Word-Of-the-Week #870: Consider
April 8, 2021 by Susan Clarke
Consider – to think carefully about (something), especially before making a decision.
Do you have a need to know all the answers? How receptive are you to differing ideas from others?
This week longtime friend Bill Marvin, The Restaurant Doctor has more good advice. He writes,
First of All …
Your job isn’t to HAVE all the answers, merely to be able to FIND them. Why would you knock yourself out struggling with a problem if you could get your staff to solve it themselves … especially when they wanted to?
I saw this clearly when I was working with a client and a question arose about uniforms. One of his restaurants had them and one didn’t. He had been concerned the staff [at the restaurant without uniforms] would revolt at the idea of wearing them. I suggested he just ask the crew what they thought about the idea and, if they were open to it, let them come up with what they wanted to wear, subject to his final OK.
He called one of his lead people over and raised the question. Her response: “Well, if we got to pick them, uniforms would really be cool!” She then proceeded to suggest all sorts of possibilities. What could be easier?
Someone once asked, “How can I make my staff feel like they’re part of things?” I replied, “MAKE them part of things!” [Duh!]
If you want to keep the good people, they must be involved in decisions affecting their lives. They’ll be happier, more productive and stay longer. You’ll get better solutions to problems without having to figure everything out yourself.
Secondly …
It appears I’m off on an extended rant about wages. I do things like that sometimes. You may not agree with my thoughts but hear me out. Take my advice with a grain of salt … and please feel free to share dissenting opinions.
The order of the Universe isn’t threatened by differing views. The danger is when your thinking becomes so rigid you refuse to consider other positions or discount their validity. The Universal order is only in peril when we refuse to engage in reasoned dialogue.
Any time you think your staff is being stubborn and wonder where they get that attitude, just look in the mirror. YOU are the role model [whether you want the job or not] and they will deal with YOU the same way you are dealing with THEM.
To help bring people to a different way of thinking, you must first be willing to change your own position. Then LISTEN, ask good questions, seek to understand their reasoning, reflect on what you learn and respect your insights. People will only change when THEY see the wisdom of another approach, not because they’ve been forced into it.
[Spoiler Alert: Sometimes YOU will be the one who comes to a different way of thinking!]
This week’s focus is on thinking carefully before making a decision. How rigid are you? Do you allow others to be involved in decisions affecting their lives? Are you willing to change your position?
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