Service Excellence

The Food Production Process - Part 2

noreply@blogger.com (George Abuabara) — Mon, 06 Feb 2012 17:46:09 PST

Structure of the Food Market
The path of food products from the grower or producer to the end user is quite complex. The route begins with the producers or growers, who sell their products to processors. Often, an intermediary (a concentrator) is necessary to gather the output of numerous, widely dipersed producers into transportable quantities. Concentrators maybe grain elevators, receiving plants, or cooperative marketing organizations, such as sunkist growers in California. Processors may be divided into primary processors such as flour mills and secondary producers such as bakers. Producer may use a food broker to sell their processed product. A broker is an independent sales agant who works on commission and does not take tittle to the goods. From the processor, the goods are shipped to major distribution centers and wholesellers around the country or region. The processor himself may maintain regional warehouses and act as wholeseller. The wholesellers are ussually specialized according to the markets they serve - institutional or retail stores. Institutional distributors may be specialized even further, dealing only with top quality hotels and restaurants or specializing in a very few products or just one product.
Although the marketing channel may vary somewhat for different types of food products, generally follows the same pattern. The restaurant or institutional buyer may buy the product at various stages in the channel. If he/she buys from a local farmer, he/she is buying from the producer. He/she may buy from a local or district office of the processor, or from a variety of wholeseller distributorss. He/she may even enter the channel farther down and buy from a few items from a retail store, although this is ussually a poor practice.
Marketing food products through channels is an enormous and costly task. Approximately 60 % of the consumer food dollar goes to the cost of marketing, and about 40% goes to the farmer. Labor has always been the largest cost in marketing, with transportation second. Packaging is another cost that is increasing in importance.
Marketing cost have been viewd suspiciously by the consumer and food service operator alike as pure profit to many unnecessary middlemen; but this middlemen provide the following important services: storage, grading, and identification of products, transportation, transfer of ownership, (buying and selling), packaging, advertising and financing.
(Part 3- Receiving and Store Management)

The Food Production Process - Part 1

noreply@blogger.com (George Abuabara) — Mon, 06 Feb 2012 17:44:29 PST

Purchasing:
The character of the product the resulting product cost begin with the purchasing of the raw materials. Although poor preparation practices may destroy the quality of a good product, good preparation practices cannot instill quality where it never existed. The best menu merchandising policies cannot compensate for purchasing that is not alert to new products, new markets, and new trends. And cost control cannot be wholly effective in production or service if buying is inefficient.
Buying must always be judged by its overall effectiveness and never by price comparison alone. An item’s purchase price is only as important as the item itself; it may be five cents less per pound or 15 percent cheaper by price but 30 percent more expensive in actual yield. The buyer should be interested in the lowest price only when the items are comparable in quality and yield. Good buying procedures provide a food operation with the products most suited to its merchandising policy at the most economical price.
“Buying” is not to be confused with “ordering”. Buying involves making decisions and setting policies about what products to buy and how to buy them, approving the vendors to be used and determining the frequency of the purchases and the quantities to be bought. Ordering is clerical activity which is done within the buying policy.
There are two approaches to commercial food buying: the needs of the operation and the availability of products in the market. When the food service operation is located at some distance from a food distribution point, the buyer may have to begin with what is available to him and make adjustments in the menu and preparation accordingly. When product availability is not a problem, the buyer first analyses the needs of the operation and searches out the products he needs. Most often, the products ultimately purchased are a compromise between need and availability. Whatever the approach, the food buyer should have some understanding of the market in which he/she is dealing.
(Next Part 2- Structure of the Food Market)

Service Excellence: The Food Production Process - Part 1

noreply@blogger.com (George Abuabara) — Thu, 02 Feb 2012 09:34:36 PST

Service Excellence: The Food Production Process - Part 1

The Food Production Process - Part 1

noreply@blogger.com (George Abuabara) — Thu, 02 Feb 2012 09:33:37 PST

Purchasing:

The character of the product the resulting product cost begin with the purchasing of the raw materials. Although poor preparation practices may destroy the quality of a good product, good preparation practices cannot instill quality where it never existed. The best menu merchandising policies cannot compensate for purchasing that is not alert to new products, new markets, and new trends. And cost control cannot be wholly effective in production or service if buying is inefficient.
Buying must always be judged by its overall effectiveness and never by price comparison alone. An item’s purchase price is only as important as the item itself; it may be five cents less per pound or 15 percent cheaper by price but 30 percent more expensive in actual yield. The buyer should be interested in the lowest price only when the items are comparable in quality and yield. Good buying procedures provide a food operation with the products most suited to its merchandising policy at the most economical price.
“Buying” is not to be confused with “ordering”. Buying involves making decisions and setting policies about what products to buy and how to buy them, approving the vendors to be used and determining the frequency of the purchases and the quantities to be bought. Ordering is clerical activity which is done within the buying policy.
There are two approaches to commercial food buying: the needs of the operation and the availability of products in the market. When the food service operation is located at some distance from a food distribution point, the buyer may have to begin with what is available to him and make adjustments in the menu and preparation accordingly. When product availability is not a problem, the buyer first analyses the needs of the operation and searches out the products he needs. Most often, the products ultimately purchased are a compromise between need and availability. Whatever the approach, the food buyer should have some understanding of the market in which he/she is dealing.
(Next Part 2- Structure of the Food Market)

Right And Left-Brain Management Style

noreply@blogger.com (George Abuabara) — Thu, 31 Mar 2011 17:53:16 PDT

Different management styles can originate from the left or the right side of the brain. The left side has an irritating devotion to numbers, analysis, logic, etc, concerning itself with cash flow and the dire consequences of mismanagement of finances. The right side deals with more romantic ideas and imagination rules.

