The 6 Warning Signs of a Bad Manager

Have you ever walked into a restaurant and before the bread even hits the table, you can tell something isn't quite right? Maybe there's a strange tension in the air, perhaps. Maybe an unmotivated server, an unclean table. Maybe you can hear the sounds from a chaotic kitchen. Now, these are not symptoms of a poor location, an off night, or a bad menu. These are the symptoms of a bad manager. And today we're about to break down the six warning signs that that your restaurant is suffering under poor management. So let's save your business from sinking, and let's jump into this. Hi. Donald Burns, the restaurant coach, author of the your restaurant sucks trilogy and creator of the restaurant coach method. You know, the restaurant industry is filled with good and bad managers. Some managers can take a restaurant to new heights. I mean, unbelievable heights. However, there are some bad managers out there who can really take a restaurant to new lows. Now, if you don't want to become a bad manager, you need to know the warning signs of what a bad manager really is. So see if these 6 warning signs are in yourself or in anyone who might be working in your restaurant. And if they are, you got to make some changes right away, because if you don't change, you're gonna be left behind. Warning sign number one, they don't have a plan. Bad managers are very reactive to pretty much everything. They don't have a plan for the day or a plan for the restaurant. They just react. They say things like, oh, that's not my job. They're afraid to step up and be the leader. They think about things as opposed to doing things. And sadly, they have excuses for everything. Warning sign number two, they don't empower their staff. Bad managers are afraid to let go of control. They want control of everything, and they think that they're doing a service to their team by controlling everything. They don't trust their team to do the job. They don't trust the owners. They don't trust anyone to act professionally without their supervision. They basically feel like they're the babysitter of the restaurant. Warning sign number three. They are the drama llama. Bad managers. They like to gossip. They like to stir the pot. They like to create drama. They do this to keep the team distracted. You see, they want the team to be so focused on the drama that they forget about the real problems that are going on around them in the restaurant. They want to keep the team really so distracted that they don't notice how really bad they are as a manager. Warning sign number four, they don't Take care of themselves. Bad managers think that the restaurant exists for them in their world. They are the center of their own universe. They will do things that are detrimental to their restaurant and also to their team if it benefits them. They'll come into work hungover from partying all night. They're going to sit in the table and eat food from the restaurant and not contribute anything to the team. Bad managers are only concerned with one thing and that's themselves. You see, they don't have a life outside the restaurant and they don't have a life outside of work. They're actually miserable people. Warning sign number five, they don't have a personal brand. You see, bad managers are lazy. They don't take time to develop a personal brand. They think that the title on their name tag or on their business card is their brand. They don't want to become better at their job. They're really just okay with being average, which is sad and it really sucks. They don't want to go to training. They don't want to read books. They don't want to attend industry events. They don't want to take care of themselves. They just want to sit in the office, bide their time, do their hours and wait for the weekend. And finally, warning sign number six, they don't have a personal life. You see, bad managers are self centered. They only think about themselves. They don't have any friends outside the restaurant. They don't have any hobbies and they really don't really know what to do with their lives. They're kind of lost. And that's sad. They don't know who they are. They don't know what they want. They just know that they don't want to work in the restaurant anymore. They are bored with life and they are hoping that their team will hand them their walking papers when they finally get so disgusted with them that they finally will quit. Now, if you have any of these signs of a bad manager in yourself, it's time to make some radical changes. Now you can become a better manager and a better person. You can become the manager that your restaurant really, truly needs. You can become the manager that you actually can live up to and that you need. So how do you do that? You start by changing the way you think. Hey, make sure to hit that like and subscribe button before you go. And in my next video I'm going to share the psychology of restaurant menu design or how to write menus that sell.