Pizza Today -December 2022 - 16

BUILDING BLOCKS N I C K B OG A C Z
come back, so if you are talking up staff -
ers, it changes the perception of that
individual. It's important to be genuine,
but specifi c praise is great when
warranted, such as: " Jane does a great job
closing the store each night. I love that
she cleans out the garbage cans. " When
that gets back to Jane, she feels a sense of
pride that helps build up the team.
Your actions...
Along with words, your actions have
Team Building
Words and actions are the key
" Great things in business are never done
by one person. Th ey're done by a team of
people. "
- Steve Jobs, Co-Founder of Apple
You can have the best recipes and the
best location, but if you can't build a
great team then you will never be able
to serve your customers the right way.
Hiring is now a skill in itself, as we've
discussed in this space. But once the
hiring is done and your team is assembled,
how do you build your team up?
Team-building begins at the top.
Everyone is always looking and watching
you in every situation, from how you
handle a customer complaint to what
you say about that customer behind the
scenes. Th ey watch how you interact
with other team members when praise
is deserved and how you handle a team
member when you hold them accountable
for their actions.
Your words...
As a leader, your words are the most
powerful tool you have. Be mindful of
who you are talking to when it is regarding
other employees. Nothing divides
and erodes a team quicker than gossip.
Certain conversations may not seem
like gossip to you, but those chats will
not always be interpreted the same way,
particularly if anything sounds like a
criticism.
Th erefore, a long-lasting way to build
a team is talking great about people
when they're not around. Words always
sway when team-building. Do you walk
the talk? Integrity goes a long way. You
can put up a " rah-rah, go team! " exterior,
but if you do not act authentically and do
as you say, it is all for nothing.
When it comes to actual events and
team-building exercises, these are some
of my favorites:
* I love having team meals. Th ink of
the bonding that occurs when families sit
around and enjoy a meal. Th e same type
of connection can develop for your team.
* If you have ever been to Pizza Expo,
you are bound to run into my team. We
always bring along a huge crew. And not
just our management team. It excites
staff ers to see what the industry is up to
nationally.
* Contests between staff and stores
build camaraderie. Any opportunity
that we have to create a fun contest for
our staff - we do it. And the bigger
the prize, the better the success of the
contest.
* We often take the team to sporting
events together - with a meal fi rst, of
course. Watching a competition together
when everyone is cheering for the same
result creates a good energy.
And there's more! In our next installment,
we'll discuss the contests and
employee incentives that we implement
to keep our staff energized and excited to
come to work.
NICK BOGACZ is the founder and president of Caliente Pizza & Draft House in Pittsburgh. Instagram: @caliente_pizza
16 / PIZZATODAY.COM / DECEMBER 2022

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Pizza Today -December 2022

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