Ask any restaurant owner what part of their job they love the most and they will be happy to rattle off a string of them! Meeting new people and interacting with the guests, trying out new dishes and spicing up the menu, offering a great dining experience to all those who visit and creating a wonderful working atmosphere for all employees. Ask them what causes them the greatest frustration and the answer will surprise you - it is not the picky guests or the hard-to-please critics but the employee scheduling!
Though this may sound simple enough, ask a restaurant owner, manager, chef or any other industry professional and they will attest how complex it can be to schedule employees taking into account their individual constraints, to avoid conflicting shifts and to take into account sudden changes. In fact, they will tell you that all the hours spent in just scheduling various shifts could have been spent more productively in improving the quality of the service offered to customers and hence in improving their business.
Well, they do not have to worry any more. 86shifts.com (http://www.86shifts.com) is an online restaurant management software that makes life easier by allowing for automated employee scheduling. It has very quickly built a reputation as one of the most user-friendly software that has all the powerful features of any sophisticated scheduling software but without the added complications. In fact, 86shifts.com engages the entire restaurant staff, giving them a fun and easy way to make changes in their schedules as also to communicate amongst themselves and with the managers. Naturally, this restaurant scheduler leads to schedules that are better managed, happier employees, and more satisfied guests.
86shifts.com has all the features a good online restaurant employee scheduling software should have -
Schedule management online is now possible for managers who can post the schedule of employees online, who in turn can view it in advance and put in a request if they would like any changes. Since this schedule can be seen at any time, there is no excuse for anyone forgetting a shift.
Employees can view each other's shifts and thereby easily put in requests for trading of shifts. These requests are immediately forwarded to the manager for approval. This avoids cancellations and staff not turning up for duty and certainly last-minute confusion over whose shift it actually was. The restaurant scheduler of 86shifts.com makes it possible for employees to access their schedule at any time so as to avoid conflict and confusion.
Important documents such as the menu or the employee handbook can be uploaded online. Using the restaurant management software of 86shifts.com one can easily access, view and print any of these documents, making it possible to avoid paper trails.
Employee schedule management online is now not only easy but also fun through 86shifts.com. This online restaurant employee scheduling software takes off all the daily pressures of creating shifts and covering for absences from managers while giving employees the convenience to trade shifts. A restaurant that uses 86shifts.com is bound to have more satisfied and motivated employees leading to a smoothly functioning business.
Wednesday, September 1, 2010
Children's Boutique
Some people are obsessed with fashion and open up their own clothing boutiques. But some people are expressly interested in children's clothing. Kids' clothes can be so cute and boutique clothing is becoming increasingly popular with young parents. They see their child as a reflection of themselves. In today's world of clothing and identity going hand in hand, parents are looking to make sure that their children are as stylish as they are.
Children's clothes sell all year long. Seasonal spikes are bound to happen, but kids are always outgrowing clothes. They have weddings to go to, birthday parties, they need church clothes, and school clothes. There are so many opportunities to sell to the same customer over and over. Plus, a lot of your advertising should be done for you.
Parents talk, create networks, and support groups. They are eager to let each other know about special deals, the latest in baby gear, and that cute little boutique where Abby got that adorable watermelon dress. Parents are more likely to go out of their way to buy clothing for their kids than they are for themselves. Parents love to make their kids stand out in the crowd so that they can brag and hear all the "ooohs" and "ahhhs" going around the room.
When you decide to open a children's boutique, make sure that you keep all of these things in mind. A parent buying a dress for a little girl looks for a lot of things. The style has to be cute, unique, well-made, and they may want to personalize.
Having an embroidery service to work with can bring in lots of extra cash. You can offer special items that are meant for monogramming. Some parents may be interested in airbrushing or having their child's name painted or screen printed on certain things. Make sure that you establish good working relationships with the companies that you will use if you offer these services.
Set up the store to show parents that you have the unique items that they are after. One good move is to have your baby clothes facing out towards the customer. Don't cram them and hide their details by using all round garment racks in your boutique. Use a flat retail display, like slatwall, so that people can easily browse your products.
You can use slatwall panels to create free-standing displays as well. This is helpful in a boutique because you can change the shape and size very easily. Slatwall accessories are easy to manipulate to create that special slatwall display that is sure to help you make a name for yourself.
Last but not least, be considerate of parents' needs. Leave enough room between your displays so that parents can fit strollers through. Provide a lot of seating throughout for women that are pregnant. Strategically place activity tables for children near displays that you want parents to stop and look at. Clearly label restrooms or areas where mothers can nurse. These few things will keep parents very happy about shopping at your children's boutique.
