Many people would love to be a General manager, or restaurant manager but twill never reach this goes. They have the education and the experience, but they lack a fundamental aspect of the job which limits their ability to succeed – The ability to execute a critical leadership plan.
The first step to becoming a great manager is to learn what great management looks like. Knowledge is power. Learning everything about the job, at your workplace and others, is vital to developing the leader within yourself. Without stretching beyond what is currently ‘the norm’ the best you can hope for is to repeat the mistakes of the past.
When asking the average university graduate to describe a great manager they will give an endless account of the tasks that must be completed to manage a restaurant. They are well versed in the ‘day to day’ running of an establishment. Unfortunately, a manager makes or breaks their career on results.
The average person can run a restaurant but when asking them what they want to happen in the next week, month, or year – what will be the results of their business then they are mute. In fact, many people I talk to forget to list ‘still be in business’ as one of their goals.
The goal of Critical Leadership is to help managers assess their awareness of effective execution and how they can create a strategy which will help them land their dream job. One of the best ways to learn the art of critical leadership is to apply the principles to your job seeker strategy. Don't be another person who just puts a resume 'out there' and hopes something will happen. Very few 'top managers' land their job by luck of the draw. Instead they implement a plan.
Success is a habit. The more you practice the more you succeed. The more you succeed the easier it is to make future plans succeed, and to sell future plans to the general manager and decision makers.
Experience is necessary. There are many ways to gain this experience. We've mentioned volunteering to help your current restaurant manager or general managers. After helping with a few projects and 'getting your feet wet' it is time to apply some of the principles learned in future projects.
If there is no opportunity to practice within your restaurant then try to find volunteer positions within related industries. Experience is only the beginning. The top managers need to sell their ideas, track results and goals, create benchmarks, and to present the final results in their best light. Once you can do the job then learn how to do the paper work. Corporations run on paperwork. After charting a few projects and creating case studies for them, then it is time to sharpen your presentation skills.
Continue through our series of career development articles. We are building a full course in restaurant management skills designed to help you prepare a portfolio that will 'sell' your skills to the hospitality industry. Please take time to contact us and find out how we can further your restaurant management career.
Robert Krzak is author and CEO of "Geckohospitality a respected hotel and restaurant recruitment and recruiting firm.