Right and left-brain Management Styles

Have a look at this model of a company using left-brain management styles, called British Risk Aversion Plc, or BRA:

• New ideas are regularly dismissed

• The organization is not always concerned with external needs

• The emphasis within the organization is on problem solving

• Stability and experience are the most valued attributes within the company

• The good of the organization is put before the success of the individual

• Command and control are the dominant processes

• It is practically impossible to change the corporate mind-set

Now compare with this model of a right-brain company, ACE – Adventure Corporation of Europe:

• Creativity and new ideas are welcomed

• The company focuses mainly on the needs of the customer

• The emphasis is on taking advantage of new opportunities

• Motivation and innovation are among the most valued attributes

• The company's aims and those of individuals are largely aligned

• All staff are granted autonomy and are able to show their initiative

• Minds and policies regularly change, according to circumstance

ACE is much more fun place to work than BRA and much more likely to embrace the new because the whole outfit is geared up to do just that.

However judging by a show of hands, members of an audience I addressed recently were more likely to work in a company resembling BRA rather than ACE.

The measured prudence of BRA has to be combined with the dynamic venturism of ACE for a knockout left-right combination of management styles.

Passion for a Better World

noreply@blogger.com (George Abuabara) — Fri, 11 Feb 2011 15:05:56 PST

Too often our sensibilities are assaulted and bludgeoned by all that seems bad in the world -the T.V. bulletins of the day's horrors, the full, graphic story we get by watching the eleven o'clock news.

in reference to:

"Too often our sensibilities are assaulted and bludgeoned by all that seems bad in the world - the T.V. bulletins of the day's horrors, the full, graphic story we get by watching the eleven o'clock news."
- The Greatest Gift (view on Google Sidewiki)

A Captive Audience

noreply@blogger.com (George Abuabara) — Thu, 10 Feb 2011 08:17:46 PST

It's more cost effective to use in-store marketing to encourage repeat business and increase sales than it is to attract new customers. This is called four-walls marketing, this approach includes suggestive selling, in-store advertising and other marketing tactics that take place within the four walls of your operation.

Here are the four steps to four-walls marketing.

1. Market to your internal customers —your employees. Start by treating staff members well and getting their buy in. Make employees partners in your marketing efforts. Ask for their input, Reward workers for participating in activities like distributing fliers or selling gift certificates.

2. Subtly influence customers through zone merchandising. Every restaurant has specific areas—or zones—that you can use to influence customers. This concept, called zone merchandising, offers numerous promotional opportunities. Some key zones include:

• The lobby. Set up easel posters, mobiles, standing displays or dangling advertisements to promote specific menu items before customers are seated.

• The counter. Advertise items on cash-register toppers, menu boards, counter cards and your specials board.

• The carryout window. Give customers take-home menus and magnets with your restaurant's name and phone number.

• The dining room. Have servers point out specials and signature items. Use dessert trays, wine displays and free samples to entice customers.

• The table. Use table tents, place mats and napkins to brand your restaurant.

3. Strategically design your menu. Did you know that your menu can influence customers to buy more—and to order your most profitable items? What the eye sees, the eye buys, One-page menus should feature your most profitable items in the middle of the page, surrounded by a graphic box to make them stand out. Two-page menus should feature your most profitable items on the upper half of the second page, because that's where guests' eyes drift first. Make menu copy brief and enticing. For example, an item featuring your "chef's special recipe" will tempt customers.

4. Keep in touch with customers. Send coupons, information about special events and birthday cards to customers in your database. E-mail blasting is a great tool Start by collecting customer information. For example, hold a random drawing for a free lunch and require customers to fill out an entry form with their name, address, birth date, etc.

Some things never change when it comes to the traditional way of increasing average checks and retaining customers in a restaurant. Nothing may be able to replace the personal touch in an "inpersonal world" driven by the high tech.

Passion of Expressing Ourselves

noreply@blogger.com (George Abuabara) — Fri, 28 Jan 2011 10:40:37 PST

.There are some important words and phrases we seem to have great difficulty with. They are everyday words that they get caught between our good intentions on one hand and our inhibitions or fear of rejection on the other.

in reference to:

"There are some important words and phrases we seem to have great difficulty with. They are everyday words that they get caught between our good intentions on one hand and our inhibitions or fear of rejection on other the other."
- http://belovebepresent.blogspot.com/2011/01/passion-of-expressing-ourselves.html (view on Google Sidewiki)

Say That Again? Seven Things Never to Say to Your Customers

noreply@blogger.com (George Abuabara) — Tue, 11 Jan 2011 09:50:05 PST

I recently stopped at a local hardware store for a new bolt for a wheelbarrow. The only metal pin they had was too long. So, an assistant gladly volunteered to cut it down to size. As he was sawing away, one of the managers waddled past, scowled and snapped: "Doesn't he have a hacksaw at home?"

Honesty is the best policy and you should always be thruthful, but there's a difference between being truthful and being downright rude. A snarling attitude towards customers will not get you repeat customers. Good customer loyalty is the lifeblood of any business and comments like this only drive customers away.

We've all been on the recieving end of these sorts of remarks and customer service faux pas from businesses of all types and sizes, but that doesn't mean it's acceptable. We all have bad days, but that shouldn't become the customer's bad day too. Poor customer service loses business - fast. Here, based on my own stumbles down the rocky road of verbal iscues, is a sample of things that a client or customer or guest should never, ever hear from you or your staff:

