When starting a new position, it can be tempting to jump in and enthusiastically start hacking away at the quick wins. There is almost always a fair amount of low hanging fruit consisting of mistakes or inefficiencies left over from the previous regime. I urge you to take a step back and survey before you ravenously start swinging. Your eagerness to show impact to your new employer is natural however you may cause more harm than help.
That glaring fruit is as abundant as it is due to a deeper seeded issue. Once the fruit is cut off you may not find from where it was growing.
Instead of vaulting straight to action, follow the vine back to its root and determine the systemic issue that has allowed the pernicious plant to grow so sizable. Some of these roots are intertwined and you cannot solve one without damaging another so it takes a measured approach.
When stepping into a new role at a roasting and/or retail operation I always follow the fruit and make my way to the root. This normally leads back to process at production and hiring/L&D at the retail level. 50% of the time there is an issue in a cafe or restaurant it is due to hiring people that are not a good fit. The other 50% is leaderships fault for not providing the support, environment and culture their teams need to thrive. Support and environment include: training, tools, systems and a culture of purposeful, meaningful work.
Caffé Nero is a perfect example of a company that strives to provide the tools and support to make their teams a success. I was impressed every time a barista or team member was not performing well, their first reaction was always correct. Rather than disciplining the team member or dispatching them, they always turned within and asked, “what did we miss? what tool do they need to succeed that we have not provided?” This was always the attitude and as a result they have amazing staff loyalty and an incredible brand buy-in.
That said, if you reflect and you are providing all the tools for success and people are still floundering, it is time to consider your hiring decisions. I’ve trained thousands of baristas at every level and in every setting. I have always found the following to be true, (I believe most magicians would agree with me) you cannot hypnotize someone that does not want to be hypnotized. If someone is not interested in learning or in the subject you're teaching, they will not learn it no matter how good the teacher. It is important to hire people that want to learn and want to work. Showing up is half the battle but it is not enough. We need people that show up ready to learn and grow and wanting to do well.
Once you get back to the causation of the behavior or malfunction in the operation, then you can develop the new habit, new processes or alter the environment in a way that good seeds can grow for a stronger foundation and much sweeter results.
If any of you are in the middle of a transition and you’re following the fruit back to the root, we’d love to hear from you. Please share any success or struggles along the way.
Written by Jake Leonti, F+B Therapy
Mr. Leonti has worked in coffee for over twenty-five years with disciplines at every link of the value chain from barista to roasting, green grading and importing. Jake is a columnist at Santé Magazine, member of the Roasters Guild and current Director of Coffee at Gregorys Coffee in New York City.
Comments