You’re struggling to build a positive team culture in your restaurant. How can you make it happen?

Establishing a cohesive team culture begins by outlining your restaurant's objectives and core ideals. Define your mission as an organization - what do you seek to achieve and how do you want to serve your patrons? Additionally, identify the fundamental principles and benchmarks that will direct your operations and judgment. Seek to comprehend how you wish for your clients, staff, and neighborhood to view your establishment. Once your vision and values are unambiguously articulated, ensure seamless transmission to employees. Communicate your objectives and ideals plainly yet repeatedly to guarantee comprehensive understanding and endorsement across the workforce.

The next pivotal step is meticulous selection and preparation of personnel. Seek out applicants whose principles and objectives align with your clearly defined vision and values. Evaluate skills and temperament indispensable for role fulfillment. Consider fit with current employees to facilitate cohesion. New hires require detailed onboarding, continued training, suggestible commentary, and aid to thrive professionally. Equip recruits for success via robust orientation illuminating operational procedures, customer service standards, and teamwork expectations.

Acknowledge and celebrate the achievements of your team members, whether through formal reward systems or simple gestures of appreciation. Recognising hard work and dedication can boost morale and motivation.

Setting out your restaurant's values is the 'core pillar' of building a great culture. The values become your compass and your decisions matrix. The values define everything else. Leadership should live and breathe them and be sure to incorporate them into daily life in your dining room. Every decision should align, whether hiring and firing or creating ties with the local community. The values give the decision making matrix for everybody to work from. They are the 'How' to your mission and vision. Every restaurant has them, it's just often times they are defined, accidentally, by others. Not intentionally by the staff.

I agree with this, but the hard pill for so many operators and restaurant owners to swallow is this: if you want to fix your culture, take a look at yourself first. Yup… I said it. Unfortunately, the root of a problem lies within the very people who hold the reins of power. We keep complaining about the same things: toxic cultures, unfair treatment of employees, lack of diversity and inclusion, high staff turnover... but have we done anything differently to change the narrative? What do your own actions, beliefs, and behaviours actually say? Have you lost sight of your purpose? Are you connected with your people? Do you train and empower them? Are your values embedded in every aspect of your business? Culture reflects leadership.