Summary
Is your organization leaving money on the table that could be critical to your mission?
When it comes to managing our team, protecting our best people is key! Assuring their endeavors remain protected against destructive threats that lurk to derail efforts, crush the positive culture and poison the environment they worked so hard to build, identifying the saboteurs as soon as possible becomes an art.
It is crucial we know how to quickly identify anyone that has a possibility of derailing our process. We all know them, the fake, happy-clappy people who present initially as someone who can help the mission, but instead turn out to be a wolf in sheep’s clothing and bring chaos to the operation.
I have a question for you, describe what a serial killer looks like? Exactly it is really hard to tell because they have become experts at hiding among the masses.
You could be standing right next to one and not even know it. You could walk right by someone in Walmart, even say “Hi” to them standing in line. They could be your neighbor that you’ve lived next too for years, then shocked the day you see the police cars outside. There are so many good people out there, but the people with ill-will are camouflaged among them.
Today we spend so much time and emphasis on the “hire”, which is super important, but it’s not where our real problems actually begin.
Our real issues happen after the hire. it’s when the people are supposed to now perform and fulfill on the promises they made at the interview. you know, the considerations they presented to make you understand why they said they were a great fit. The reasons, the experiences they boasted on and why they were better than the person we may consider hiring along with the demands for higher compensation because of it. We simply don’t spend enough time on the accountability after the hire.
The interviewing and hiring phase is where people present so well and often have very polished resumes. Many times the tricksters actually give you a warm and fuzzy feeling giving you have thoughts like, “Man, this person is great! I am so excited, they will fix so many problems for us!” Then, they start working and the chaos, disorder, excuses, and lack of ability to do simple things begin.
They slowly destroy the performance, attitude, and comradery of the RockStars around them, the people that have been doing the heavy lifting for the company. It’s amazing how frequently there are gray clouds that only follow around certain people and rain on the spot they are standing in. Sound suspicious? Exactly.
Let’s talk about 8 qualities that when we see it, we must address it right away.
1) HAVE YOU EVER HEARD, “THAT’S NOT MY JOB!”
This is right up there for many employers as a top go to phrase. These people are cancerous and need to go! In the restaurant world, you have to do be a multitasker, PERIOD. Especially if you are a small restaurant or in retail. This is why it’s critical the managers in the restaurant are floating around and actively seen helping drive business. Your people need to see this.
When I was a kid, I would go to work with my Dad, who was a General Manager for York’s Steakhouse. One day, he pulled me aside and said, “I need you to follow me and do as I say!” I walk with my Dad to the bathroom, and 5 new-hires are lined up outside of it. My Dad says to them, “We are going to clean the bathroom, and you are going to watch.” We proceed to clean the bathroom, stalls, urinals, the whole gamut, down to wiping the walls. My Dad then says to the group, “You have watched me clean the bathroom the way I expect you too, I will never ask you anything that I haven’t done myself 1,000 times before.”
Managers willing to jump in and help are key and mitigate the “it’s not my job” mentality. When employees say, “It’s not my job”, what they are really saying is, “I only care about myself.”
2) EMPLOYEES WHO GET TOO COMFORTABLE
You know these types-those that feel “they have paid their dues” simply because they have seniority. They often say things like: “I have worked here for 2 years and I do everything.” OK, that is awesome, you have done a lot of really great things in the 2 years and for that as a business we are thankful.
However, no one is perfect and with our system we can itemize and breakdown their last 2 years. In this we can review areas of improvement, like excessive tardiness, customer complaints and servicing issue. This helps demonstrate the achievements of 2 years, identify areas of improvement, and provide the opportunity to learn and grow.
Does a landlord or mortgage company care if you paid on time for the last 2 years? No, they only care that you will pay on time this month, next month and beyond.
If those people do not see the value or want to consider improvements and use “I do everything” as an ego driven statement, they are too comfortable and not RockStars willing to Grow.
In the old days of Dunkin’ Donuts, I would remember every long-term baker would get to a point of “I do everything, and I am going to go and open my own shop.” If they took the leap, many of them quickly hi a massive wall. There was a lot more to it than just making donuts. Producing the product that you sell is only one spoke in the wheel. The pressure of cash controls, budgeting, paying the bills, scheduling, the people side of the business, order management and the 16,000 other things that a business owner has to “keep their finger on the pulse” all the time became too much. They would quickly hide in the back room, doing what they knew and what was comfortable, making the donuts. Unfortunately, many failed.
Statements like “I have paid my dues and I do everything” is saying, “I don’t have to work hard any longer.” Next thing you know, the people around them will start to feel that “they have paid their dues also.
You must overcome this, and quickly.
3) MY EXPERIENCE AUTOMATICALLY GETS ME MORE MONEY
I have experience, so that means I am a commodity and worth more is a very common phrase we hear in the industry.
Often, candidates tell you what they think you want to hear. “I have done this, I have done that.” Or my all-time favorite, “I was a manager at my last job and I don’t want to go backwards.”
The first thought hearing that is, “What have you done for me? I am to reward you and compensate you for what you have done for someone else, someone that you no longer work for anymore?” Experience is important, but it doesn’t translate into better skills. Sometimes it’s a red flag that you may have bad habits and are unwilling to change. Old dogs, can’t always learn new tricks. If your experience can’t translate into better skills, better performance, better achievements and the ability to learn quickly, then it is worthless. Sometimes saying “I have more experience” is like saying “I am set in my ways, and I am not willing to change.”
