors.
Do you plan on attending an upcoming industry event? Have one of your employees attend in your place. The reason? It makes him feel empowered and valued because he's your brand ambassador.
7. Provide professional development opportunities.
You need to know that 87 percent of millennials stated that development is important in a job. All of your employees want opportunities to learn and refine skills. They’ll feel relevant and competitive professionally and it gives your team a chance to embark on a shared experience when they attend workshops or classes together.
Even if your employees are taking individual classes or attending workshops on their own, provide a platform to share what they’ve learned with the rest of your team. No successful entrepreneur has built a solid foundation with a team of people who feel invisible. Ensuring that employees don't feel overlooked, ignored or left out can propel not only your company's internal success, but its external success, too.
EMPLOYEE DISCOUNTS
No store managers can approve an employee for a discount.
Employees can take advantage of their discount and make a reservation through one of our owners.
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Discount policy for salaried employees: The employee and one guest are entitled to a 100% discount on food and beverage. No discount on wines above $100 per bottle retail price. The balance for any additional guests or charges is due at time it of check presentation. No accounts receivable.
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Discount policy for hourly employees: Discount on food and nonalcoholic beverages only.
A 25% discount per employee on a party up to 4. The employee must be present.
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No employees will be served food or beverages at our bar.