Sean works for a popular restaurant chain and was tasked with opening a new location in the food court of a large university. The brand was unknown in that community, so there were no guarantees that it would be successful. The CEO had a specific daily revenue goal in mind, and made sure Sean knew it was a priority. Finding cooks and cashiers would be challenging in a post-pandemic marketplace, and the restaurant was still under-staffed on opening day.
The launch was wildly successful with lines that never stopped throughout the day. That ensured they could meet the CEO’s revenue expectations easily. But being short-staffed meant the employees were working harder than expected and were exhausted at the end of each day. They knew the goals and were excited to be part of the team. But working at that pace wasn’t sustainable.
The challenge: If the workers were exhausted, they could become discouraged and leave, and the restaurant wouldn’t be able to meet its goals.
Fortunately, the CEO understood the needs in that situation and intervened. He held firm to the revenue goals, but allowed Sean to adjust to keep the employees encouraged. He allowed the restaurant to close each day between 2:00-5:00 p.m., only serving meals during lunchtime and dinnertime. That gave the staff the chance to regroup, rest, and prepare for the next serving times. He even gave Sean permission to close the store completely for a couple of weekends to give everyone a much-needed break. Once the store was fully staffed, they would be able to go back to regular hours. It was a win-win for everyone involved, and the store exceeded its goal each day, even with the shorter hours.
As manager of your team, you’re the person who can run interference and create solutions to ensure that goals are met. Your people need to know that you’re on their side and committed to their well-being, growth, and quality of life. When you step in to make things right, they know that you care which builds trust and loyalty, and results in a much better chance of achieving your important goals.
You’re in a unique position to solve problems your people can’t solve on their own and to obtain resources they don’t have access to. You’re the bridge between the organization and your team—the point person for results.
If you help your team members reach their personal goals, they’ll help you reach organizational goals consistently.
