Small Chain, Big Award

FIRST, THE MOST IMPORTANT ITEM: I WISH YOU AND YOURS THE MOST peaceful and successful New Year ever, and a repeat each year after.

This month I want to talk about the topic of this issue, Small Chains, and then I have a surprise for you.

Since it’s hard for me to visit lots of small chains here in Payson, Arizona, I want to talk about one aspect of being a small chain that is hugely important to growth and relies heavily on a plan ahead of time. That’s management style. By the way, it goes for the big guys too, although it’s harder to turn around a charging locomotive.

I think management style is the most important aspect of the chain’s existence next to the basics of quality, service, and cleanliness.

I categorize management style generally as one of four: fear, apathy, love, or dictatorship. Each is wrong in its purest state. Let me explain.

I had a boss once who managed by fear. When he walked into a room, there was silence. You could hear everyone wondering who was going to get fired or at least yelled at. People were calculating how long they could keep their homes and their children. He certainly had our attention, but I now wonder about our respect. People did what they had to do, but they were so afraid that they didn’t have the incentive to be creative. Folks thought more about how to avoid him than about how to do their jobs better. He thought the way to make people work harder was to keep them frightened. He was wrong.

Apathy? How can you be apathetic about your people and be a manager, you ask? I knew one guy who made it look easy. He gave out the assignments and then crawled into his office and only came out when Jupiter aligned with Mars. He avoided confrontation with his people at all costs. He never gave advice or help. You couldn’t even find him when he was in his office because he could blend in with his surroundings so well he disappeared. The good news was that his people were the most creative in the building. They had to be. They were on their own. The bad news was he took credit for all the ideas in his group, and his people never even knew he did it.

Now, what could possibly be wrong with love? Oh, let me tell you. This one manager loved everybody. His goal was to curl up on the lap of each of his people and get his ears scratched. He was personally chagrined if he heard a discouraging word or if the skies were cloudy all day. Adversity was not his middle name. His people grew up in a bubble and were oblivious to reality. Not to mention that they took horrible advantage of him. Why not? He asked for it.

The fourth style of management is the dictator. This is the person who thinks that only he knows how to do anything and his people are placed on earth to do exactly what he says. He is only too happy to give direction and orders. He rarely listens to any ideas his people have, and if he does, his attitude is usually condescending. As you could guess, there is never any creativity present unless it is his and it is a toss up as to who gets in trouble if an idea goes wrong. If management knows his style, he will take the blame, but, if not, his folks suffer. One thing is good about this management style. Job security is high because all you have to do is do what the boss says. You don’t have to think about anything in particular. Things very much resemble a bee hive—a leader and its drones.

Now, as you have expected, there is good and bad in all of these, and you have to construct your own style. But I contend a chain can take the best of the four and avoid the worst. The most important thing is to recognize that a management style is ultra-important to success and to plan for it. Don’t let it develop on its own in each department. That creates inconsistency and is really confusing to people, especially in sub-departments where they sit next to each other. Can you imagine love co-existing with fear? Sounds like the worst sort of train wreck to me.

Introducing the Roy Award

I plan to single out a campaign each month as an example of good marketing. It might be in the quick-serve industry, it might not. It might be advertising, it might be graphics, or public relations. Who knows? But I will not criticize, only compliment. The award is an ’atta boy. No statue, money, or promotion. Just my undying gratitude for a job well done. If you want to be considered, e-mail me your effort. I promise to study every entry.

This month’s winner is Hampton Inn. I love its graphic package. Everything is clean, crisp, and brings a smile. Last time I was there, I was surprised by the poster on the back of the elevator door when it closed, and charmed by the Do Not Disturb sign with the single word, “Dreaming.” The continuity of the breakfast room signage is flawless. The only slip is the airport van which looked like something out of the ’60s.

Again, a Peaceful New Year, and Happy Trails.