The Restaurant Industry According to Hollywood #2
Managers in our industry are looked at in various ways, but Hollywood clearly thinks little of us. There are lots of movies that depict us as simple minded, and incapable of doing more than running shifts. I am offended by these mischaracterizations and none more so than this scene from one of my favorite movies, Office Space.
(Warning: Video has some NSFW language)
Unfortunately, there is some truth in the fact that we have the unenviable job of keeping order in our restaurants. That means that rules and bureaucracy are necessary elements in effectively managing the professional lives of 25-30 adults whose income rides on the back of successful execution. The key is to expect the best from your staff and give them yours in return.
I make no judgement of the manager here, the movie does it for me. What this depiction of a restaurant manager fails to appreciate is that if we don’t keep the peace then there is no guarantee guests will get the consistent and quality experience they expect. So maybe flair is a petty conversation, but our job is to manage what to the outside world looks like lots of petty details into one seamless and high functioning operation. Take that flair!