Running a restaurant business effectively is not an easy task, and a manager needs to learn how to effectively govern the manner in which employees interact and behave. The manager can do this by earning the respect of both his staff and superiors. Respect does not just come easily; rather, it is earned over a period of time.
To earn employees’ respect, the manager needs to know his staff and their skills well. Here he needs to know their strengths and weaknesses. This way he will be able to delegate them to the tasks they are best suited for while ensuring they are well adapted to and trained to perform other tasks. The restaurant manager needs to accept responsibility and accountability instead of delegating them to his staff. This means that if his staff is experiencing difficulty in their tasks, he should help them out instead of scolding them. This makes their job easier and also encourages them to perform their duties well.
A manager should have reasonable expectations of his staff. If he wants them to do something outside their job description such as extra hours, he should ask them instead of commanding and be prepared to take a no for an answer. This common courtesy among colleagues earns respect and co-operation. Moreover, a manager can earn respect from his staff if he listens and takes interest in the things happening to staff outside of work. This show of compassion and understanding displays his human side and a respected manager helps employees go through rough times. He can make the workplace enjoyable. Restaurants as workplaces can be very difficult for staff that is always at the beck and call of both guests and managers. This can elicit feelings of resentment. A manager can counter that by introducing incentives to make the working environment enjoyable such as rewards, staff parties and generally making them feel they are a family.
A manager earns respect from superiors by accepting responsibility and accountability. This is by owning up to mistakes by his staff and helping his staff to do their duties well instead of blaming them This, a manager will do by communicating effectively. This means he gives information clearly, takes time to listen and clarify issues, and ‘talks straight ‘when necessary. If as a manager the superiors tell you of their plan, whether you agree or not say so and provide reasons for your answers. This shows he has opinions and is able to focus on potential results and obey orders, that is, he can take issues head-on when necessary with good judgment and is sensitively anchored in the culture of the business. Moreover, a manager should be flexible and with good judgment. Juggling tasks from financial decision-making to aesthetic and staffing in the restaurant business is not easy, and a manager who is able to do this earns respect from his superiors.
It is correct to follow the attribute that employees’ respect in a restaurant manager does not differ much from the superiors’ respect in managers, only the expectations differ. This is because both sides seem to respect a manager who is responsible, accountable, honest, strong, and intelligent, and an excellent communicator. A manager can make both sides happy by working harder than everybody else, sharing more information than needed with all, building confidence in both the workers and the superiors, maintains a sense of purpose, and adopts his approach to the requirements and style of each person be it superiors or staff.