"Why are you doing that for him?" This is pretty much what the hardware manager's flip remark meant. It may seem ludicrous to say it, but service for a customer - be it run of the mill or beyond the call of duty - should never be questioned in front of the person with the Visa card in hand. A business person that questions service like this will appear rude and entirely dismissive of customer service - a sure fire way to lose business.
"Are you sure you can afford this?" On a trip to a beautiful paradasiac destination, I wanted to surprise my wife by reserving the honeymoon suite at a luxury hotel, the Front Desk Manager, cajoled a member of his staff at the desk to "make sure he knows how expensive that suite is" before I even inquired about the detail of the price, which by the way I already knew. Of course- customers need to know the price of an item prior to purchase and that information is common courtesy, but beware of the connotations of suggesting an item is priced beyond a customer's means. This can taken as a direct insult.
"What an idiot that last guy was!" This was muttered by one server to another in a restaurant, as I was ready to pay for our tab. Needless to say, not every cient or customer is cherubic, but commenting on them to another employee - or even worse, a customer - is grossly unprofessional. This is tantamount to "bitchiness". People buy from people, and prefer to buy from people they like. Nobody likes to hear another customer sneered about. It makes customers feel uneasy, as they'll think you might say that about them when they leave your business.
"We don't have it." however siccint, this is a repeat offender, said most recently when I asked a grocery assistant if they carried a particular brand of olive oil ( after her four-word reply, the grocery assistant stared past me glassy-eyed as though she were looking for ships on the horizon). of course, businesses run out of stock or may not offer certain services or item, but just hearing "no" or words to that efect is tantamount to adding "And stay out!" Don't leave things hanging like that.
"What a _____name." (Choose "different", "funny", "unusual", "bizarre"", etc.) Don't misunderstand me, I know I have a, shall we say, esoteric last name. But I don't adore the attention I get when a niwit callously belittles my family moniker-belittling my very own identity. It would be far more diplomatic to ask how a person's name is pronounced correctly.
"I haven't a clue about what I'm talking about, but I'll rumble on regardless." this is the Brand X version of any number of ill-concieved remarks, ranging from the bank clerk who loudly gives a customer her mutual fund recommendations ("I hear you can make money in them!) to the doctor's office receptionist who tells a patient that she may need a biopsy.
"I only work here." This cliche' -most recently uttered to me by a waiter after the wrong meal was delivered for the third time -should be forewver buried. In four wretched words, an employees conveys a complete absence of enthusiasm or involment, let alone a willingness to address a problem. This does not bode well. All staff should ensure they know their own area and can politely pass a customer 's query on to the right person should it fall outside their area of expertise.

10 Resolutions For managers and Employees

noreply@blogger.com (George Abuabara) — Tue, 21 Dec 2010 09:08:19 PST

Now is the perfect time to reflect on the past year, especially as it relates to your job.

1) Pay attention in class.

Treat every day at work like a school day. Be sure you learn something and make yourself more productive by what you've learned. It doesn't have to be skill-set related. It may be as simple as understanding how to work with specific peers (emotional intelligence). Whatever you do, take mental notes. Don't go through the day like a sleepy zombie.

2) Look for the next rung.

You need to excel at your job. This is how you gain credibility. But the key to career happiness is to understand your next step. Career patching is critical if you're to remain engaged on the job. Be sure to schedule discussions with your manager to get clarity on the next challenge. If it's not going to happen for you on your specific team or in your company.

3) Understand company goals.

Make sure you understand how your job contributes to your company's business objectives. Are you in a revenue-generating role? A brand awareness role? Is your mission to delight the customer? Clarity on how your job fits into the big picture will give you inspiration and a sense of accomplishment -- and will make your "small successes" feel like you're making much more of an impact.

4) Be ethical.

Bring integrity to your job. Whether you're running the company or cleaning the bathrooms, be honest in all you do. Don't call in sick just to get a day off. That's stealing. Put in an honest day's work. Be accountable. If you're working remotely, be sure you're working. Do what you say you're going to do. Be on time. Honesty and reliability mean a lot to your team members.

5) Stay fit.

Try to break a sweat for 20 minutes, three days a week. Go for a walk at lunch. Join a gym. Lift weights. Go for a run. A healthy body makes a healthy mind. Exercising increases blood flow to the brain. It gives you ideas. You'll be more productive at work. Best of all, you'll feel great.

6) Stretch your role.

From time to time, think how you can go above and beyond. Are there projects outside of your defined role that you could help with? Be proactive and ask to join. Better yet, come up with your own ideas and work with your manager to implement them. If you're a hamster, step off the wheel and poke your head out of the top of the cage. Stretch a little. This won't go unnoticed.

7) Manage up.

Make sure you and your manager are in firm agreement on what you're doing. Be proactive and get on his or her calendar to ensure you're meeting or exceeding expectations. Don't assume your manager is paying close attention. There are bad & good managers. If there's a disconnect between what you're doing and your manager's expectations, you're part of the blame. Don't wait until review time. Why take this chance?

8) Manage Across.

Your colleagues are important. Even if you're in a role where you work primarily alone, be sure to make time to understand your peer's roles and how they go about their job. Show an interest. Don't just choose a few friends and become part of a clique. High school is over. Be friendly and courteous to all workers in your organization. You never know when you may need them. Or be reporting to them.

9) Communicate.

Don't leave people waiting for answers. If you're in an e-mail environment, return e-mails promptly. Let people know what you're doing. If you're working on a project, always ask yourself who needs to know about this. Then tell them. Talk to people. Give people the heads up. And when someone helps you out, be sure to thank them. It's amazing that this even needs to be on a list but bad communicators are everywhere. Don't be one of them.

10) Make time for play.

Have fun. Work hard, but smile while you're doing it. No one likes a Grinch (especially this time of year). This doesn't mean disrupting the workplace by acting like an eighth-grader. Instead, approach each day with a positive spirit and stay loose. When you leave the office or workplace , have some fun. Enjoy you friends. Make time for them. Make time for you. It's called work-life balance. All work and no play makes ... well, you know.

Is Your Company Striving for OK?

noreply@blogger.com (George Abuabara) — Thu, 16 Dec 2010 07:44:34 PST

Sounds ridiculous, doesn't it? But it happens every day in food service operations around the world. It is a pet peeve of mine when a manager comes striding to my table and asks the insane question, "Is everything OK?"

What's wrong with this picture, you ask? Let's break it down:

Everything? Is the manager asking if I am satisfied with the political, economic, ecological and sociological status of humanity? Or maybe the manager thought that I was about to burst out crying and was attempting to offer help?

What about the word OK?

By definition OK means the minimum acceptable level. I doubt seriously if the mission of any company is to strive for the minimum level of customer service! So when the eager manager excitedly receives the expected "yes", knee-jerk answer to the knee-jerk question, the manager goes away pleased. But should the manager be pleased?

I think not.

I don't blame the manager. He or she was trained that way. Indeed, it was probably pounded into him or her to visit every table. 100% table visitation. Asking everyone in the restaurant if "Everything is OK" is like a prime directive in most restaurant chains.

What's so wrong with wanting to get the opinions of all your customers?

First of all, when you ask 'Is everything OK', you're not giving the customer an opening to respond. Instead, it becomes a formality, like the greeting of "How are you?" You don't really expect an answer, except for the polite "Fine".