Children's clothes sell all year long. Seasonal spikes are bound to happen, but kids are always outgrowing clothes. They have weddings to go to, birthday parties, they need church clothes, and school clothes. There are so many opportunities to sell to the same customer over and over. Plus, a lot of your advertising should be done for you.
Parents talk, create networks, and support groups. They are eager to let each other know about special deals, the latest in baby gear, and that cute little boutique where Abby got that adorable watermelon dress. Parents are more likely to go out of their way to buy clothing for their kids than they are for themselves. Parents love to make their kids stand out in the crowd so that they can brag and hear all the "ooohs" and "ahhhs" going around the room.
When you decide to open a children's boutique, make sure that you keep all of these things in mind. A parent buying a dress for a little girl looks for a lot of things. The style has to be cute, unique, well-made, and they may want to personalize.
Having an embroidery service to work with can bring in lots of extra cash. You can offer special items that are meant for monogramming. Some parents may be interested in airbrushing or having their child's name painted or screen printed on certain things. Make sure that you establish good working relationships with the companies that you will use if you offer these services.
Set up the store to show parents that you have the unique items that they are after. One good move is to have your baby clothes facing out towards the customer. Don't cram them and hide their details by using all round garment racks in your boutique. Use a flat retail display, like slatwall, so that people can easily browse your products.
You can use slatwall panels to create free-standing displays as well. This is helpful in a boutique because you can change the shape and size very easily. Slatwall accessories are easy to manipulate to create that special slatwall display that is sure to help you make a name for yourself.
Last but not least, be considerate of parents' needs. Leave enough room between your displays so that parents can fit strollers through. Provide a lot of seating throughout for women that are pregnant. Strategically place activity tables for children near displays that you want parents to stop and look at. Clearly label restrooms or areas where mothers can nurse. These few things will keep parents very happy about shopping at your children's boutique.
Retail Salesperson
Whether you are a salesperson looking to improve your sales or a boutique owner looking to hire effective salespeople, these tips can help. If you look closely at the management of a store, how they relate to their salespeople, and how the sales staff relates to the customer, you can start to see some qualities that are present across the board. Studying these traits can help you to improve your sales skills and teach others how to improve their skills as well.
1) When satisfied customers are interviewed, they usually mention a few of the same things that they liked about their shopping experience. The first thing that they will usually say is that they thought the sales staff was friendly and not oppressive. Being friendly is important because your attitude is a reflection on the store. People make judgments about you and your store the second they lay eyes on you. If you're smiling, you're off to a good start.
2) Being able to see the customer's side of things is an important skill to master. Let them do most of the talking and listen intently. Drop whatever you are doing and give them your full attention. Try to talk conversationally with them. Do not drop sales lines or try to sway their opinion. Agree with them as much as you can without seeming like you are just trying to butter them up. Don't overdo it, just talk to them on their level.
3) Don't get defensive if someone has an objection or complaint. Take full responsibility, apologize and then offer a solution. If you can't solve their problem, admit it and then let them know that you want to help. Take the issue to a supervisor or manager that can help to make the problem right.
4) Be knowledgeable about every product possible. Customers really appreciate their questions being answered by someone who really cares enough to know a lot about a product or brand. Don't be afraid to point out negative qualities from time to time. You'll gain the trust of the customer, possibly for life.
5) Offer information. If you see that someone is interested in a certain brand or product, calmly tell them something that you know that makes the product unique. Don't hound them, following them around talking about everything that they look at, but offer valuable information if they seem like they are trying to make a decision.
6) Keep the store neat as you work. Keeping your garment racks and displays fully stocked will make customers feel like you care about them finding what they need. Don't overstock, however, because a crowded garment rack or display makes customers feel like you are trying to get rid of as much merchandise as possible and they may not feel like looking through everything that you have.
1) When satisfied customers are interviewed, they usually mention a few of the same things that they liked about their shopping experience. The first thing that they will usually say is that they thought the sales staff was friendly and not oppressive. Being friendly is important because your attitude is a reflection on the store. People make judgments about you and your store the second they lay eyes on you. If you're smiling, you're off to a good start.
2) Being able to see the customer's side of things is an important skill to master. Let them do most of the talking and listen intently. Drop whatever you are doing and give them your full attention. Try to talk conversationally with them. Do not drop sales lines or try to sway their opinion. Agree with them as much as you can without seeming like you are just trying to butter them up. Don't overdo it, just talk to them on their level.
3) Don't get defensive if someone has an objection or complaint. Take full responsibility, apologize and then offer a solution. If you can't solve their problem, admit it and then let them know that you want to help. Take the issue to a supervisor or manager that can help to make the problem right.
