You go where you look. This is something they told me in driving school when I was 16. If you are going off the road and you look at a tree, you’ll tend to steer the car into the tree. If you look at the grass it is more likely you will steer onto the grass. This is true because …
When we hear this phrase we automatically think of the exemplary employee. They don’t just stop at what their job description says, they invent new ways to serve, create, support etc. We love this attribute in a barista, manager – anyone really. We love it so much that we begin to expect it from all of our employees. When we …
Leaders and managers are most effective when there is professional distance between them and the people they lead. Now this sounds pretty antithetical to the notion of gaining trust, leading with humility, and building and engaged team. All of these things seem like they require us to be close and highly involved. Yes and no. You see, as leaders we …
When it comes to how we serve people in the cafe, we will inevitably default to our true feelings about what it is we are doing. We can talk all day long about the vision mission and values of the company but if it does not make its way into our attitude both in and out of work then every …
Our job in leadership is to provide the conditions under which both staff and customers will succeed. For customers this means they are successful in their bid to have a great experience in your shop. The music, the coffee, the service, all of the details and parts that make up the whole are consistently there. They come to trust us. …
Generosity should be our default setting in the hospitality business. It is a people-based industry after all and relationships are at the heart of everything we do. That said, there is a very real need for intentionality in the midst of those relational dynamics. As we seek to treat people right and also reward our customers and staff, our good …
Today, more than ever, we are consumed by hacks, shortcuts, tips and advice to make our lives easier. When it comes to running a coffee shop and being a leader this might be helpful when dealing with things, but not necessarily helpful when dealing with people. I recently aired a Shift Break on the way we tend to unfairly prioritize …
The cafe is a high pressure environment and as we go about our work, the hunt for incongruities, mistakes that need correction, and opportunities to coach and guide people are usually at the top of our minds. The opportunities for affirmation abound, but are buried amidst the meetings, texts, and emails all designed to offer correction. Appropriately enough, when we …
In recent interviews I got to talk about self-awareness and have been stewing on the concept for a bit. Self-awareness is not just a personal development side project. It is literally the difference between whether your business is steeped in life or steeped in death. If I don’t know myself then I will be unaware of my impact on others …
Work in a cafe is not easy. There is a never ending string of mental and emotional hurdles that must be dealt with in a way that is not normal to the average social experience. When choosing to enter the hospitality industry, not many of us are prepared for this pressure and we immediately grasp for the nearest thing that …
