Like it or not, studies show that at least half of all employees leave a job or choose to stay because of their manager. With turnover rates being high in the restaurant industry, that’s a statistic to take seriously. There are a lot of training programs, apps, and technology available to train employees. A successful manager will need to be adept in the use of soft skills, those that are not easily measured or quantified like diplomacy and effective communication. They will need to have business and marketing savvy and understand operations. To ensure that you continue to learn and grow consider the following options:
Join a Local Business Community to create a network and learn new skills. There are peer to peer CEO groups including Vistage Worldwide, Business Network International (BNI), Rotary Clubs and Chambers of Commerce. Not only will you learn and grow as a leader, everybody eats, and they throw parties too. It will be great networking. You’ll be building your customer base while you learn.
Join Industry Communities like the National Restaurant Association. There are local chapters too. The meetings offer tons of information and you’ll be on mailing lists of relevant industry updates.
When a Sales Rep Calls, Let Them In. A great way to learn about emerging technology, food trends, and best practices is to take as sales representative’s call and listen to and learn from their pitch.
Take a College Course in any skill you want to develop such as: management, communications, marketing, social media. If you’d like to save money Community Colleges are a good deal. Universities offer non-credit courses to professionals that want to develop their skills. The courses are usually taught by the same professors and use the same curriculum of a full degree program and can be accessed for a fraction of the cost.
No time to go to meetings, take courses or meet with sales reps with your unpredictable schedule?
Join Online Communities. Facebook has several groups of interest for communities and professionals. Whatever your question is or topic you’d like to learn type it in the toolbar and search the communities and information that pops up. Social media channels change all the time, don’t forget about MeetUp groups and LinkedIn Communities. CulinaryAgents is a social media platform that is unique to the industry. In addition to learning it’s a great source for potential hires too.
In today’s on-demand society where we like solutions quickly, restaurant managers and owners will have to hold themselves accountable for learning, staying ahead of trends and making sound business decisions. Doing so will very likely will make your restaurant more profitable. It also may just turn out to be why your employees choose to stay on and to work with you.
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