Develop an effective strategy to leverage your larger plan and be more productive
By Robby Kukler
The importance of communication to a successful organization has been discussed and preached since the beginning of time. There are all kinds of communication that are vital to both a rewarding life and a well-run business, starting with one-on-one communication between two individuals, communication amongst a small team, and what we will layout in this article, communication across an entire organization.
As a follow up to my previous article “The Power of Planning” in the January/February issue, I want to share how a communication strategy will help you leverage your plan to ensure its effectiveness and assist you in becoming a more productive restaurant company.
Assuming you and your leadership team have written a clear plan for the upcoming year or beyond, the next essential step is to over-communicate that plan throughout the entire organization. To be successful, leaders need to publicly commit to the organization’s plan and role model their individual focus on the top objectives, including the rationale behind why they are important and how they benefit both individuals and the company.
In other words, strategic objectives and new systems being implemented should be regularly discussed and flow down throughout the company to appropriate levels of management and staff. Explaining the “why” or the context related to your strategic objectives stimulates engagement and buy-in from your managers actually running your business. According to Harvard Business Review “organizations with highly aligned team members are more than twice as likely to be top performers.”
Alignment is achieved by reinforcing your plan through systems and ways of working. A plan is only as good as how well you communicate it. Semantics, a consistent and similar form of communication and a defined cadence and rhythm to follow up on the details of your plan is essential.
Although an Annual Plan is just that – a plan for the upcoming year – it needs to be communicated through manageable Objectives, Strategies and Actions tied to a calendar and assigned to individuals as their Priorities – this identifies who will actually accomplish this work and by what deadlines. The most common approach is to initially break an Annual Plan into quarters and then months for a more digestible workload.
Executing a plan with individually assigned work and a common communication tool to keep up with one’s responsibilities across an entire organization forms a level of trust as well as mental freedom for everyone involved. Clearly documented and shared goals and expectations build employee engagement by creating alignment, clarity and job satisfaction. Communication comes into play with the shared expectation of regular discussion and planned follow-up to measure progress.
To achieve this level of successful communication cadence and rhythm, a priorities framework and 3 essential types of meetings play a crucial role in facilitating dialogue, aligning priorities and ensuring accountability.
Individual Priorities
These very specific actionable and measurable items are assigned to an individual manager in a department or on a restaurant team that tie directly back to the Strategies and Actions from the Annual Plan. The manager should have these priorities assigned based on the goals of the quarter and then be able to break them down by month and even week and day if necessary.
By establishing these priorities, team members understand what is expected of them and can prioritize their tasks accordingly. This clarity not only enhances productivity but also ensures that each team member’s efforts contribute to the overarching goals of the organization.
Individual monthly priorities create a roadmap for them to follow, fostering accountability and enabling them to work on their own as well as track their progress towards defined objectives.
One-on-One Meetings
One-on-one meetings should occur on a weekly or bi-weekly basis depending on the managerial level of the people involved. One-on-ones provide a valuable opportunity for a manager to have focused, personal time with their supervisor to discuss their day-to-day responsibilities, long-term personal development efforts, ask for guidance in any particular area as well as to report to them regarding their Individual Priorities related to the Annual Plan.
These meetings promote transparency, trust and open communication between managers and staff. This personalized approach to communication fosters a sense of belonging and encourages employees to take ownership of their work.
Team Meetings
Weekly team meetings may be a department meeting (Marketing, Accounting, HR, etc. ) or a restaurant management team meeting. Regardless of the team, the meeting serves as a platform for team members to collaborate and align their efforts towards common goals as well as share updates regarding Individual Priorities that relate to the teams committed Objectives.
These meetings create a forum for problem-solving, decision-making and self-accountability. Weekly team meetings promote a sense of camaraderie and collective responsibility, reinforcing the importance of teamwork in achieving organizational goals.
Leadership Meetings
Monthly leadership team meetings play a critical role in ensuring alignment across different departments, fostering strategic thinking and informed decision-making. These meetings bring together top leadership to discuss high-level priorities, review performance metrics and assess progress towards the plan’s quarterly objectives.
By engaging in strategic discussions, leaders can discuss current challenges, identify opportunities for growth and, if necessary, realign strategies to adapt to any unplanned changes. Monthly leadership team meetings set the tone for organizational direction, promote cross-functional collaboration and reinforce a shared vision among top leaders.
I like to use a static agenda for all of these meeting types, as the consistency of such a tool reinforces company-wide SOPs and is an excellent resource for teaching new members of your team how your system works.
A consistent communication framework is crucial to the successful execution of an Annual Plan. Individual monthly priorities ensure that managers are focused on Plan Objectives; one-on-one meetings provide personalized support and feedback; weekly team meetings foster collaboration and coordination; and monthly leadership team meetings align strategic initiatives and drive decision-making at the highest level.
By integrating these communication practices into the fabric of the organization, teams can work cohesively towards executing the Annual Plan, overcoming obstacles and achieving outcomes.
Robby Kukler is passionate about fostering an exceptional hospitality model that succeeds for owners, guests and team members while embracing the fundamental hospitality principle of people taking care of people. With 40 “hands-on” years in the business and as the founding partner of acclaimed Fifth Group Restaurants, Robby’s track record for developing and growing successful – and enduring – restaurant concepts and companies has earned him and his teams countless industry awards and recognition. With the newly launched Kukler Restaurant Advisory (KRA), Robby harnesses this experience to show restaurateurs how to set and achieve their own KRA – Key Result Areas – for lasting stakeholder success. To learn more about KRA, contact Robby at rkukler@outlook.com.
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