Food Aficionado Smart Brief: Volume 10
Welcome back to another edition of The Food Aficionado Smart Brief! The new year is here and we are as excited as ever before! Bonji Foods desperately wants to help develop leadership qualities in the food industry. Leaders are at the forefront of this constantly shifting industry, as they are the ones who have to relay changes to their employees. Thus, it is extremely important that leaders are not only knowledgeable but also capable of facing adversity and communicating properly. Now, let's dive into some keys to help boost leadership.
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Three Key Tips on Leadership
1. “The Workplace Reboot” It is now well-known that the workplace, in general, is shifting in major ways. With this in mind, leaders should be aware that workers are looking for more than the average hourly job opening. Some roles may need to be redesigned in order to value the contributions that employees bring to the table. For instance, your regular busser (busboy/busgirl) may return this year with a new flame. They may want to take on more responsibility, or maybe even want to change roles completely. Potentially upping their contributions to your restaurant will not only retain them as employees but also will improve your business. Who knows, maybe that busboy has a logistical plan to help the cleaning and setting process that will change your restaurant forever. Overall, don't be afraid of change, it is necessary. Specifically now, the workplace is being redesigned all over; workers have been through a lot, between weeks of quarantine to personal awakenings; but, if you can understand what motivates your employees, this will all come much easier.
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2. Flexibility in Multiple Areas Flexibility is a major factor when it comes to leadership. To begin, leaders must know when it is time to change. Of course, not every little suggestion or trend needs to be implemented; however, it's important to realize when the right move should be made at the right time. In addition to change, leaders must also be flexible with employees. There are countless jobs now offering work-from-home options and there is a mass amount of workers who love this idea. In fact, 68% of American workers say they prefer working from home compared to the office. Now, we understand that we are in an industry in which most of our employees are in the restaurant or place of business because that's where the customers are. Still, this doesn't mean you cannot be flexible with your employees. It is a difficult time to navigate for everyone, but being a leader means understanding and implementing ideas that will help smooth out the process. All in all, there are countless unpredictable circumstances that leaders must be prepared to modify their approach for each.
Know the right change to make at the right time
Understand where your employees are coming from
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3. Ask Questions, Listen, and Communicate! Asking questions as a leader can sometimes feel out of place. Yet, this is one of the most important tips we can offer. Whether this is talking to customers, employees, or even superiors, being genuinely curious about them or the situation will ultimately help you deliver a better experience for everyone. In tandem, listening is often overlooked because we all feel like we do it without thinking. However, true, active listening is a skill that is essential to leadership. Knowing when to be quiet, present, and focused is key to gaining crucial information. Not everything can be picked up when you are passively listening. Use your eyes, your mind, all of your focus and you will naturally pick up on far more than you normally would. All of this comes together in the form of communication. Having open communication through the entire chain of command will allow your business to flourish with the best delivery to your customers as well as be ready for change when it is necessary.
Be genuinely curious and actively listen - this will lead to the best possible experience for everyone
Be open to all forms of communication
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To Summarize: All of these tips flow into each other and almost read as one large piece of advice. The workplace is in a very interesting spot right now, which puts leaders in a difficult situation to navigate. However, keep in mind that communication will help you understand your employees and customers. This will, in turn, lead to the greater overall success and the ability to manage change. Flexibility plays right in, as a rigid plan is only made to be shattered. Moreover, stay open-minded and positive as we move into the new year, we all have so much to be excited for!
