The SCORE 2015 Issue 4 | Page 35

Let’s take a closer look at these challenges: Paperwork is overtaking people work. One thing we’ve heard over and over again is that multiunit managers feel that they have less and less time to spend in the stores they supervise because of paperwork and administrative overload. The more time they spend out of the stores at meetings and on paperwork, the less growth, guidance and support the store managers get. Hence, both the internal and external customer’s experience is lessened. Why does this happen? Time out? It doesn’t surprise me that area directors complain about the time they have available to spend in their stores. Do the math: There’s only 365 days in a year. When you subtract days off, holidays, travel days and meeting days, you’re left with about one or two days day a month that’s realistically available to area directors to do their most important job: meaningful store visits to individual units that help develop the skill sets of your general managers. So here’s the question of the month: are multiunit leaders so busy doing their job (paper and reports) that they can’t do their job (people and profits)? Meaningful store visits. What are the characteristics of an effective restaurant/store visit by a multiunit manager? “Every store visit by a district manager (DM) should first have a defined purpose, whether it’s people, service, operations, simply reviewing previous period numbers, or some combination of the above,”says Deb Jones, a vice president in the foodservice industry. “Each store manager’s experience, needs and operations are different, so each DM visit should be pre-planned with the necessary focus in mind.” I couldn’t agree more, and once you’ve defined the purpose of the visit, our research suggests that meaningful store visits involve the following abilities and skill sets from multiunit managers: • Know the characteristics of your top performing stores and also your bottom performing stores. • Determine the focus of the visit: Training? Observation? Administration? Safety and security? Follow up. • See what’s there or what’s not there in terms of operations and standards. • Assess the customer’s experience. • Understanding the store’s system, people, potential, style and realistically projecting the outcome. • Suggest, and detail in writing, what adjustments need to be made. Then clearly communicate it to the store’s management team. • Set clear expectations, an action plan and timeframes. • Leave the store with energy and positivity; don’t take it with you. Note to vice presidents, franchise owners and CEOs: What you do about helping area managers and area directors get to the next level is up to you.You can do something or you can do nothing.You could invest in their education, relieve their paperwork, help them work smarter, incite their passion and make their work a cause — not a“job.”But please, do something. Not to choose is to lose. S JIM SULLIVAN is the author of the Amazon best-selling book, Fundamentals and a sought-after speaker at leadership conferences worldwide. You can follow him on Twitter @Sullivision and get his training product catalog at Sullivision.com Ecolab Greaselift™ Degreaser Effective Degreasing. Made Safer.* Helps minimize the grease and the worries with Greaselift To learn more visit: whycleanmatters.com/greaselift OR CALL 1 800 942 3002 FOR MORE INFORMATION *Compared to caustic degreasers. Greaselift is non-corrosive and less irritating. ©2015 Ecolab USA Inc. All rights reserved. WHAT’S THIS? Use your smart-phone’s QR code reader App and take a photo to go directly to the website. SCORE | 2015 Issue 4 COACH JON GRUDEN 33 THE Featuring a unique technology, Greaselift penetrates tough, baked-on grease and lifts away from the surface. Greaselift is biodegradeable, has no noxious odors and will not damage aluminum surfaces. Additionally, no gloves or goggles are required, allowing you to use a powerful degreaser worry-free!