November 11, 2020 | 5 min read
Raising the Bar: Management Tips Compliments Of Jon Taffer

Edward

The continued success of any business relies on management. Managerial styles tend to differ depending on who’s leading the team. However, the end goal is always the same: oversee your team and guide them to ensure that they properly accomplish their goals day in and day out. The mission is always the same, no matter the industry. So, what are some good management tips for success? 

Jon Taffer, a renowned bar and restaurant management expert and host of the hit show “Bar Rescue,” is a great resource. His motto “I don’t embrace excuses, I embrace solutions” transcends industries and is something every manager should be adding to their repertoire. Even though his approach comes across as loud, aggressive, and larger than life, Taffer is successful because he imposes his mantra and methods on his managers so that they can pass that on to their employees.

Even if you’re not tending bar or dishing out food to the dinner crowd, as a manager, there’s plenty of Taffer’s ideology to add to your own methodology of management. Of course, it’s better to do it with a silver tongue rather than with Taffer’s approach. Here are some of Taffer’s management tips to keep in mind when managing your team.

Be present

One of Taffer’s biggest pet peeves is a business with absentee owners and/or managers. If the business is failing and there’s nothing being done to make the necessary improvements, it’s more than likely because it’s being run poorly. That fault falls straight onto the shoulders of management. As a professional tasked to oversee and manage a team or department, the group is only as good as the one who leads. First and foremost, be a present manager. Make your presence felt, get to know your team, and try to interact with them daily on a daily basis. Set expectations that they’re to abide by both individually and as a whole. Doing this from the get-go sets a precedent and guidelines for your team to follow. Read also: “4 Challenges of Managing Remote Employees (And How To Overcome Them)”

Motivate, regulate, and terminate

Being present doesn’t just mean making yourself seen. You have to oversee not only the work of your employees but help nurture their growth as professionals. When Jon Taffer walks into a bar or restaurant with an incompetent wait staff, kitchen, and bartenders, he knows immediately that they have not been trained and don’t currently have the necessary skills to help improve the business. That’s why one of the main management tips that he always preaches is training, accountability, and compatibility. As a manager, you have to make sure your employees have the proper skills to be able to perform their job to the best of their abilities. Train them and hold them accountable for their specific duties. In holding true to this, do not avoid the tough decisions that need to be made for the sake of the team or business. Handling terminations are a part of being a manager and it’s important for the stability of the team to keep the employees who are compatible but also excel in the business, Coddling an employee at the expense of the team is out of the question.  Read also: “How To Be A Good Leader During Uncertain Times”

Stock the room

Another Taffer management tip that he divulges regularly is to make sure all the products needed are readily available to the staff.  You can’t serve drinks if you don’t have glasses. It’s as simple as that. Your employees can’t succeed if they don’t have the tools they need to do so. Sometimes it’s as simple as making sure they have the proper headset or an extra computer monitor. Other times, it can be something along the lines of ensuring they have the necessary programs or software or even a bigger budget to complete a certain project. Whichever it may be, you are the captain of this ship and are responsible for making sure everyone on board is well equipped for rain or sunshine.  Read also: “Remote Working Technology: 4 Tools Employers Should Invest In”

Cleanliness and consistency

“Shut it down” is probably Jon Taffer’s most recognizable line throughout the series. It almost always has to do with the cleanliness of the bar or the kitchen. Considering the condition of a lot of the places he goes to, he has every right to be angry. Cleanliness and consistency are expected at every bar and restaurant and it all depends on the manager to ensure that all necessary precautions are being taken to have this upheld. Outside of the service world, the same standards should be set and enforced by all managers of a team or department. The same training should be given to all employees so that consistency in actions and product are top-notch. The work of your employees, both individually and as a team, should be judged on a quarterly basis at the very least. The product your team puts out should be evaluated as a whole to ensure that your team’s work is accomplishing the appropriate goals and serving the necessary clientele. To prevent sloppiness of work in any form begins with accountability for yourself. As long as you do your job, they should do theirs.

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