4) EMPLOYEES WHO LEAD THE CONVERSATION—AFTER THE CONVERSATION
You know these people-they are infamous for leading the conversation after the conversation. You have a quick meeting and they YUP everyone to death. Then after the meeting they derail the overall goals making comments like, “I’m not doing that”, ” That is stupid”. My favorite, they complain about processes, situations etc and claim to have great ideas on how to fix them. So you do the right thing-engage them in the problem solving and ask for their input, asking what they think suggestively and to share their insight. Suddenly it is radio silence.
I call that Closet Complaining. You have offline conversations about issues and concerns but later complain saying “I’ll agree, smile and nod my head, but I’m not going to do anything.”
An example I often share: My Wife complained about all these pains she was having, for 3 days constantly she would say, “my elbow is killing me”, “my side really hurts”, “I am having some strange chest pains”. She finally scheduled an appointment and I went with her as a concerned spouse. We get there, and you know the drill, you sit in the sterile waiting room with your ugly gown and your bum hanging out waiting… The doctor finally comes in to check her out, he then asks the magic question, “Is there anything else you need to tell me?” What do you think she said? “No, everything is good!” I melted down, “No Way!”, I said. “Tell him the list, elbow, side, chest pain!”
Encourage your people to say it out loud and discuss the ideas and thoughts in the open, so they can be used, resolved or simply addressed.
5) EMPLOYEES WHO FEAST ON GOSSIP
If you have to say something about someone, they should be in the room. Anytime anyone brings me commentary about someone else that does not appear to be harassment or serious relative to nature, I immediately stop them. I feel it is always imperative to get the other person into the conversation. It is amazing to me how the conversation all of a sudden isn’t as urgent.
Gossipy people waste time and energy and diminish the respect of others. This will shock you, even your best people are guilty of this. In our System in the culture of CARE, we have a section that takes compensation away from people who “negative speak”.
Make a commitment to your culture and keep a handle on these kinds of people. This is the kind of thing that will spread like wildfire. People that do not empower but belittle and negative speak are not assets to the team or the business.
6) EMPLOYEES WHO USE PEER PRESSURE TO HOLD OTHERS BACK
You have that RockStar employee who is working hard, she’s busting her hump to create value. Then another employee says to her, “Why are you working so hard? You’re making us look bad.”
THIS! This is what entitled people say. This is a problem when people that make higher pay rates than they deserve, or are even capable of actually earning, sometimes say.
When the Lion lives in the cage, he is brought food and loses the ability to hunt. Compensation needs to be individual and production and availability-based. The busybodies who are worried about what the other employees are doing or making, THEY ARE asking the wrong questions. Instead of worrying about everyone else: The right question:” What do I need to do, change or unlearn, to get what they get, what am I not doing.” Oh, now we are getting into some next-level dirt. People changing themselves.” Saying “You’re working too hard” is like saying “No one should work hard because I am lazy and don’t want to work hard, and I am unwilling to do what is required to improve myself”.
7) EMPLOYEES WHO THEY RUSH TO GRAB THE GLORY……
There is no i in TEAM! “I did this” not “We did this.’ ‘Nothing important is ever accomplished alone. Even if some people love to act that way. Maybe they were mistreated and constantly told “You’re not good enough” or have low self-esteem. They are the show and tell people that make a lot of noise or chatter and derail the TEAM atmosphere you need to run a business. How many people do you know like this?
These people constantly tell you everything they did all-day long. You get a play for play and they want the points. How many people do you know like this? Even if you did twice the work, it’s not worth it to play tit-for-tat, don’t get sucked in, then you become them.
My daughter Autumn would say to people when they acted this way, “Who hurt you?” Saying you did all the work is like saying the world revolves around you. Look for employees who share the glory and give others affirmations, these are the signs of your next leaders, don’t miss those signs and people!
8) EMPLOYEES WHO THEY RUSH TO THROW OTHERS UNDER THE BUS
It doesn’t matter what happens, it’s always someone else’s fault-those people. For example: the customer’s order is wrong, and they do not want to simply own it. It is OK to do something wrong-just own it and fix it. The adage, “the customer is always right” is not true, but it doesn’t matter. Great companies are defined not by the error, but by how they handle and process the error and how the people on the team step up.
The people who step up and fix the issue, regardless of whose fault it is. They see the importance of just fixing it? These are your future RockStars. Saying “I didn’t do it” is like saying “We aren’t in this together”. Companies with the best culture know everyone is in it together.
A day in the life of a Franchise, Quick Service Restaurant & Fast Casual or even retail can get interesting. Identify the RockStars and eliminate or train the “trainable” alternatives.
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Our System helps with all of this!
ABOUT THE SMART SYSTEM
SMART is a System that helps retail and restaurant owners, especially Quick Service Restaurant & Fast Casual ATTRACT, DEVELOP, ENGAGE & RETAIN RockStar Employees! Our system help’s business’s slow down the revolving door and create unpoachable, RockStar employees, who make businesses more money by delivering great customer experiences.
Learn more: www.hirerockstartalent.com
