The Best Team Wins

Process

Build a Winning Team

Hire Winners
Teach them exactly what to do
Hold them accountable for their performance
Reward them Appropriately
Be a talent scout
Replace under performers
Get the right people on the bus and the wrong people off the bus!

Your TEAM will be a reflection of you
If you are hardnosed and tough, you should hire people that have tough skin
If you are a nurturer, you can hire artists and creative people who need lots of handholding

Here’s an interesting way to think about it. Let’s use the bad example of republican/capitalists that focus on work and money and democrat/liberals that are very artistic and want everyone to just get along.

If you are a capitalist - you must build a team of capitalists
If you are a free spirit - You must hire other free spirits

You cannot have a MIXED team - It has to be one or the other. Otherwise, you will have gridlock between the capitalists and the liberals, just like our politicians do in Washington and you will never get anything done.

Personally, I am results driven and surround myself with capitalists that get things done with no coddling. My goal is to run a great restaurant and make money and I don’t have time for babysitting or spoon feeding adults.

I only keep people that help me achieve results. If they do not perform, I replace them quickly, before they damage the restaurant and the team. My core people love this system and can spot a new person that does not fit in from a mile away and they will instantly let me know when we have a fly in the ointment.

Understand this - I don’t care who you vote for, in my opinion all politicians are full of prunes! What I care about is my business, and the bottom line. The bottom line on team building is SIMPLE. Build a team of winners that understands the value of a dollar and will work their asses off to make YOU money.

Employee turnover is HIGH...
100% or more in most restaurants. This means if you have 20 employees, you will be sending out more than 20 - W2 forms at tax time to people who no longer work for you. The reason for this is simple. You are hiring the WRONG people and NOT managing them effectively.

The Audition – I don’t hire anyone without an audition. I give cooks candidates two days in the kitchen as  a cook and dishwasher and have the servers candidates work two busy shifts busing tables and washing dishes. I do this to see IF they will hustle and get their hands dirty. I also listen carefully to the feedback of my staff to get a real feel for the new people. If they hustle, fit in and enjoy these simple jobs, I hire them. If they don’t fit, or they complain about menial work, I pay them for their time and off they go. The audition is a great way for both of us to see if we will get along before making a commitment. The audition saves thousands of dollars a year in training people that simply don’t fit.

PEOPLE are the #1 asset of your business:
The performance of your people will make or break your business. In the team building chapter you will learn the basics of team building and training. You will also learn how to improve your interview, hiring and evaluation skills.

Think like a winner:
You need to think like George Steinbrenner, the former owner of the New York Yankees and build a Championship Team. George purchased the Yankees in 1973 for 10 Million Dollars.
He turned the franchise into a winning machine. Whether you love him or hate him, George Steinbrenner was the most effective team builder in baseball. During his reign the Yankees won more World Series' than any other team.

How did George do it?
George started every season with a clear goal - Win the World Series.
George hired the best people available to accomplish his goal 
George hired the best coaches to teach the players
George hired the best players to play the game
George paid his people very well
George measured their performance vs the goal, not their hard work, effort or tenure
George quickly fired coaches and traded players that did not measure up

Why is it that sports teams are all about talent, but most restaurants are satisfied with warm bodies? 

Why is it that human resource managers are focused on timely paperwork and NOT finding talent?

No Leader ever failed because they were surrounded by hard working, results oriented, effective people that achieved the goal. – Peter Drucker

Just remember - WWGD - what would George do?