weaknesses. (A pat on the back is just a few vertebrae up from
a kick in the ass.) Every day on your “to-do”list, write down the
name of each employee working that shift. After you compliment or recognize each team member, cross their name off
the list. In these days of triple digit turnover ratios, this task is
as critical as anything else you accomplish that shift. The daily
pre-shift meeting should be mandatory, not optional in your
business. This is where you can show appreciation, recognition,
focus and energy every single day, transforming recognition into
a philosophy instead of an “event.”
Competition and Contests Differ Among Generations
There is a school of thought that traditional competition—
and therefore employee contests—may not be as effective with
Millennials as with Gen X or Baby Boomers in the workplace.
The rationale is that unlike Baby Boomers and GenX who
played games to beat each other; today’s younger workers
collaborated to beat the game, not each other. So perhaps it’s
wise to stage more team contests than individual competition.
Four Cool Contest/Incentive Ideas
The Walt Disney Co. recognizes its hourly teams with a
philosophy they call“small, unexpected rewards for jobs welldone.” The following four contest/incentive/reward ideas are
time-tested and true for generating results.
1. The “Perfect” Guest Check: Every guest check that has a
beverage sale, appetizer sale, entrée sale and dessert sale on it
is considered a“perfect”check. Servers turn in all their perfect
Ready For
Summer?
checks at the end of the shift and the manager draws one or two
for a special prize.
2. Sales Bingo: Make a bingo card with 12 or 16 squares on it.
Each square features an item you want the team to sell, like a
specific appetizer, premium beer, dessert, soup, side, etc. Every
time a server sells one, mark off that square. The goal is to sell a
row or the whole card for a prize.
3. Floating $20: Choose an item you want to sell more of, say,
a bottle of wine. First server (or bartender) to sell one gets a $20
bill from the manager. The first server or bartender to sell two
bottles of wine takes the $20 bill from the person who sold one.
The first server or bartender to sell three bottles of wine takes
the $20 bill from the person who sold two, etc. At the end of
the shift, one person ends up with the $20, everyone has fun
competing and overall sales rise. Next shift, focus on a different
food or beverage item.
4. Beat Your Best: Configure and post each server’s sales check
average from the last week or month and