4) Be knowledgeable about every product possible. Customers really appreciate their questions being answered by someone who really cares enough to know a lot about a product or brand. Don't be afraid to point out negative qualities from time to time. You'll gain the trust of the customer, possibly for life.
5) Offer information. If you see that someone is interested in a certain brand or product, calmly tell them something that you know that makes the product unique. Don't hound them, following them around talking about everything that they look at, but offer valuable information if they seem like they are trying to make a decision.
6) Keep the store neat as you work. Keeping your garment racks and displays fully stocked will make customers feel like you care about them finding what they need. Don't overstock, however, because a crowded garment rack or display makes customers feel like you are trying to get rid of as much merchandise as possible and they may not feel like looking through everything that you have.
Sunday, August 1, 2010
More Creative Team
Humans work in different way than animals do. In the jungle, we often find animals teaming up with each other. Maybe they have a purpose for setting up those teams too. They may be banding together for food, shelter or protection, and that's what keeps them together. Now, this is a common element with human teams in corporate establishments too. Or is it?
We do find a lot of teams in a lot of organizations that are set up just for the sake of setting them up. It is quite pitiful that most of these team members and even some of the team leaders helming these teams don't have clarity of purpose. They don't know why these people have been put together and given to them to manage, but that's a crying shame!
That may be one aspect in which our corporate human teams are worse than animal teams in the Sahara.
But, thankfully, this can be overcome. Our teams can be much stronger than animal teams and, when you extrapolate that thought, you see that our teams can become more productive and creative-not like animal teams that have a single purpose day in and day out, week in and week out.
The best thing is that human teams can be made to focus. Today, 'focus' has become the guru mantra for teams all over the business world. Without concentrating on the goals at hand, it is quite unlikely that any team will make their progress, and it is definitely a long shot before the goals will be achieved.
Make your team focus. This process begins with giving the proper goals to work on. There shouldn't be any ambiguity about what you or your organization wants. Tell them how the organization will benefit when those goals will be met. Tell them how they will benefit. This helps them focus.
Throughout the duration of the team, make sure to check on their progress. Correct members that are disengaged and reward engaged members. Set examples of things that have happened the way they should and prevent your team from sidetracking into inconsequential issues.
When you generate the right focus in your team, your team is able to think more creatively. They know what they want; this gives them the liberty to be more innovative about goal accomplishment and you will be most times surprised at what suggestions may come forth. So, try it out-be clear with your team, create the right amount of focus in them and see how they begin putting their best feet forward.
We do find a lot of teams in a lot of organizations that are set up just for the sake of setting them up. It is quite pitiful that most of these team members and even some of the team leaders helming these teams don't have clarity of purpose. They don't know why these people have been put together and given to them to manage, but that's a crying shame!
That may be one aspect in which our corporate human teams are worse than animal teams in the Sahara.
But, thankfully, this can be overcome. Our teams can be much stronger than animal teams and, when you extrapolate that thought, you see that our teams can become more productive and creative-not like animal teams that have a single purpose day in and day out, week in and week out.
The best thing is that human teams can be made to focus. Today, 'focus' has become the guru mantra for teams all over the business world. Without concentrating on the goals at hand, it is quite unlikely that any team will make their progress, and it is definitely a long shot before the goals will be achieved.
Make your team focus. This process begins with giving the proper goals to work on. There shouldn't be any ambiguity about what you or your organization wants. Tell them how the organization will benefit when those goals will be met. Tell them how they will benefit. This helps them focus.
Throughout the duration of the team, make sure to check on their progress. Correct members that are disengaged and reward engaged members. Set examples of things that have happened the way they should and prevent your team from sidetracking into inconsequential issues.
When you generate the right focus in your team, your team is able to think more creatively. They know what they want; this gives them the liberty to be more innovative about goal accomplishment and you will be most times surprised at what suggestions may come forth. So, try it out-be clear with your team, create the right amount of focus in them and see how they begin putting their best feet forward.
Corporate Coaching
If you think the people in your organization or, rather, your organization itself has a potential to go much ahead but there are obvious or not obvious roadblocks holding it back, then probably you can make use of corporate coaching to unleash its potential to the hilt.
Corporate coaching isn't just another form of coaching-this is a deeply motivational and inspirational form of training that helps people helming a particular organization to inspire and lead their subordinates to achieve their goals. Personal coaching is all about the individual...whether CEO, Sr mgr or line manager. A good corporate coaching session can teach executives how to maximize potential and productivity without seeming too forceful on the people working with or under them. In this way, though corporate coaching might be done for a handful few people in an organization, it does send its shock waves throughout the organization, and hence has an effect over the way the entire organization begins to perform.
