Business Success - Building Strong Teams

Most of the best thinking and writing on businessbest performing region in the western division. Sales,
focuses either on large corporations or start-upprofits, employee morale, operating standards, and
entrepreneurship exclusively. The importance ofmanager bonuses were at an all time high.
Building Strong Teams is one of those rare universalThe entire transformation and long-term success of
ideas. Whether you're running a technology giant likethe region taught me three important principles about
Google, an industrial giant like General Electric, or ateam building that have been reinforced throughout my
hamburger franchise; you need to build a strong teamcareer:
to maximize your company's potential.1. Put aces in their places: As an entrepreneur or
My most important lesson in team building came whencorporate leader, it is very tempting to do everything
I was promoted to director of operations with aand control every detail. It is hard for some to accept
national Italian restaurant chains. After unprecedentedthat they can actually hire and trained competent
success as a general manager with the company, Ipeople to do thing better than they could. Leaders who
was given responsibility for eight restaurants spreadfigure this out are able to leverage their own talent
across two Southern California counties. Theenormously. Best selling business author Jim Collins
restaurants averaged about $3 million in sales each.uses the analogy of "Getting the right team on the bus
Five of the units were operating above average andand getting them in the right seats.
three were dramatically under-performing.2. Recruit the best talent you can afford: Obviously,
Being new to multi-unit management, I instinctivelyyour business model and budget determines how
focused on problems at the struggling units. After amuch you can spending on talent. I believe that one
month of micromanaging these three units fromshould seek to get the best people within in her budget.
opening to closing it finally hit me. Although the unitsSettling for "C" performance when "A" prospects are
were improving, they would never be successful withavailable is a mistake. I admit that "A" players are more
the existing general managers.difficult to find and usually require a different style of
The contrast between managers in my bestleadership, but the returns on the effort is worth it.
restaurants and those in the weaker units was striking.3. Create a development oriented culture: The military
I coached my best managers on sales buildingis great at this. In the military Lieutenants are trained
activities, cost control techniques, and nuances of greatand expected to become Captains, who are then
customer service. The poor performing managers hadexpected to become Majors or Colonels. Jack Welch
to be constantly directed on basic ordering, scheduling,points out in his autobiographical best seller Straight
and employee relations practices.From The Gut, that for many years General Electric
The worst thing about the unsuccessful operatorssustained recruiting and promotion practices that
was the fact that they seemed perfectly comfortablemoved their best talent up through the company.
with being told what to do constantly. If allowed, thisSimilarly, a small restaurant owner should position
relationship would have continued indefinitely anddishwashers to become prep cooks, prep cooks to
caused me to neglect my important responsibility ofbecome line cooks, and the most talented line cooks to
growing the whole region.become kitchen managers.
Fortunately, with input from the human resourceWhat this all amounts to is leaders being able to
department and more seasoned directors, I replaced allremain focused on the big picture and being free to dig
three managers over a 90 day period. The resultsdeep into the details as needed, which is much better
were amazing. Within a year, I was overseeing thethan drowning in low impact details.