Of course, visiting every table in most restaurants doesn't give you any time to actually stop and listen to the customers! By running around and asking "Is Everything OK?" you can quantify the experience, and give yourself a false sense of accomplishment by making your 100% table visitations.

It is like the owner of a hotel demanding that the hotel manager keep the hotel full. All the hotel manager has to do is keep reducing the price of the room until the owner's results are accomplished. Never mind that the hotel is losing money. It may be full now, but it sure won't be around for long.

Don't get me wrong; The concept of customer feedback is right, but the execution and results are dangerously wrong. By getting a stock response from a hastily asked question, you've learned nothing about the customer's experience that night. And what if everything actually WAS just "OK"? In today's market, will a so-so "OK" experience guarantee that the customer will come back? Of course not.

Here are four rules to follow when asking about your customer's perceptions of your service:

1. Allow time to listen, don't just go through the formality of asking.

2. Ask specific questions, not general, sweeping statements.

3. Use a superlative that you want to be identified with to the customer. Was your service excellent? Fantastic? Outrageous? Set your sights high not low. Never OK.

4. The quality of the effort is worth far more than the quantity of effort.

It's time that the hallowed expression "Is everything OK?" was finally laid to rest.

Manage Profitability

noreply@blogger.com (George Abuabara) — Tue, 07 Dec 2010 12:48:11 PST

Profits are essential for any business. Unless there is a sufficient profit margin, the business cannot exist. The jobs it provides, the products and services it delivers, and the contributions it makes to the community would cease.

All managers play a role in an organization's overall profitability. Some managers are responsible for generating revenues, others are responsible for making products or delivering services, and still others are responsible for helping the line functions do their jobs.

To be a successful manager, you need to manage your financial responsibilities. This is much more complex than just increasing revenues and keeping cost low - it also means managing assets and liabilities.

To manage profitability, you need to understand how the organization makes money and your department's role in that process. You may need to set financial goals, work with sales and marketing to determine pricing and volume, determine whether and when to make capital expenditures, identify ways to reduce costs, justify investments, and so on.

Here are some guidelines and suggestions for effectively managing profitability, including:

Understanding Financial Management: Sometimes the biggest obstacle to effective financial management is simply a manager's lack of understanding of financial terms and processes. Often just learning the basic financial principles allows managers to use financial processes and reports thus improve their work unit's profitability.

Setting Challenging Financial Goals: The first step in managing for profitability is establishing financial goals and a budget that is realistic, yet challenging, in its profits objectives. You may have the responsibility of actually setting goals, or you may input to others for goal setting and budgeting.

Managing Against Your Financial Goals: Once you have establish your financial goals, your next responsibility is to manage effectively so that you stay on course and come as close as possible to achieving them, to help you do this, follow this process:

Identify the three to five key cost and revenue areas that will make or break your financial goal. Get to know the operations of the areas that make up your costs and provide revenues. Talk with the people who know how these areas operate, the impacts they have, and the ways in which they are affected by other forces.
Ask your manager, your employees and, if appropriate, your peers for their opinions on which of your budget items are the key ones.
Determine how frequently you need to see reports comparing budget projections and actual.
When you receive the reports, monitor them carefully to see how your budget is working.
Plan in advance how you will handle significant changes in your budget projections.
Conduct formal monthly reviews. Use the reviews totrack status and progress against goals, understand what is happening, and make changes in assumptions and forecasts if necessary.

Looking for Ways to Reduce Costs: Becoming cost-conscious and continually looking for ways to to reduce costs is one way that you can manage for greater profitability. Although you are undoubtedly aware that long-term goals and strategies sometimes require expenditures that won't contribute to short-term profits, for the most part it is helpful to look for ways to reduce costs wherever you can.

Pursuing Ways to Increase Revenue: as you know, you can increase revenue by increasing sales or by increasing the price of your products or services. however, increasing sales without concern for profit margins or increasing prices without knowing the impact on sales is both shortsighted and naive.
The primary responsibility for sales and pricing belongs to the sales and marketing departments. It is important to understand this process and monitor what you are getting, especially if you have overall responsibility for the business unit.
In addition, managers these days also are concerned with internal suppliers and customers. many managers are internal suppliers and, in turn, are also customers. You sell to your internal customers and set prices. many of the same principles of selling and pricing are involved internally as well as externally.

Analyzing and Justifying Capital Expenditures: managing profitability includes spending money wisely. When you or your employees have identified capital expenditures that are believed necessary, conduct a through analysis of actual total costs and expect benefits. Include the following in your analysis:

Cost of identifying vendors and suppliers
Actual capital cost itself
cost of implementation or change, including training needed
Intangible costs, including stress and inconvenience
Expected benefits, both tangible and intangible
Cost or impact of not making the expenditure

Ask your staff to make this kind of analysis for all capital expenditures, so you can make more informed decisions.

Involving Employees in Financial Management: Your employees can be your best allies in increasing the profitability of your department or area for which you are financially responsible. Involving your staff members in every aspect of the budgeting process to which they can contribute can yield many ideas for improving profitability.

Managing the Perception of Your Profitability Management: Some managers believe that they already are managing aggressive financial goals, but others may not share that perception. If this situation occurs, first collect additional information by answering these questions:

How do your goals compare with others in the organization?
How aware are others of your attention to the organization's bottom line?
What's the perception of the opportunities available to you for contributing to profitability?
How does what you do in your area compare to how other managers approach their financial responsibilities?

This analysis will identify the areas of discrepancy between you and others. Then you can determine a plan of action that may include:

Stretching your group more
Educating others
Providing more financial information
Becoming more comfortable holding people accountable for aggressive numbers.

Leadership Skills - Foster Teamwork

noreply@blogger.com (George Abuabara) — Fri, 03 Dec 2010 09:56:00 PST

The synergy that comes from putting employees together to form teams to solve problems, make decisions, and take actions is power that organizations can harness for greater success. I n these increasingly complex, changing times for business and industry, teams can supply more creative solutions and more powerful support for the organization. With an effective team, "the whole is greater than the sum of the parts".

