How to Create a Restaurant Manager Checklist
What use is a restaurant manager checklist? Let me ask you a few questions.
Do you ever find yourself frustrated with your management team because they just aren’t doing what you want them to and how you want them to do it? Do you sometimes want to fire them all and just do it yourself? Do you just plain wish you could leave the restaurant and not feel like it will fall apart without you there? Do you ever find yourself saying, “IT’S COMMON SENSE!”
If you can relate to any of the questions above, you are probably suffering from a common case of “common sense-itis.”
In this video I review common sense-itis, the cure for it and how to make the cure – a restaurant manager checklist.
What is common sense-itis? Well, let’s break it down.
Wikipedia states, “common sense, based on a strict construction of the term, consists of what people in common would agree on: that which they ‘sense’ as their common natural understanding.”
Now the “itis” comes from Greek language, meaning “inflammation.”
So, I define common sense-itis as the “never-ending headache you have from repeatedly banging your head against a brick wall when you enter your restaurant.”
This term applies most accurately when you apply it how most restaurant owners think their managers should do things. They think their managers should use “common sense” and just do what needs to be done the way they want them to do it.
Sounds a little like mind reading, right?
Look, the definition of common sense clearly states that it’s a shared understanding based on experience. I can tell you right now that your managers, each and every one of them, do not share your experiences. They have not grown up in your shoes. They do not possess the same core values. They are not you and will not automatically do things your way, just because you think they should… because you think it’s common sense!
When you realize there is no such thing as common sense, you will learn very quickly you have to tell them exactly what you want done, how to do it and how well you want it done. (If you’ve been a member with us for any length of time you’ve heard that from me before, because it’s true and it works.)
Get rid of common sense-itis once and for all. No, I’m not recommending you “take two pills and call me in the morning.” LOL Instead I offer two steps:
1) Create a restaurant manager checklist – an opening and closing checklist.
2) Follow-up on the checklists to make sure the process is working and your managers are doing their job.
For further reading on checklists, check out this article.
To learn more about the importance of a restaurant manager checklist and how to create a great one, read our special report, Breaking Away from the Insanity: How to easily take control of your restaurant and make more money. Download it here.
