From the Tip Jar

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From RestaurantOwner.com - October 20, 2009
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Weekly Planning Will Improve Your Managers' Effectiveness

A common characteristic of many successful independent
restaurants is the owner's practice of pausing at the
end of each week with their management team. They
review how the restaurant is performing and decide
what to focus on in the coming seven days.

Having a weekly review and planning discipline helps
managers clearly understand what their priorities are
and what they need to do to accomplish specific, short
term goals and objectives.

The cornerstone of this approach is having a brief,
well-organized weekly management meeting in which
the owner and all managers participate.

Effective weekly meetings generally include a review
and discussion of the following items:

- prior week's key numbers including sales, guest
counts and prime costs

- daily tasks such as ordering and scheduling

- weekly goals such as anticipated sales and cost
goals, repair  and maintenance projects, upcoming
marketing promotions, scheduled banquets or catering
 events, and special events that are going on in
the community

Weekly meetings improve the odds that your managers
are organized, goal-oriented and clearly understand 
your priorities. They are also more likely to feel 
like they are an integral and important part of your
restaurant too.

If your management team is lacking direction and
cohesiveness, start meeting at the same time each
week to discuss how the restaurant is doing and
specific goals for making it better.

With everyone's input and your guidance
you'll probably see a more effective
management team and better performing
restaurant.