Do You Want Fries With That Management Style
Do You Want Fries With That Management Style
This time I'm talking about fast food for a different reason. There are lessons to be learned from those who toil behind the counters of America's fast food joints. Working in the fast food industry is not easy, it doesn't pay very well, and it's often a thankless job with long hours and little rewards. I'm not espousing the plight of the fry guy here. I'm talking about those who manage the restaurants that so many of us rely on for our daily bread.
One of the best management books I've read recently is called "My Secret Life on the McJob" by Jerry Newman. Newman, a management professor at the University of New York at Buffalo took a break from teaching MBA students and spent 14 months working low level jobs at seven fast food restaurants, among them Arby's, McDonald's, Burger King, and Krystal.
The book jacket makes the point that every entrepreneur, executive, or manager should heed: "Of the seven restaurants where Newman worked, some were high-morale, high-productivity machines. Others were miserable, misplaced circles of hell. Yet one common trait stuck out from them all: Each restaurant's respective manager determined the climate of the work environment."
In other words, the person in charge sets the mood and establishes the culture in which the employees, and ultimately the business, succeeds or fails.
As I read the book I thought about managers that I had when I was still in the ranks of the employed. I never worked fast food, my resume lies primarily in broadcasting and technology, but I found that the industry didn't matter. There are good bosses and bad bosses in every industry; and their mood and management style always determined the workplace culture over which they ruled. I've had great bosses and I've had lousy bosses. And you all know who you are.
Newman identified four main management types that permeated the fast food restaurants in which he worked. Again, I believe the industry is moot. You'll find these same management styles in every industry. You may not be a fast food manager, but if you're an entrepreneur, manager or executive, one of the following probably describes your dominant management style.
The Toxic Manager
Toxic Managers are disrespectful of their employees and spend more time degrading than motivating. They use sarcasm as a management tool and don't mind letting everyone know that they are unhappy and why. They are miserable managers who believe that misery loves company because they do all they can to make everyone around them as miserable as they are. They manage by terror, intimidation, and threats. If this is you, seek help immediately before your employees stuff you in the grease trap.
The Mechanical Manager
Mechanical Managers are so called because their actions are mechanical, like sad little robots doing jobs they hate. They show up every day and perform their jobs with about as much enthusiasm as a sloth. They hate their job, they hate everyone around them, and they make it painfully obvious that they would rather be anywhere else than at work. They go through the motions and go home. And their actions are contagious. A mechanical manager breeds a culture of apathy and angst. If this is you, either find a way to enjoy the job or go work somewhere else. You're bumming everybody out, dude.
The Relationship Manager
According to Newman, the Relationship Manager was a rarity in the fast food restaurants in which he worked. As the name implies, Relationship Managers worked on building relationships with their workers. Even though the turnover rate in fast food averages 500 percent, relationship managers held that number closer to 100 by showing that they actually cared about their employees and saw them as more than temporary hands flipping burgers. Relationship Managers build cultures that are friendly and supportive. If this is you, bravo! Here's your free apple pie!
The Performance Manager
The Performance Manager also uses relationship techniques, but does so to ensure the performance of the team. The Performance Manager sets expectations and motivates his team to achieve them. If this is you, again grab that free pie and give yourself a hand.
Let's forget fast food now and just look at the management styles Newman identified. Which management style best describes you? Perhaps the more important question is which describes the culture you've created in your business?
If your crew is happy and performing well, chances are it's because of the example you set and the mood you create. If your crew is bickering and nothing is getting done, it's probably because your toxic management style is creating the culture for it. Remember this: Toxic managers usually have six words on their tombstones: Do you want fries with that?
Do You Want Fries With That Management Style - To learn more about this author, visit Tim Knox's Website.
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I've written many times about my vast experience in the fast food industry, not as a worker, but as an often mistreated customer. Each story typically involved bad food, apathetic employees, horrible customer service, and a vow never to return. That vow usually ended up in the dumpster when my craving for a chicken burrito got the better of my logic and principles.
This time I'm talking about fast food for a different reason. There are lessons to be learned from those who toil behind the counters of America's fast food joints. Working in the fast food industry is not easy, it doesn't pay very well, and it's often a thankless job with long hours and little rewards. I'm not espousing the plight of the fry guy here. I'm talking about those who manage the restaurants that so many of us rely on for our daily bread.
One of the best management books I've read recently is called "My Secret Life on the McJob" by Jerry Newman. Newman, a management professor at the University of New York at Buffalo took a break from teaching MBA students and spent 14 months working low level jobs at seven fast food restaurants, among them Arby's, McDonald's, Burger King, and Krystal.
The book jacket makes the point that every entrepreneur, executive, or manager should heed: "Of the seven restaurants where Newman worked, some were high-morale, high-productivity machines. Others were miserable, misplaced circles of hell. Yet one common trait stuck out from them all: Each restaurant's respective manager determined the climate of the work environment."
In other words, the person in charge sets the mood and establishes the culture in which the employees, and ultimately the business, succeeds or fails.
As I read the book I thought about managers that I had when I was still in the ranks of the employed. I never worked fast food, my resume lies primarily in broadcasting and technology, but I found that the industry didn't matter. There are good bosses and bad bosses in every industry; and their mood and management style always determined the workplace culture over which they ruled. I've had great bosses and I've had lousy bosses. And you all know who you are.
Newman identified four main management types that permeated the fast food restaurants in which he worked. Again, I believe the industry is moot. You'll find these same management styles in every industry. You may not be a fast food manager, but if you're an entrepreneur, manager or executive, one of the following probably describes your dominant management style.
