THE MANGO CHRONICLES

In most businesses today, particularly restaurants, virtually everyone is familiar with the concept of “Culture” but very few people understand how a culture develops in an organization. While every Restaurant has a culture, very few Restaurants are proactively building a culture based on intention. You need building blocks of culture to enhance productivity in the workplace.  The following list will provide you with the building blocks that you can use to direct your culture to a place that works best for you.

1. Shared Values
Values are the principles that matter most to an organization and to a person. Values are at the core of your mission or vision statements. Values can take the form of a single word, but they are best used with a definition that explains in greater detail what that word means. It is very important to note that Shared Values are very different from just having a company mission statement or a list of company values. Company values are only ½ of the equation.  To have shared values, the employees must “share” those values espoused by the company. If you don’t have a set of company values, start here.

2. Communication, Language and Symbols
Every company and industry have a dialect, language, and symbols as unique as the products or services it provides. If everyone in a restaurant is up to speed with the shared language used by the industry and within the company, communication becomes much more efficient. A lack of understanding, however, can result in confusion and mistakes.

Make sure to include training information on the language used at your company when you hire new employees and cultivate an environment of respect so current employees feel comfortable asking questions and seeking clarification. Providing some ground rules for communication is key to creating the culture that you desire.

3. Habits of Effectiveness
Restaurants are built on the effectiveness and innovation of individual employees. Understanding best practices of star performers and promoting habits that increase effectiveness benefits the company and its culture.

Generally, habits of effectiveness include prioritization, daily planning, accountability, effective delegation, and regular goal setting. Incorporate these habits into your professional workday and cultivate customized habits to meet your company’s precise needs.

4. Rituals and Routines
Rituals and routines is a fancy way of saying recurring meetings and regular events. How do the recurring meetings in your restaurant support or detract from the culture you want to create? By scheduling regular sales meetings or project reviews you can create a cadence of accountability that keeps people and projects on course.

Regular routines offer discipline and allow employees to effectively manage their energy and focus on what’s important. Good routines can be extremely productive because they require minimum engagement to achieve maximum results. One word of caution here; don’t let the regular nature of a meeting allow it to become unproductive. You must remain diligent to make sure meetings stay productive.

5. Systems and Processes
Scalable systems and processes within a restaurant allow productivity to thrive. The right systems and processes streamline tasks and increase efficiency. Every restaurant has unique systems and processes that suit their specific goals. Professional chefs use assembly line tactics to make sure food is prepared in a timely fashion, while restaurants that interact regularly with many customers use CRM software to effectively manage their interactions with customers.

This list barely scratches the surface for each of these five building blocks and each one can take months or years to master. However, by focusing regularly on these five areas and applying efforts to direct your culture based on these levers, you will be on your way to proactively & intentionally creating a winning “Culture of Productivity” for your restaurant.

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