Page 125 - Anne Bruce - Building A HIgh Morale Workplace (2002)

Hard-Core Morale Cases 105

Macaroni Grill Gets It!
Dishwashers at Macaroni Grill in Sacramento, California
maintain high morale, according to managing partner Monica
Hamden.Although being a dishwasher might seem ho-hum to some,
the Macaroni Grill dishwashers don’t feel that way.
“Our back-of-the-house people, like prep cooks and dishwashers,
for instance, know that they are my internal customers,” says Hamden.
“Therefore it is my responsibility to treat all of my internal customers
at Macaroni Grill with respect and create an environment that they
will enjoy working in.”
Monica says that the staple of her management technique is the
Golden Rule, which means to treat others as you would want to be
treated. She also advises managers to take the time to pen their own
personal mission statement for their staff. Here’s how Monica’s per-
sonalized mission statement reads for her team at Macaroni Grill:
“We are a Golden Rule restaurant dedicated to delivering world-
class food quality and guest service in an atmosphere of mutual
respect, trust, teamwork, and fun.”
Finally, Monica credits the foundation and integrity of her effective
management philosophies to the best-selling book, Jesus CEO: Using
Ancient Wisdom for Visionary Leadership by Laurie Beth Jones (New York:
Hyperion, 1995).

cific internal criteria of desired characteristics and traits. We also
want people who are obsessed with making our guests happy.
We want employees to be themselves at all times. This works

well because there is mutual respect and trust among everyone
here.”
The Four Seasons Hotels were named one of Fortune maga-
zine’s 100 Best Companies to Work For in 2002. The upscale

hotel chain also pays its housekeeping staff almost 50% more
than the hospitality industry average. In addition, to boost
employee morale, workers get free hotel stays and a 50% dis-
count on meals and beverages.

Banking Can Be Tough on Morale

Some of the toughest employee morale cases can be found in
the financial world. The tumultuous world of banking suffers