The Toxic Manager
Toxic Managers are disrespectful of their employees and spend more time degrading than motivating. They use sarcasm as a management tool and don't mind letting everyone know that they are unhappy and why. They are miserable managers who believe that misery loves company because they do all they can to make everyone around them as miserable as they are. They manage by terror, intimidation, and threats. If this is you, seek help immediately before your employees stuff you in the grease trap.
The Mechanical Manager
Mechanical Managers are so called because their actions are mechanical, like sad little robots doing jobs they hate. They show up every day and perform their jobs with about as much enthusiasm as a sloth. They hate their job, they hate everyone around them, and they make it painfully obvious that they would rather be anywhere else than at work. They go through the motions and go home. And their actions are contagious. A mechanical manager breeds a culture of apathy and angst. If this is you, either find a way to enjoy the job or go work somewhere else. You're bumming everybody out, dude.
The Relationship Manager
According to Newman, the Relationship Manager was a rarity in the fast food restaurants in which he worked. As the name implies, Relationship Managers worked on building relationships with their workers. Even though the turnover rate in fast food averages 500 percent, relationship managers held that number closer to 100 by showing that they actually cared about their employees and saw them as more than temporary hands flipping burgers. Relationship Managers build cultures that are friendly and supportive. If this is you, bravo! Here's your free apple pie!
The Performance Manager
The Performance Manager also uses relationship techniques, but does so to ensure the performance of the team. The Performance Manager sets expectations and motivates his team to achieve them. If this is you, again grab that free pie and give yourself a hand.
Let's forget fast food now and just look at the management styles Newman identified. Which management style best describes you? Perhaps the more important question is which describes the culture you've created in your business?
If your crew is happy and performing well, chances are it's because of the example you set and the mood you create. If your crew is bickering and nothing is getting done, it's probably because your toxic management style is creating the culture for it. Remember this: Toxic managers usually have six words on their tombstones: Do you want fries with that?
Do You Want Fries With That Management Style - To learn more about this author, visit Tim Knox's Website.
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Jay Kubassek(Jay's Full Bio: EvanCarmichael.com/jaykubassek) In five years, Canadian-born entrepreneur Jay Kubassek went from selling mufflers at a Midas franchise to revolutionizing Internet marketing with the 2004 launch of CarbonCopyPRO, a online marketing education company, now worth over $20 million with customers in over 160 countries.
As an independent film producer, his upstart film fund Aliquot Films is currently producing a films with Spike Lee and Abel Fererra (starring Ethan Hawke and Dennis Hopper.)
Jay's entrepreneurial spirit is irrepressible. He’s the owner of five companies, a professional speaker and trainer, international real estate developer/investor, extreme sport enthusiast and emerging philanthropist. Jay resides in NYC with his wife Jamie, son Milo and dog Cooper. Visit Jay's official website: www.JayKubassek.com - Visit Jay Kubassek's Website |
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David AchesonDavid Acheson is the founder of DCJA Consultancy. DCJA Consultancy is a management consultancy business specialising in B2B sales consultancy. They offer bespoke and packaged sales consultancy including Sales Optimisation Review, Interim Sales Management, Sales & Marketing Review, 1:1 Sales & Management Staff Analysis, Management Training, Solution Sales Training, Creation of New Pay Plan, KPI's, run Customer Feedback Campaigns, assist with Recruitment, Coaching, Appraisals and set up Strategic Marketing Campaigns. David spent his early career in accountancy and then moved into sales in 1982, working in Office Equipment, IT, Advertising, Training, Outsourcing and Consultancy. He has held many Senior Positions in SMBs and Global Organisations including Head of Sales Operations & Head of Business Development. His knowledge, skills and great experience of the Sales Industry has led to David making keynote speeches and running educational sessions to key businesses through organisations including The Chamber of Commerce and Business Link. - Visit David Acheson's Website |
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Dave KurlanDave Kurlan is the founder and CEO of Objective Management Group, Inc., the industry leader in sales assessments and sales force evaluations, and the CEO of David Kurlan & Associates, Inc., a consulting firm specializing in sales force development. Dave has been a top rated speaker at Inc. Magazine's Conference on Growing the Company, the Sales & Marketing Management Conference and the Gazelles Sales & Marketing Summit. He has been featured on radio and TV, including World Business Review with General Norman Schwarzkopf, in Inc. Magazine, Selling Power Magazine, Sales & Marketing Management Magazine and Incentive Magazine. He is the author of Mindless Selling and Baseline Selling – How to Become a Sales Superstar by Using What You Already Know about the Game of Baseball. He created and wrote STAR, a proprietary recruiting process for hiring great salespeople, and he writes Understanding the Sales Force, a popular business Blog and is a contributing author to The Death of 20th Century Selling and 101 Great Ways to Improve Your Life, Volume 2. - Visit Dave Kurlan's Website |
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Linda RichardsonLinda Richardson is the Founder and Executive Chairwoman of Richardson, a global sales training and performance improvement company. As a recognized leader in the industry, she has won the coveted Stevie Award for Lifetime Achievement in Sales Excellence and she was identified by Training Industry, Inc. as one of the “Top 20 Most Influential Training Professionals.” Ms. Richardson is credited with the movement to Consultative Selling and is the author of ten books on selling and sales management, including Sales Coaching — Making the Great Leap from Sales Manager to Sales Coach, and Stop Telling, Start Selling. She teaches sales and management at the Wharton Graduate School of the University of Pennsylvania and the Wharton Executive Development Center. Linda is a frequent speaker at industry and client conferences, has been published extensively in industry and training journals, and has been featured in numerous publications, including The Wall Street Journal, Forbes, Nation’s Business, Selling Power, Success, and The Conference Board Magazine. Learn more about Richardson's sales training and performance improvement solutions at http://www.richardson.com web - Visit Linda Richardson's Website |
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