Page 60 - Anne Bruce - Building A HIgh Morale Workplace (2002)

40 Building a High Morale Workplace

Chefs Light Their Fire
The regional VP for a chain of upscale Southwestern eater-
ies directed all of his restaurant managers to rev up the
morale of their executive chefs by transforming their kitchen duties
and stimulating their creative juices. Each chef was challenged to come
up with one new and exciting menu item that guaranteed to excite
the taste buds of patrons and restaurant reviewers from Houston to
Albuquerque. By combining their innate creativity with their experi-
ences and cooking skills, all of the chefs reported a sense of renewal
and excitement about their work.The idea worked so well that
restaurant management made Cuisine Creations a monthly showcase
of each house chef’s specialty item on every menu.And when restau-
rant reviewers got wind of the inventive approach, they wrote newspa-
per and magazine articles touting the trendy restaurant chain and its
creative chefs—which further boosted employee pride and morale.

Explain to employees how the business is run. In other words,

teach them the biz. Show them the balance sheet and explain
how to read it. Educate and engage your employees. Morale
bumps up a notch when employees know how they’re involved
in the overall process and feel part of a bigger, more important

picture. They’re also less likely to leave.

Help employees find new jobs internally. Companies need to
adjust jobs and to invite and encourage career changes internal-
ly. Today’s free-agent workers want to feel free to move fre-
quently between jobs, so why not just create those jobs internal-

ly for them and keep the best people from leaving the organiza-
tion? (Read more about this in Chapter 4 on redesigning jobs.)

Treat people the way “they” want to be treated. Managers
should send the message that says, “It’s all about you, you,
you.” Not me, me, me. So don’t treat employees the way you

would want to be treated or even the way this book says to treat
them. Treat them the way they want to be treated and watch
people respond with commitment and loyalty to the company.

Have pizza and beer with your employees. Whether it’s that fare
or it’s hamburgers and milkshakes or it’s sushi and sake, the point