Whether the team is a permanent work group or a temporary task force, however, creating such teams and leading them to success requires skill and finesse on the part of the team leader.

This section I have divided in three parts, providing suggestions to help managers foster successful teamwork.

Part 1: Creating an Environment Conductive to Teamwork

Recognizing Management's Impact on Teamwork: how successful an organization is at effectively utilizing teamwork largely depends on the attitudes, directives, and policies that come from the management team. Your actions and the policies you develop affect teamwork both within your work unit as well as throughout your organization.
Building a Team Environment:Just as plants need a certain environment for maximum growth ( an appropriate amount of sun and water, proper pruning, enough soil), teams need certain "ingredients" in their environment to function in the best way possible. Building an environment conductive to maximum team functioning is not a one-time event; rather it involves an ongoing effort and process on your and your team's part.

Part 2: Building Your Team Leader Skills

Building a Team: it's important that the employees in your unit, division, and functional area work together with team spirit to maximize the ultimate success of your team. Building a team attitude means managing your employees in a way that fosters teamwork instead of individual gain. Teamwork takes time to build and requires practice and effort on the part of both the manager and the employees. However, once you start the process, it gains momentum, like a ball rolling down the hill. For your team members to work well together, your team needs a clear idea of why it is a team and must agree about how to work together.
Valuing the Contributions of All Team Members: All members of the team - those who have more complex and highly compensated jobs as well as those whose responsibilities are more straightforward- are important to the success of the organization. For all members of the team to feel valued and worthwhile, there must be a pervasive attitude that everyone's work is important.
Encouraging Interaction among Group Members:Interactions in group meetings typically take one of three forms:

The group is largely silent, with the leader doing most of the talking.
Group members interact with the leader
Group members interact with one another.

The third form represents the most effective type of interaction. When group members interact, the resources of all members are used most fully, and problem solving is promoted.

Increasing Interdependence Within Your Team: Interdependence involves the concept that you and your team can accomplish more by working together than you could by working individually (in other words, the concept of "one plus one equals three")
Discouraging "We versus They" Thinking: Promoting teamwork among groups across an organization is essential to create an environment where people pursue common goals.
Involving Others in Shaping Plans and Decisions:People who assist in the planning and decision making are likely to be ore invested in the successful execution of those plans and decisions. Engage all your team members in the development of your team's mission, strategy and goals. When working on projects involving other functions, involve representatives from all affected areas.
Acknowledging and Celebrating Team Aaccomplishments: Acknowledging and celebrating team accomplishments is a powerful way to recognize your team efforts and to keep motivation and momentum going.
Evaluating Your Effectiveness as a Team Member: Part of being an effective team leader involves being an effective team member. How effective are you in team situations? Do you contribute too much? Too little? Does the impact you have on a team depend on the circumstances? In developing a plan for improving your team skills, sharpen your awareness of how you currently function as a team member.

Part 3: Developing Team Problem-Solving and decision-Making Skills

Deciding When to use a Team Approach: Team leaders need to decide when and what degree to use a team approach for decision making and problem solving. In general, the higher the level of commitment and buy-in your team members show, and the more creative, varied, and informative the input and opinions they offer, the more important a team approach for solving problems becomes. When team members are involved the problem solving and decision making, they are more likely to accept the final decision and to feel ownership and shared responsibility for the success of the overall goal. Furthermore, the quality of decisions and problem solutions is greater because the group process generates a variety of perspectives and opinions that lead to more creative, effective results.
Improving Your Team Decision-Making Process: When a group has problems making decisions, it is usually because its members are confused or in disagreement about one or more of the following:

What decision they are trying to make\
Who should be involved in making the decision
How individuals should be involved (as information sources or decision makers, for instance)
When the decision must be made.

Seeking Appropriate Input before Making Decisions:Rarely can important decisions be made without input from others. Managers need to solicit input before making decisions for a variety of reasons: to obtain critical input, to build commitment in others, to develop others, to show respect for others' opinions, and to foster open communication and problem sharing.
Improving Your Group Facilitation Skills: To develop skills that will enable you to move more effectively facilitate group problem-solving sessions, follow these suggestions when you lead such sessions during the next few months. Watch the groups you lead for signs of increased participation and the generation of more and better solution alternatives.

As the group leader, facilitate, rather than direct, the group discussion.
Use active listening skills to draw out ideas and creativity of others
Protect minority opinion. The most obvious or popular suggestions are not always the best.
Encourage sessions that are problem-oriented rather than solution-oriented
Use brainstorming techniques to generate alternate solutions.
Look for a second solution after a first solution is arrived at to encourage additional creative approaches.

Leadership Skills - Influence Others

noreply@blogger.com (George Abuabara) — Fri, 26 Nov 2010 13:17:18 PST

Leadership has taken on a new meaning and greater challenges in the last decade. Influencing is a critical skill in today's environment, in which you must work with so many people to do your job. No longer can you order things to be done; no longer are problems so simple that everyone agrees on one solution.

Looking into the rest of the decade, it appears that leaders in business and industry will continue to encounter situations that will demand increasingly sophisticated skills to get others to endorse their initiatives. Influencing skills, then, will continue to be critical management assets.

The following are suggestions for developing the following skill areas:

Increasing Your leadership Impact:
The ability to command the attention of others is necessary for effective leadership. If you suspect that your impact is low, there are several things you can do.

when you meet with individuals and groups, stand up quickly and introduce yourself, if necessary.
With employees, be firm and direct when stating expectations or confronting poor performance. Don't dilute your comments with phrases such as "..don't you think?", "it seems to me...," "maybe I'm wrong, but...," you can be firm and direct without being abrasive or disrespectfull.
If you are uncomfortable stating your point of view directly, consider enrolling in an assertiveness training course to build your skills and develop your confidence in presenting your opinions more forcefully.
Pay attention to your vocal qualities when giving direction or feedback to others. If you tend to be soft-spoken, work on delivering your message in a more forceful and confident tone.

Improving leadership through Feedback:
Most managers do not have clear perceptions of their leadership style and their impact on others. Some feedback can be gained through observing others' reactions and through the feedback others provide in formal and informal settings. In-depth feedback is often helpful, yet others may be hesitant to provide it unless you actively solicit it.

