Staff

The Good, the Bad, the Ugly.

It is a common myth that a great idea, a great location, plenty of initial capital and some enthusiasm is all that is needed to open a successful hospitality business. Sure, a portion of these aspects are necessary but tough times may await those whose don’t consider much, much more.

One vital yet an often brushed over requirement for a genuinely successful café or coffee shop is the issue of staff. As the heading suggests there are good staff, which owners must walk over hot coals to only employ such people. There are bad staff, that for all intent and purposes have only been employed because lazy or complacent owners have lacked the tenacity or business mindedness to find the truly good ones. Then there are the ugly. These staff members are the blight on the industry and if they indeed have slipped through the vetting process their presence is often the beginning of the end of a café or coffee shop.

There is a need for owners to benchmark the level of perfection that is desired, albeit necessary, to which they then should expect all staff members to aspire to. Tasks and actions must then be specifically formulated, understood and undertaken including one non-negotiable constant: that those employed are then meticulously trained to instinctively and persistently fulfil the benchmark levels that have been set.

In no uncertain terms, staff who are ascertained to be at the benchmark level, to which I classify as elite, without exception are required at all levels of the business. In general terms they are forever proactive, they want or desire positive results, have a passion to improve constantly all they do and have great aspirations that forever shine through in their efforts.

 They know where their future is heading, they achieve goals and, most importantly, they are not in any way fake, moody or flamboyant. They are not inconsistent, spasmodic or, in simple terms, are not hot and cold in their work ethic. They always perform their duties at an optimum level within the business.

These heralded and sought-after elite staff members rarely waste their time working within environments that employ staff who fail to have the right attitude. In fact, elite staff will not wish to work alongside others who fail to embrace a similar work ethic to their own. An added feature that can be attributed to elite staff members is that, if anything, they will attract similar or like-minded employees to the café or coffee shop.

These few words on staff are just but a few on what is contained extensively in my book.                                                                               

 Cheers, Mark.