Page 138 - Everything I Know About Business I Learned

Everything I Know About Business I Learned at McDonald’s

accumulated over time. In addition, store managers were always
very open to say what was going on, so I’d have a feel for the
issues. These visits provided snapshots I wouldn’t have seen sit-
ting inside the office. In my own consulting today, I urge my
clients to get out in the field, closest to the staff and the custom-
ers, and once they do, they agree, nothing provides greater
insights and perspectives than on-site visits.
In fact, McDonald’s valued field visits so much that it held an
annual Founder’s Day, where everyone in the entire company
goes into the stores for a day. That tradition continues in a num-
ber of countries to this date.
On the corporate side, leading by example provided an edge:
It gave you an insider’s look as to what goes on in the stores,
and it put you right there with the customers—invaluable when
it came to making decisions for the system. In the early years,
Gerry Newman, McDonald’s chief accounting officer, under-
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stood that intuitively. He knew that by working side by side with
regional managers and operators that they would not only ascer-
tain his respect for them but also sense his support—an impor-
tant quality when trying to win buy-in for initiatives within the
system. He enjoyed getting into the stores and visiting them
whenever he was in a region. He along with many other “sup-
port” officers from the Chicago office all seemed to relish their
time in the field with us. They understood the power of getting
close to the action and shoulder to shoulder with staff, custom-
ers, and suppliers. It provides a huge advantage in gaining a per-
spective on what is going on in the business. And McDonald’s
provided a culture that respected store visits.
Those working in corporate spoke with pride about the hours
they spent in the store. I still remember sharing a taxi from the
airport to the corporate office with a woman who worked in the
accounting department. She was proud to tell me how she had
pitched in on a weekend when an owner was short-staffed. This