Donald Burns lays out ten steps for restaurant owners to escape mediocrity: chart your territory, lead by example, set clear rules, eliminate gossip, celebrate wins, train staff, review performance, create a safe-but-firm environment, be relentless, and stay adaptable.
April 11, 2024
Dr. Heather Hudman
therestaurantcoach.com
About 90 days
Hey, independent restaurant owner, want to ditch mediocrity? Let me give you 10 steps to carve out a culture of accountability in your restaurant. Now, if you've ever felt like your restaurant was kind of just coasting in the background, you know, like on autopilot, unnoticed and maybe a little unremarkable, well, welcome to the mediocrity club. But don't get too cozy. Because if you're itching to skyrocket your restaurant from just another spot to the place to be, it's time to inject some hardcore accountability into its veins. And hey, accountability, it's not just some overused buzzword. Dr. Heather Hudman in the accountability paradox paints a crystal clear definition about what accountability really is. Number one, it's suiting up for the big league, not just warming up the bench. It's dominating your narrative, not fading into the background. Accountability. Standing tall even when the world's throwing you punches. It's taking a hard path when the easy one is so tempting. It's about eating your mistakes and then coming back for seconds. It's about becoming a badass leader and not the dreaded boss. You got it? Damn right. So let me give you the 10 steps to crafting the culture that you need, or how to unleash wicked accountability in your restaurant. Number one, you got to chart your territory. If you're aimlessly wandering, that's for amateurs. You got to know your game and you got to dominate. Number two, lead by damn example. Don't just talk about accountability. You got to show up and when you screw up, you got to own it. And you have to expect the same from your team. Number three, gotta draw the line. Set the rules of the game, make them crystal clear and there's no whining later. Number four, no BS zone. Keep the channels open, secrets, gossip, you gotta ditch that stuff. Here's where it's time to get real. Number five, high fives and hard talks. You gotta celebrate the wins. And for the screw ups, no blame games, just straight up feedback. Number six, gotta arm your army, equip your crew. I mean, you can't serve caviar dreams with hot dog prep. Seven, the mirror moment. Reflect who's slaying it and who's straying away. You have to address both. Number eight, safe, not soft. Screw ups are lessons, but they're not fatal blows. But that doesn't mean going soft. Number nine, no half measures. You gotta be relentless. This isn't a sometime gig. It's all in or nothing. And number 10, you gotta be able to roll with the punches. You gotta stay nimble, Refine. Adapt. The restaurant world is a beast. You have to tame it. So, in a nutshell, accountability isn't about running a dictatorship. It's about crafting a spot where people take pride, step up, and turn your restaurant into a legend. Write this down. Mediocrity is out. Magnificence is in. If you're ready to rock this place, let's light it up. Head over to therestaurantcoach.com to access free tools to get you started. And if you really want to accelerate the process, jump on a call with me to see where you are now and where you want to be in, like, 90 days. I'm talking about really thinking big and getting what you want from your restaurant instead of it taking it all from you. Take some.
If your restaurant only works because you work 80 hours a week, it doesn't work.