Now, if you are planning to have a corporate coaching session for the key players in your organization, you'd be better off knowing that there are various forms in which this coaching can be conducted. The best way-and the most common way-is to have highly charged onetime sessions such as workshops or seminars for a group of executives. You could have such sessions when a particular policy is being implemented or when a new goal is being defined. The corporate coach could train the leaders in your organization what they can do in order to maximize the output of subordinates and thus ensure that the goal is not flouted upon.
Corporate coaching works best when only a few people are trained at a time. This allows almost everyone present at the session to speak up. The coach can then identify individual detrimental factors that might be wasting time, money or other kinds of resources for the organization and bring out solutions. Hence, never make the mistake of inviting a large number of people for a corporate coaching session.
The time between two corporate coaching sessions is also important. These sessions could prove to be a shot in the arm when your group's motivation is sagging. Having half-yearly or even quarterly sessions is a good idea. In any case, you must plan out such sessions during milestone policy making moments in your organization. Increasingly monthly coaching is most productive...with a minimum of at least a 6 month commitment.
Corporate coaching isn't just another form of coaching-this is a deeply motivational and inspirational form of training that helps people helming a particular organization to inspire and lead their subordinates to achieve their goals. Personal coaching is all about the individual...whether CEO, Sr mgr or line manager. A good corporate coaching session can teach executives how to maximize potential and productivity without seeming too forceful on the people working with or under them. In this way, though corporate coaching might be done for a handful few people in an organization, it does send its shock waves throughout the organization, and hence has an effect over the way the entire organization begins to perform.
Now, if you are planning to have a corporate coaching session for the key players in your organization, you'd be better off knowing that there are various forms in which this coaching can be conducted. The best way-and the most common way-is to have highly charged onetime sessions such as workshops or seminars for a group of executives. You could have such sessions when a particular policy is being implemented or when a new goal is being defined. The corporate coach could train the leaders in your organization what they can do in order to maximize the output of subordinates and thus ensure that the goal is not flouted upon.
Corporate coaching works best when only a few people are trained at a time. This allows almost everyone present at the session to speak up. The coach can then identify individual detrimental factors that might be wasting time, money or other kinds of resources for the organization and bring out solutions. Hence, never make the mistake of inviting a large number of people for a corporate coaching session.
The time between two corporate coaching sessions is also important. These sessions could prove to be a shot in the arm when your group's motivation is sagging. Having half-yearly or even quarterly sessions is a good idea. In any case, you must plan out such sessions during milestone policy making moments in your organization. Increasingly monthly coaching is most productive...with a minimum of at least a 6 month commitment.
Noise Than Focus
Noise is when it seems to you-or to anyone-that constructive work is going on, but at the bottom of it all, it is all a hollow turbulence that doesn't do anything productive for anyone. We have seen this happening in some of the largest corporate establishments today. On the face of it, any outsider might feel impressed by the professionalism of the establishment, but little do they know that all that external buzz is just a disorganized faade, put up with the intention of covering their lack of productive work.
The biggest problem with noise in a business team is that you don't understand it exists. Noise can camouflage itself and appear to be a high degree of activity. You could be misled into believing that work is actually happening until it is too late. That is all the more reason why you should find out if noise exists right at the start and snub it out.
These are the five indicators that can tell you your team is full of noise and there is no focus among the members.
A team that makes a lot of noise will be quite unclear about the basic objectives that it is supposed to chase. You could ask them-test them rather-about their knowledge of these main goals. If they don't know even the top three objectives clearly, then this team is of no productive use at the moment.
The second indicator is whether your team is aware of the kind of progress that it is making towards realizing those goals, however small it might be. Every person on a team should be aware of what's happening with the team as a whole.
A team that is easily distracted will definitely not be fruitful to you. This is a very good way to determine that your team lacks focus.
If you find that your team is using its energies in areas that are outside the main goal fulfillment that has been set in front of them, then you are dealing with a disorganized team. You need to quickly put things in order.
Check your team in terms of their commitment levels. If you find that their commitment is lacking, you need them to tighten their belts.
Noise can corrode a team from within. The external impression of a lot of activity is quite detrimental, because it keeps real goal achievement away. Snub out such elements when you still have time, or your entire team could pass into oblivion.
The biggest problem with noise in a business team is that you don't understand it exists. Noise can camouflage itself and appear to be a high degree of activity. You could be misled into believing that work is actually happening until it is too late. That is all the more reason why you should find out if noise exists right at the start and snub it out.
