HSCS-002 – Set the tone (Pt2, Run your business like Gordon Ramsay)

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Are you a wise guy? A wimp? Do you hide from your customers? Are you socially awkward and make those around you uncomfortable? Do you hide from confrontation? Do our employees have any respect for you? Do they outright steal from you? Can you make your own decisions or do you seek approval from those around you? Do you give a damn?

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Topic #1 – Be a leader and set the tone

Part 2 of my series: Run your business like Gordon Ramsay. We’ll break down key observations on how to turn a failing business into a success. Chef Gordon Ramsay has successfully launched several restaurants and in his popular show, Kitchen Nightmares (Fox, BBC America), he helps failing business owners identify their weaknesses and implement significant positive change in the way their business is operated. Love him or hate him, his keen business skills and insistence on high standards have made him a success.

Remember when Anthony Edwards left the show ER? He passed the metaphorical basketball to Noah Wiley and told him “Set the tone.”

As the owner and leader you must set the tone. Enforce the rules. Be a boss. Yell if you have to. Don’t let your employee bully you. Send someone home if they don’t respond or respect you. Don’t be afraid to get rid of incompetent or disruptive workers.

Executive Chef, Head Chef, Vice President, Director, Manager…. Titles mean nothing if you don’t bring anything useful to the table.

It’s your money. They’re out of a job if they can’t step up and commit.

Got issues, work them out. Seek help. Get out of business. Do what ever it takes, just don’t cripple yourself and those around you.

If the lead chef can’t lead, it’s time to find another chef.

Topic #2 – An online tool you absolutely must start using today

I want to talk to you about Linkedin.com. If you have a profile already, great, I’ll tell you what you need to do next to fully benefit from it. If you don’t have a profile on Linkedin, go right now and do it.

Here’s how you’ll directly benefit:

• Get found online.
• Publish your resume online – Present your background as you want it to be known.
• Demonstrate your subject matter expertise.
• Find former colleagues and reconnect with them. Email addresses change, but you should always be able to keep connected through Linkedin.
• Don’t worry about the number of friends you have. You should focus on quality of your connections, not the quantity.
• Every person I’m connected with:
  • I’ve met in person.
  • Had a face-to-face conversation with.
  • I believe I may have an opportunity to do business with in the future.
  • Get and give recommendations.
• There’s a great Q&A section on all sorts of topics. Answer questions to help out fellow professionals and demonstrate your expertise.
• Poll your contacts for opinions on ideas you have.
• Search for people you know who might be able to introduce you to someone you want to meet.
• You rank high in the natural search results when someone searches on your name.

If your attitude is: “But I have a Facebook (or MySpace) page.” Well, that’s great. Glad you’re out there. But truthfully, do you want prospective customers and employers looking at your family photos? Or do you want them to see what you want to be best known for professionally?

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HSCS-001 – Run your business like Gordon Ramsay, Part1

Podcast: Play in new window | Download (8.3MB)

In this audio podcast series, we break down key observations on how to turn a failing business into a success.

Shut Up and Listen

Chef Gordon Ramsay has successfully launched several restaurants and in his popular show, Kitchen Nightmares (Fox, BBC America), he helps failing business owners identify their weaknesses and implement significant positive change in the way their business is operated. Love him or hate him, his keen business skills and desire for high standards have made him a success.

Turnaround can be painful, but it is possible. It requires significant commitment, time, resources, money, and the willingness to accept criticism and change the way you work/behave.

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Establish an Email Policy For Your Business

If you are running a business with more than one employee using your company email, you absolutely need to set a workplace email policy — clear rules for staff regarding what email can/can’t be used for.

I recently helped a business owner setup staff email accounts and the owner was surprised at my recommendation to write and distribute a policy before allowing his employees to access their new accounts. Once I began to explain the potential for his employees to abuse their email accounts — even unintentionally — and put his business at risk, it became clear why some time and thought needed to be put into defining a business policy for his staff.

Your company’s email usage policy should clearly define:

• The business email account is to be used exclusively for work-related communications. It should not be used for personal messages or registering at unrelated websites.
• Email is generally insecure so avoid sharing confidential information, trade secrets, proprietary information, patient information, etc. HIPPA and COPPA guidelines normally practiced should also apply to electronic communications to prospects, customers and business partners.
• The business email account password may not be shared with anyone.
• The business email account may not be used for sending hateful, disparaging, pornographic or other inappropriate messages.
• Management has the right to review email accounts at any time.
• Punishment for violating the email usage policy.

Build these guidelines into your standard employee handbook. To help you get started, check out this guidelines for workplace emails.

I hope you find this useful. Please share any additional suggestions.
-Roland

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