As each month comes to an end, are you calling “Overs”? Do you hope for a “Do Over”?
- “Overs” – I wish I had not hired that person.
- If only the money I gave that salesperson was still in the bank.
- What if I hadn’t told that employee angry words?
- What if I had not skipped over the profit & loss reports?
- Why did I not listen to those guests who said “bad food”?
- When did the morale begin to slip so badly? Can we go back?
- Let’s go back in time and do the maintenance on the equipment (Now that it’s broke down.)
- Yes, working 65 hours a week is a lot, but I did it for us honey. Please don’t divorce me.
- Doctor, you don’t understand. There is no one else who can do what I do. I have to work more!
- Sure, it seems obvious now that when competition opens next door that it would be tougher.
- The franchisor said “Do it”, so I did. Now I wish I hadn’t.
- If only I had not let my personal feeling get in the way of firing that employee.
- That guest blog I wrote six months ago was lame. I wish I could un-write it.
- How much time did I waste on what everyone else said was important? Now I wish I hadn’t.
- If only I had taken a more long term strategic approach with marketing my business online.
- If we had used a mystery shopping service all year, we could have had better result. “Overs”.
Do you have any memories of “the wish for doing something over”? Have you pushed them out of your mind and wish the problems to disappear on their own?
Not that any of those on the list above were mistakes.
Though there are things that I will do only once and never again.
It is interesting that we instinctively know the right things to do when it comes decision time.
The little voice in our heads says; “You are the exception”, “You can do it better”, “Play the odds”, “It is do or die”, “Your competition is doing it”. As a restaurant owner or leader, there are few who are fully aware of your every activity and decisions so why not “go for it”?
Then you forget for just a moment that success is the result of commitment, sacrifice, win-win relationships, firm-fair-consistent leadership, testing before jumping, trusting but verifying.
The restaurant business is not one of routine and can’t be fixed with a switch. The business is highly dependent on the skill and will of people. People can be undependable through no fault of their own so have a back up in place.
Avoid the need of “Do-Overs” with these tools and special software:
- The planning calendar posted on the wall of the operations is one of my favorites (even in the age of new technology)
- The TheBrain allows anyone to think ahead, plan, brainstorm in a visual way.
- Create that “Crystal Ball Calendar” where everyone on a team can share what will happen in the future can be either on the wall in the operation or online via a tool such as BaseCamp. This is so very important so that everyone knows in advance what may be critical to business. It benefits EVERYONE on the team and everyone on the team contributes.
- Use a Time Management, Productivity, Project Tracking Software like RescueTime
With great leadership and implementing a few great push button tech tools, the months and years can have you rely less on “Fate” which should ultimately help you avoid crisis management.
