Conditioning the Race Horse

The Restaurant Industry is like a big race track, the expectators are our indirect and direct customers. The Race Horses are the Key People in the organization.

If we value winning, conditioning the race horses will be an advantage.

In an organization, the key people should be treated as precious race horses, capable of running and withstanding the pressure of the race. In the same manner, as they are treated to ensure that they are capable of racing, they should also be conditioned. These key people should be well-compensated, benefits should meet the standard in the industry, and in most cases should exceed the expectations of a key person.

Most organization wants a faster horse, a stronger one, but as other gets some faster horses, they opt to save on premium food and maintenance (as these items are translated to compensation and benefits). Faster horses should be provided with the best possible food, vitamins, exercise, a comfortable stable, and all the things the horse will need to be in top shape for the race. Horses with less maintenance though, may still join the race, these horses are provided with the standard food, maybe cheaper vitamins, exercise will just be occasional, a cold stable may be given, as for the other things, well the horse may get them if by chance he wins a race.

During the race, the well-conditioned horses stand up with pride, confident that their ability and background will support them throughout the race. Meanwhile horses with poor maintenance-provisions stand uneasy, not sure if they can finish the race, or if they do, will they be pulling those carts like the Philippine Kalesa as a consolation.

These horses become elements as soon as the race start, a typical scenario during a tight battle in the Restaurant Industry, well-compensated key heads will always have the best motivation in creating and implementing brighter ideas. They are also pro-active making the organization see what's ahead. Investment of the owner becomes visible by the results that these horses bring. They may not always win the race, but they will never finish last.

On the contrary, horses with lesser maintenance will be eating dust during the race, they will think more about complaining on how they were treated prior to the race, as much as this, they will also think about the treatment and possible beatings they can get after they lose the race.

Now, let's recap. Organizations with successful brands all have race horses, the challenge is how to sustain them. The answer is very simple, Condition them, treat them well and remove the issue of compensation and benefits on the daily problems of these individuals, otherwise, the organization that will not invest on these items should prepare in loosing every time there's a race.

The Truth Behind Experience

When I was introduced to the Restaurant Industry, I was astounded with the way how things are running according to the needs of the guests.

Most of the time during my younger years, I would look at my Restaurant Managers and the Assistant Managers and wonder endlessly how life would be if I'll be in their position.

The younger you are, the better it is to start finalizing where you want to be. I have finalized where and what I will be since the date I graduated from college.

The truth is, I wanted to go higher as fast as I could in terms of position level, I did the best I could to expedite the process. I was successful in that goal.

But there came a time in my career that I also encountered several dilemmas because of my limited experience in the field. I realized then that no matter how hard I study, no matter how hard I try to adjust, Experience will always hold a key point in my work output especially in decision-making and the realistic approach inside the restaurant.

I have seen several people now suffering in silence because of lack of experience. Although background supports their field especially in education, I find these individuals slowly being eaten by fear and disguise, the "know-it-all" attitude, the game of pride.

So how do we deal with this kind of people? The answer is simple, TEACH them. Teach them so they may know the difference between right and wrong, teach them about the system. There will be occasional resistance, endure as long as you can and still teach. If the resistance from these individuals exceeds the tolerable level, then let them go. They will learn things the harder way in another avenue anyway.

Experience is something solid, a foundation which enables you to identify critical points and the proper course of action.

Experience combined with technical know-how, logical reasoning, and people skills, will create better professionals which later on will form the best organization.