Managers have many responsibilities that encompass a wide range of tasks from managing staff, inventory, accounting, scheduling, and so much more. It might seem impossible to be a good manager to your employees and be successful in so many different roles, but there are ways to excel at the job, and today we will cover some tools to help make managing a profitable restaurant attainable. Managers don’t have to feel like they are always behind in their work and always struggling to keep up. It is possible to thrive in your role, and a lot of that starts with getting organized!
Goodbye Clutter
It is hard to get quality work done with clutter everywhere. A manager’s physical back office should be free of clutter and clutter can be a roadblock of productivity. File away paperwork that you need and see if anything can be stored online to reduce the amount of paperwork. It is typically much easier to find a file online than searching through drawers and drawers of paperwork. Use a desk organizer to ensure that there is a special place for pens, papers and anything else you might need. Say goodbye to the chaos so you can begin working in a more productive and orderly setting.
Utilize Digital Solutions
- Labor Scheduling – We have all seen employee schedules taped up somewhere so people know what shift they work. If you walk into a manager’s office, it could possibly look like a scene from A Beautiful Mind with schedules and corrections posted all over. This is not only creating clutter, which we just said was a trait we need to kiss goodbye, but is not an efficient way to communicate with employees. Software today allows managers to easily create schedules and send them out via mobile app messaging. This reduces the amount of paper that you have while also offering managers more time to complete other tasks.
- Inventory – This is another area, that if done with the help of technology, can greatly increase efficiency, accuracy as well as reduce paperwork. With data being automatically collected to give you food cost reports, assist with detailed plate costing and automated vendor price change alerts, managing inventory has never been easier.
- Accounting & Payroll – Pull labor hours directly from your POS System and with software integration available, your accounting and payroll process will be seamless.
Communication
A successful restaurant manager should have excellent communication skills. There are many people to manage, so good communication is key. From the moment you interview someone, to employee training, all the way through their time in your restaurant, they need to know exactly what is expected and need to feel comfortable communicating their questions. Again, technology that assists with scheduling can help with scheduling conflicts, requests off and approvals making that part of communication quick and easy.
You can’t be the best manager you can be if you are being pulled in many different directions and drowning in a seemingly impossible workload. Find areas where technology can step in and lighten your load while also giving you more accurate data and helping you achieve your goals. Problem solving, listening, multi-tasking and a positive attitude are all characteristics of a great leader. Utilize your natural gifts and see how implementing these tips can help you be on your way to becoming a successful restaurant manager.
