Creating A Culture of Feedback in Your Restaurant
Dynamic environments, like the ones found in all departments of a restaurant, require constant monitoring and personal interaction to ensure that they’re operating at an optimal level. When one person doesn’t like a change that’s happening, someone they’re working with -or anything else for that matter- then these feelings and thoughts can spread quickly through the other members of your team and before you know it your workplace is not where anyone wants to be. This is, obviously, not what you want to happen and in order to prevent it you need to initiate conversations and open the door for a culture feedback.
Whom to Ask
You want to ask everyone but group discussions can push people away instead of pulling them in. Begin by asking your most trusted members of staff and then slowly open the conversation up to everyone else. People will know who you’ve asked and who you haven’t, but when they are finally asked they will feel included and valued.
When to Ask
Ask before you begin any big projects, be it changing the menu, changing the decor, or alterations to the layout of the restaurant floor. Asking your employees for their opinion before making big decisions will make them feel valued and they’ll be more likely to work for you with pride.
You can also ask employees for feedback on small and large ideas everyday! In a dynamic environment like a restaurant we’re always problem solving and the more insights you get from your employees the more you learn about them, the way they see their role in your venue and what their opinion is on the matter at hand. It is during these small snippets of conversation that one of your employees may turn round and tell you something that’s been niggling at them about their work, a colleague or something else. Communication and interaction are key in all aspects of your locations success.
How to Ask
When referring to your venue or something involving the employee you’re talking to use the pronoun “we”. This will make them feel included in bigger projects and it also stops them feeling excluded when you’re discussing solving any problems they may have with your location.
Avoid asking about the past unless absolutely necessary. Instead, discuss what “we” are going to do going forward. This avoids the negativity any conversation may be arising from and also gives your employees that feeling of inclusion when it comes to changes being made around your venue. Also, when discussing the future of your restaurant, avoid asking open ended questions try to steer your employee into answering what you want them to answer.
Lastly, always respect their response and thank them for it. Closing by thanking them for informing you of their opinion or their issue ensures that they know you listened to them and absorbed what they had to say.
When your employees are free to express their opinions and problems, as well as being asked for their input on the future of your restaurant, then there are a huge string of positives that emerge. Firstly, once your employees feel happy to tell you their problems then you can stop said problems, and the feeling associated with them, from growing and infecting the rest of the staff in your location. Being able to voice their opinions makes people feel valued, respected and listened to. When they have an input people take more pride and responsibility in their work, feeling less like a cog in the machine. All of this openness also reduces the about of “talking behind your back” that occurs and, ultimately, this all results in a healthier work environment and happier employees.