Becoming More Assertive:
people who lack assertiveness skills are often overlooked, and thus have trouble getting their ideas accepted. The ability to present your point of view without offending others, even if you believe that others will disagree, is critical if you want to have an impact on your staff and on the organization.

Giving Compelling Reasons for ideas:
People are persuaded by different things. some people are impressed by a strong, logical argument, while others are swayed by a forceful, impassioned by explanations. to be most compelling, adapt your persuasive style to suit your audience.

Winning Support from Others:
gaining support from others is a skill that takes time and practice to hone. Good ideas are often not enough to get others to accept your point of view.

Negotiating Persuasively:
Effective negotiation depends on a number of factors: preparation, knowledge of the other person's position and needs, and creativity in coming up with alternative solutions, to name just a few. One key to becoming a persuasive negotiator is to clearly specify how your objectives will benefit the other party or parties involved.

Getting Others to Take Action:
There are many ways to compel others to take action, but the most effective strategies result in people willingly and eagerly acting on your initiatives. If you find that you consistently have a hard time getting others to get moving, consider the following:

Show your enthusiasm.
State positive expectations.
Provide rewards.

Commanding attention and Respect in Groups:
Group situations are an excellent opportunity for you to demonstrate your leadership qualities and to have an impact on a large number of people.

Influencing the decisions of upper Management:
One of the most important areas in which to focus your influencing efforts is upper management. getting the attention of your manager and his or her peers and other higher-level managers is a critical skill.

Leadership Skills - Part 3 - Lead Courageously

noreply@blogger.com (George Abuabara) — Sat, 20 Nov 2010 08:46:54 PST

Today's environment demands that leaders make decisions that involve risk, and take their stand in the face of ambiguity or adversity. Managers who lead courageously confront problems directly and take action based on what they believe is right. They win the respect and commitment of others by standing up for what they believe; making decisions despite ambiguity; by supporting others who make difficult decisions; and by following issues through to completion in spite of adversity.
Valuable tips:

Identify your most deeply held convictions. Use those convictions to guide your leadership.
Give people the feedback they need even when it may be difficult.
Openly acknowledge that your stand may be unpopular, and then explain why it is important for others to consider your point of view.
Stand behind your people and back their decisions.
Say "no" clearly and explain why.
Attack problems, no people
Identify the people in your organization or your team whose courage you most admire. Talk with them and learn how they act on their convictions.
Talk with decision makers about how they arrived at their decisions and how they dealt with people's reactions. Incorporate some of their ideas and strategies.
Use simple, clear language when communicating your position.
When you see a need or problem that you wish someone would address, ask yourself if you could be doing something about it.
In meetings, verbalize your concerns so they can be openly discussed.
Determine if one of your veteran staff members has a chronic performance problem that no one has really addressed. Then deal with it.
Identify the upper-level manager you find most intimidating or critical and make a conscious effort to be candid with this person during your next encounter.
Honestly determine if you tend to avoid passing negative information upward.
Report on both your successes and your failures with equal candor.
Look at your staff and decide if you are spending more energy protecting them than holding them accountable.
Step forward with a position of principle even when there is ambiguity regarding the facts.
Take calculated risks. Ask yourself, "what is the worst thing that could happen?" and then decide if proceeding is worth the risk.
After speaking up for what you believe is important, be gracious whether your ideas are accepted or rejected.
Remember that being a manager is not a popularity contest. You may not always be liked, but you should be respected.
Show the courage to let your people learn from their mistakes.
Believe that you have the power to make a difference, and accept the responsibility of trying.
Read books or watch movies that exemplify true courage in others. They can inspire you to strengthen your courage in dealing with work-related issues.

Leadership Skills - Provide direction - Part 2

noreply@blogger.com (George Abuabara) — Mon, 15 Nov 2010 13:03:13 PST

The hallmark of an effective leader is clear focus and direction. successful leaders operate with a vision of where they are going, and they use this vision to inspire their people and their organization.
Some leaders generate this vision and direction from within themselves and then develop support for it within their organization. Others work with their teams to create a vision together. In either case, it is this clear vision and focused direction that allow leaders to align and direct the energy and resources of the organization to achieve desired goals.
Successful managers align their vision with that of the larger organization of which they are part. They then work with their team to identify the mission and goals of the team, out of which comes the roles and responsibilities of each individual. This process helps ensure that each individual’s objectives and decisions support the larger vision and eliminates many activities that are counterproductive.
I am providing suggestions on how to create and communicate your vision for your area to clarify each person’s responsibilities in creating that vision. It addresses the issues of:

-Fostering the Development of a common Vision:
the foundation of an effective organization and team is a common vision and mission that is understood and accepted by everyone.
A vision is a statement of the future state that is desired.Each part of the organization should have its own vision of how it will contribute to the overall vision of the organization.
An organization and its parts also need a mission. A mission statement clarifies the organization’s present state by defining:

What business it is in
What the boundaries of the business are
Who its customers are
How departments and individuals work together
What needs to be accomplished
How success is measured

Your team’s vision and mission will focus its energy, clarify its goals, and set priorities in place. It will also help you and your team to reach agreement on team members’ roles and team’s direction.

-Providing Direction and defining Priorities:
People are most productive when they have a clear of what is expected of them, both on a daily basis and over the longer term. Being clear about organizational priorities enables employees to make appropriate decisions about the most important issues to tackle. you can take steps to clearly communicate the overall direction of a team to both current and new team members.

-Clarifying Roles and responsibilities:
Clarifying responsibilities increases ownership, alleviates conflicts, and eliminates unnecessary ambiguity. Furthermore, letting other areas know who is responsible for what allows your area to be more responsive to customer needs and can keep things from “falling through the cracks”. Role clarification is an ongoing process in a dynamic organization.

-Linking the team’s Mission to That of the Organization:
Sometimes employees are unclear about how their work ties into the organization; or they may be asked to do things that seem meaningless or unimportant. tying individual goals and tasks to the organization’s objectives can help employees view their assignments as important. Your contribution as an effective manager is to ensure that you and your people plan and act in a manner consistent with what the organization intends to accomplish.

