Apr 20, 2021
“The question is always... what can I do to make my business better?, instead of what can I do to grow my business larger?”
- Paul Jarvis, Company of One
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“The question is always... what can I do to make my business better?, instead of what can I do to grow my business larger?”
- Paul Jarvis, Company of One
“His job would be, first, to develop a culture, a modus operandi, and a set of challenges that would allow him to attract and hold on to the best employees he could find. Then he had to make sure the [business] provided a level of service that would bring in customers willing to pay a premium to do business... [offering a workplace] where people were encouraged to use their judgement and take initiative, and not just the senior managers.”
- Bo Burlingame, Small Giants on Carl Schmitt & UNBT
“I’m not hell- bent on opening the greatest number of restaurants we are capable of operating. That would feel reckless and would make it nearly impossible for a company whose success is based on meaningful human interaction to retain its soul.”
Danny Meyer, Setting the Table
3 Hallmarks of effective leadership:
1. Provide a clear vision for your business so that your employees know where you’re taking them.
2. Hold people accountable for consistent standards of excellence.
3. Communicate a well- defined set of cultural priorities and nonnegotiable values.
True leaders hold themselves accountable for conducting business in the same manner in which they’ve asked their team to perform.
- life will constantly be pushing you “off- center.”
“Wherever your center lies. Know it, name it, stick to it and believe in it. Everyone who works with you will know what matters to you and will respect and appreciate your unwavering values. Your inner beliefs about business will guide you through the tough times. It’s good to be open to fresh approaches to solving problems. But, when you cede your core values to someone else, it’s time to quit.”
- Danny Meyer, Setting the Table
DON’T BE A “WHELMER”
“It’s the ‘whelming’ candidate you must avoid at all costs, because that’s the one who can and will do your organization the most long- lasting harm. Overwhelmed earn your rave. Underwhelmers either leave on their own or are terminated. Whelmers, sadly, are like a stubborn stain you can’t get out of the carpet. They infuse an organization and it’s staff with mediocrity; they’re comfortable, and so they never leave; and, frustratingly, they never do anything that rises to the level of getting them promoted or sinks to the level of getting them fired. And because you either can’t or don’t fire them, you and they conspire to send a dangerous message to your staff and guests that ‘average’ is acceptable.”
- Danny Meyer, Setting the Table
51%
Pursuit of crew members whose skills are divided 49% technical skill & 51% emotional skill.
5 core emotional skills
1. Optimistic Warmth- Genuine kindness, thoughtfulness & a sense that the glass is always at least half full.
2. Intelligence- Not just “smarts” but rather an insatiable curiosity to learn for the sake of learning.
3. Work ethic- A natural tendency to do something as well as it can possibly be done.
4. Empathy- An awareness of, care for, and connection to how others feel and how your actions make others feel.
5. Self- Awareness & Integrity- An understanding of what makes you tick and a natural inclination to be accountable for doing the right thing with honesty and superb judgment.
Danny Meyer- Setting the Table
Excellence Reflex- A natural reaction to fix something that isn’t right, or to improve something that could be better. The excellence reflex is rooted in instinct and upbringing, and then constantly honed through awareness, caring and practice. The overarching concern to do the right thing eek is something we can’t train for.
Danny Meyer- Setting the Table
“I realize… there is simply no point for me- or any of my staff- to work hard every day for the purpose of offering guests an average experience. I want to hear: ‘we love your restaurant, we adore the food, but your people are what we treasure most about being here.’… I encourage each manager to take ten minutes a day to make three gestures that exceed expectations and take a special interest in our guests.”
- Danny Meyer, Setting the Table