Pizza Today - August 2021 - 12

MIKE'S MONTHLY TIP
MIKE BAUSCH
hit food costs. Will you help me out with
that? " as opposed to, " If you don't weigh
this cheese right, you can fi nd another job, "
do you get traction and progress from your
staff . People don't want to screw over their
advocate. People do wish their adversary ill
will. If you are consistently championing your
staff , you will become their advocate. I'm not
saying some people won't still pull a fast one
on you. I'm not saying you won't have failures.
Yes, some will disappoint you, but they will
be fewer and farther between. Th e ones who
last will be loyal, and leadership by loyalty is
stronger than leadership by fear.
Your concern is mainly monetary theft
from staff , so engage your staff in talks about
compensation. Every staff member wants
more money. You should want them to have
more money via performance incentives so
that THEY ARE the only ones holding
themselves back from their raise, not you.
And you're pulling for them to win with you
when you create an advocacy-based management
and leadership style.
Advocacy management style means when
Advocate or Adversary
A
re you an adversary or
advocate for your employees?
Hopefully, your knee-jerk
response is an advocate.
But advocacy for your staff means
in all aspects of their job, you are
rooting for them. Th at means all of
them. When someone does something
wrong, potentially fi reable, the advocate
doesn't ream them out.
Instead, an advocate asks, " What
are you doing? You might screw this
thing up. We like you, and you could
be great at this job. I'm pulling for you.
Please don't let stuff like this happen
again, " Th is is preferable to an
angry adversary. Staff won't listen to a
dismissive or confrontational employer
when they don't perfectly fall in line.
Th ey will listen to the person in their
corner rooting them on, guiding them
like a mentor.
If you believe your staff is consistently
looking to get one over on you,
you're in an adversarial relationship.
I'm not saying you shouldn't protect
yourself from theft, but if you never
trust your staff , they will sense that.
Th ey will perceive you as an adversary
and will seek to take advantage of you.
It's only when you're the endearing
advocate who says, " I really want to
your team member has a need from you and
the restaurant; you step up. For example, a
once in a blue moon late request off , a family
crisis, or a church fundraiser. Th ese are the
moments when you should lead by example
and take care of your crew in a big way. When
you respect their outside life and fi nd a way
for your restaurant to work with them and
their life goals and personal situations, they
work harder for you. When they need help,
utilize your business to help them just as you
would if it was one of your best friends. Be
that boss, not the boss you hated growing up.
Th e bosses who give reactions like this destroy
restaurants, " Come here, work and go home,
if you can't be here tomorrow, fi nd another
job. "
Having a standard that doesn't get taken
advantage of is prudent. Being such a hard-ass
that no one trusts you or wants you and your
restaurant to win is perilous. If you become
an advocate and really live it, you'll see the
emotion and temperature of the room shift in
your favor and for your pizzeria.
MIKE BAUSCH is the owner of Andolini's Pizzeria in Tulsa, Oklahoma. Instagram: @mikeybausch
12 / PIZZATODAY.COM / AUGUST 2021

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Pizza Today - August 2021

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