-Making the Team’s Mission and strategies Clear to others:
Once you have a mission in place for your team, communicate it to others who are important to the success of your group. Doing so will help you gain the understanding and support you need to get your job done.

Leadership Skills - Part 1

noreply@blogger.com (George Abuabara) — Sat, 13 Nov 2010 07:58:08 PST

Leadership: the ability to make things happen by encouraging and channeling the contributions of others, taking a stand on addressing important issues, and acting as a catalyst for change and continuous improvement.

In the past, leadership was simpler. Yesterday's managers could demand performance. Today's managers are faced with more educated and democratically oriented workforce. Problems and opportunities are complex and challenging.

As a result, today's managers must encourage and apply the contributions of all of the company's human resources, both individually and in groups. You need the creativity and resourcefulness of everyone to find solutions and the commitment of all employees to implement these solutions effectively.

In this series I intend to focus in the following seven areas of leadership skills identified as essential to managerial success:

Provide Direction: Fosters the development of a common vision;provides clear direction and priorities;clarifies roles and responsibilities.
Lead courageously: Steps forward to address difficult issues; puts self on the line to deal with important problems;stands firm when necessary.
Influence Others: Asserts own ideas and persuades others; gains support and commitment from others; mobilizes people to take action.
Foster Teamwork: Builds effective teams committed to organizational goals;fosters collaboration among team members and among teams; uses teams to address relevant issues.
Motivates Others: Encourages and empowers others to achieve;establishes challenging performance standards; creates enthusiasm, a feeling of investment, and a desire to excel.
Coach and Develop Others: Accurately assesses strengths and development needs of employees; gives timely, specific feedback and helpful coaching; provides challenging assignments and opportunities for development.
Champion Change: Challenges the status quo and champions new initiatives; acts as a catalyst of change and stimulates others to change; paves the way for needed changes; manages implementation effectively.

Proven Way to a Profitable Menu - Part 6- Take Your Menu's Temperature

noreply@blogger.com (George Abuabara) — Sun, 06 Jun 2010 12:39:31 PDT

Helpful information about "http://yaseservice.blogspot.com/".

To write an entry about a specific part of the page, highlight those words on the page.

in reference to:

"To see if a person is sick, you take his temperature.... and it's not different with menus. How long has it been since you took your menu's temperature? You should give your menu a serious check up every six months. And most probably every time you do the check up there are plenty of things you could be doing better.."
- http://yaseservice.blogspot.com/ (view on Google Sidewiki)

Proven way to a Profitable Menu - Part 6- Take Your Menu's Temperature

noreply@blogger.com (George Abuabara) — Sun, 06 Jun 2010 12:04:13 PDT

To see if a person is sick, you take his temperature.... and it's not different with menus. How long has it been since you took your menu's temperature? You should give your menu a serious check up every six months. And most probably every time you do the check up there are plenty of things you could be doing better..

You will discover that you could be serving new desserts, better cuts of meats on some dishes, or newly popular indulgences like cigars. Once you realize the shortcomings of your menu, make the changes!!!! Your menu needs to be as hot as your signature dish!

Her are few of the questions you should ask when you diagnose your own establishment's menu:

Where is the W.O.W.?
is your menu's temperature a few degrees above or below that of your competition? Do you offer exciting and different choices or are you beginning to look a little bit tired? The challenge in this business isn't achieving quick success, it's sustaining a loyal flow of customers and sales. You must find new sources of W.O.W. all the time.

What's Selling?
Any restaurant in operation today should have a point-of-sale (POS.) system sophisticated enough to take stock of which items are selling and which are not. Don't make the mistake of thinking you know -use your equipment and get the real numbers at least weekly. I suggest you go one step further and calculate what percentage of your slaes are coming from new items on your menu. Guests' taste change from year to year, and if you are just selling the same plates over and over, you are not keeping up with the times.

What Will Be Trending Tomorrow?
any business that simply tried to keep up with the times would find itself with an obsolete product line in short order. The same is true for of restaurants. Your menu is a statement of how well you have planned for the future. What does yours say about you?

Are You the Right Size?
in menus, bigger is not necessarily better. Know what you can execute perfectly and consistently and stick to it. Restaurants which offer in incredible range of their menu choices often end up disappointing their guests. Big menus can lead to menu confusion -where what your order is not necessarily what you get. What your server ultimately delivers may be wonderful enough, but if it does not match with the menu description, you have still delivered a disappointing experience.

So what is the temperature of your menu? Now is the time to determine if your menu is ill or healthy. Don't put it off - a sick menu can be life-threatening.

Yase International Consulting
(407) 279-0871
George@yaseintl.com

Proven way to a Profitable Menu - Part 5-Create Menu diversity

noreply@blogger.com (George Abuabara) — Tue, 01 Jun 2010 11:02:41 PDT

This market is flooded with "me too" menus that are loaded with such "standards" as chicken Caesar salad, fried cheese sticks and grilled chicken.

To contact George please write to george@yaseintl.com

in reference to: Service Excellence: Proven Way to a Profitable Menu - Part 5- Create Menu Diversity (view on Google Sidewiki)

Proven Way to a Profitable Menu - Part 5- Create Menu Diversity

noreply@blogger.com (George Abuabara) — Tue, 01 Jun 2010 09:28:31 PDT

This market is flooded with "me too" menus that are loaded with such "standards" as chicken Caesar salad, fried cheese sticks and grilled chicken breast.

The only options most of us consider when trying to be different are 1) discount our items, 2) provide noticeable larger portions or 3) add cute little names to our dishes and claim that they have originality. None of these is particularly appealing to our bottom lines and none produces W.O.W. with your guests.

Ther is a better option which I call menu diversity - providing customers with choices that no one else can offer them. It sounds easy but it takes a lot of effort. As with any W.O.W. program you implement in your business, menu diversity requires that you be Watchful. Open and Willing. Here is how:

Be Watchful

Look around your dining room to see what your guests are eating. What are they asking for that you don't serve? What accompaniments are they adding to their main course on their own? Guests gives us clues all the time, and we usually ignore them. Watch other restaurants also, especially the small places which attract swarms of locals. We flock to the newest and most expensive restaurants for a taste of what's chic, but it is often the small independents who have their fingers on the pulde of the market.