These are the five indicators that can tell you your team is full of noise and there is no focus among the members.
A team that makes a lot of noise will be quite unclear about the basic objectives that it is supposed to chase. You could ask them-test them rather-about their knowledge of these main goals. If they don't know even the top three objectives clearly, then this team is of no productive use at the moment.
The second indicator is whether your team is aware of the kind of progress that it is making towards realizing those goals, however small it might be. Every person on a team should be aware of what's happening with the team as a whole.
A team that is easily distracted will definitely not be fruitful to you. This is a very good way to determine that your team lacks focus.
If you find that your team is using its energies in areas that are outside the main goal fulfillment that has been set in front of them, then you are dealing with a disorganized team. You need to quickly put things in order.
Check your team in terms of their commitment levels. If you find that their commitment is lacking, you need them to tighten their belts.
Noise can corrode a team from within. The external impression of a lot of activity is quite detrimental, because it keeps real goal achievement away. Snub out such elements when you still have time, or your entire team could pass into oblivion.
Thursday, July 1, 2010
Effective Team Building
Corporate leaders look for strong team building event ideas that will tear down the walls that we build between divisions, departments, even cubicles. Those corporate leaders have a great deal in common with one of the world's best communicators. Ronald Reagan told the world, tear down those walls. Hammer in hand the walls came tumbling down, reuniting a world torn apart by differences in philosophy. Immediately, warring factions began communicating.
Mis-communication or no communication is very costly to corporations, both in loss of production hours and duplication of efforts. In fact researchers at the Robert H. Smith School of Business, at Maryland University, put a 12 billion dollar price tag on what poor communication costs American hospitals per year. That is a staggering waste of money that could be put into salaries, programs or training. Smart corporate leaders look for ways to improve communication by seeking out new team building events. Idea driven events that will help their staff tear down walls that thwart communication.
Ridding corporations of communication silos can open lines of communication and save the bottom line. When people learn how to tear down the walls, they begin to communicate better. For example, a couple of weeks ago, I was leading a Build-A-Bike(R) team building event for a big company in Indiana, and like many companies, one of the challenges that they were having was getting people to fully communicate, to see the big picture. They had to work together to solve clues, and at the same time recognize and capitalize on individual strengths that could win them a bike part. In other words, break down communication silos. They quickly learned the value of communicating in a world without walls.
Opening lines of communication spawns creative opportunities that no one dreamed of. No one dreamed of the opportunities because the group was busy erecting walls. Effective team-building events, bring analytical and expressive together, one balancing the other. Anthony Robbins says, "To effectively communicate, we must realize that we are all different in the way we perceive the world and use this understanding as a guide to our communication with others."
When one person's idea is shared with others, it becomes a bigger idea, splinters, and turns into ideas. The ideas morph into Big Ideas and participants understand the real value of knocking down the silo walls.
A perfectly functioning company does not "just happen." It takes work, bringing teams together in the name of communication, compatibility and cohesiveness. It is simple really. All you have to do is be open and learn how to "break down the walls."
Mis-communication or no communication is very costly to corporations, both in loss of production hours and duplication of efforts. In fact researchers at the Robert H. Smith School of Business, at Maryland University, put a 12 billion dollar price tag on what poor communication costs American hospitals per year. That is a staggering waste of money that could be put into salaries, programs or training. Smart corporate leaders look for ways to improve communication by seeking out new team building events. Idea driven events that will help their staff tear down walls that thwart communication.
Ridding corporations of communication silos can open lines of communication and save the bottom line. When people learn how to tear down the walls, they begin to communicate better. For example, a couple of weeks ago, I was leading a Build-A-Bike(R) team building event for a big company in Indiana, and like many companies, one of the challenges that they were having was getting people to fully communicate, to see the big picture. They had to work together to solve clues, and at the same time recognize and capitalize on individual strengths that could win them a bike part. In other words, break down communication silos. They quickly learned the value of communicating in a world without walls.
Opening lines of communication spawns creative opportunities that no one dreamed of. No one dreamed of the opportunities because the group was busy erecting walls. Effective team-building events, bring analytical and expressive together, one balancing the other. Anthony Robbins says, "To effectively communicate, we must realize that we are all different in the way we perceive the world and use this understanding as a guide to our communication with others."
When one person's idea is shared with others, it becomes a bigger idea, splinters, and turns into ideas. The ideas morph into Big Ideas and participants understand the real value of knocking down the silo walls.
A perfectly functioning company does not "just happen." It takes work, bringing teams together in the name of communication, compatibility and cohesiveness. It is simple really. All you have to do is be open and learn how to "break down the walls."
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