Be Open

For decades, Lawry's Prime Rib prided itself on selling only one entree: prime rib. But today, that's simply not realistic. Too many costumers want a healthful alternative. So now Lawry's serves fish. We could all be more open to serving new dishes, or even old ones in more innovative ways. Allow your chefs room to be creative within a strict set of cost and supply parameters. That's what they are paid for more than anything else! If you've hired the right people, they should be eager to bring new ideas to the menu and additional sales to your tables. If you treat your menu as a closed book, you are confining yourself to mediocrity and ultimately to obsolescence.

Be Willing

If you are going to create an innovative menu, you've got to be willing to have faith in your chefs. Behind every success like fajitas, frozen Margarita or wraps, there were chefs who were allowed to take some risks and owners who were willing to invest some faith in them.

When we try to appeal to the greatest number of people, we tend not to strive for W.O.W., but settle for the lowest common denominator instead. That is a recipe for disaster, not for delighted diners.

Proven Ways to a Profitable Menu - Part 4 - Your Menu: Cost or Asset?

noreply@blogger.com (George Abuabara) — Fri, 21 May 2010 11:55:55 PDT

Do you think of your menu as a profit-producing asset or as a controllable cost? a menu is the most powerful merchandising tool at an operator's disposal but all too often it functions simply as a decorative price list.

in reference to: http://yaseservice.blogspot.com/2010/05/proven-ways-to-profitable-menu-part-4.html (view on Google Sidewiki)

Proven Ways to a Profitable Menu - Part 4 - Your Menu: Cost or Asset?

noreply@blogger.com (George Abuabara) — Fri, 21 May 2010 11:51:52 PDT

Do you think of your menu as a profit-producing asset or as a controllable cost? A menu is the most powerful merchandising tool at an operator's didposal but all too often it functions simply as a decorative price list.

Have you ever been handed a dog-eared, stained, smelly menu in a highly-regarded restaurant? Perhaps an specially appealing item was unavailable because, as the waiter discreetly whispered, "the cost went way up and they can't afford to sell it at that price!" When things like this happen, the tail is wagging the dog - profitability has become subordinate to menu expense.

Just as a succesful coach must make frequent player adjustments to stay competitive, a savvy restauranteur must regularly evaluate the mix of sales and gross profit contribution of each item and make frequent changes to maximize profitability. It sounds easy enough but it doesn't happen because it looks like the menu will be too costly to revise. When a menu remains in service too long, like even the finest athlete, it gets tired and productivity (or profitability in this case) suffers.

Why would an otherwise brilliant operator lose hundreds of dollars by holding on to a rigid menu program that makes changes seem cost prohibitive when the dollars spent to revise the menu could probably be recovered in about a week? Because they are thinking cost rather than asset.

A well-designed menu will influence your guests' total purchases, not just the entree, while reflecting and reinforcing the key components of your marketing mix - concept, atmosphere, service, location, image, reputation and value. How much is that worth to you?

Consider a restuarant with an annual sales of $ 500,000.00, and average check of $6.00. That means that 83,000 guests will look to your menu for guidance in making choices and recieve an impression of your restaurant (and you!) at the same time. An up to date, thoughtfully positioned menu, a a motivated server trained to sell suggestively, will help to ensure a winning recipe for increased profits.

If you begin looking at your menu as the income producing asset that it is, you will be on the right track to greater profitability.

Proven Ways to a Profitable Menu - Part 3 - The Menu as a Marketing Plan

noreply@blogger.com (George Abuabara) — Tue, 11 May 2010 13:53:30 PDT

Helpful information about "http://yaseservice.blogspot.com/2010/05/proven-ways-to-profitable-menu-part-3.html".

Whether your restaurant or foodservice facility is a chain or independent, high volume dinner house, fast food chili doggery, casual outdoor bistro or corporate cafeteria, the menu is your immidiate connection with your guests.

in reference to: http://yaseservice.blogspot.com/2010/05/proven-ways-to-profitable-menu-part-3.html (view on Google Sidewiki)

Proven Ways to a Profitable Menu - Part 3- The Menu as a Marketing Plan

noreply@blogger.com (George Abuabara) — Tue, 11 May 2010 13:49:01 PDT

Whether your restaurant or foodservice facility is a chain or independent, high volume dinner house, fast food chili doggery, casual outdoor bistro or corporate cafeteria, the menu is your immediate connection with your guests.

The menu is the purest expression of your marketing plan. It is the first tangible connection your guests have between their interest in buying (why they are there-to dine, socialize or otherwise have a positive experience) and what you have to sell.

So if true marketing is identifying who your customers are and attempting to meet their needs or satisfy their requirements, then the menu is the link between your food and service and the guests' expectations - it is the bridge between marketing and operations.

The menu sets the tone for every oparation, whether quick service, mid range/casual or fine dining. It determines the need for management, staff and equipment. It affects the profit potential from energy cost to china breakage, from training protocols to comment cards, from table turns to uniform expense.
The menu is the connective tissue that holds the entire restaurant together. Nothing happens that in some way is not directly (or indirectly) affected by the menu.
The menu is a translation of the food offered. In a way, the menu is a form of a product brochure.
The menu is the conerstone of profitable operations and the centerpiece of the guests' dining experience. It establishes expectations that the food will ultimately have to fulfill and which will, in turn, determine the guests' desire to return.

as an offesive weapon, the menu is, of course, only the means to the an end. Every operator's objective, one way or another, is to use the menu to achieve higher sales in one of four ways:

Increase the Average check
Encourage and stimulate selection behaviors that result in buying more from the menu per visit.

Increase frequency visit
The menu's fabulous selections attract more frequent oatronage, driving sales upward.

Increase party size
The menu stimulates guests to expand party size to share in the wonderful dining experience.

Attract new patrons
Properly merchandised, the menu is a powerful selling tool to be strategically distributed through appropriate channels to win new converts.

given these sales building strategies, the menu offers a uniquely flexible and adaptable format to creatively merchandise the food and beverage items available.