case study #1

I just hate going to these weekly manager meetings, said Rosetta. She was speaking to Fernando, a fellow manager at the Blue Bay Restaurant.

I agree, replied Fernando, Its almost like were being punished for being promoted to manager.

Thats a good way to say it, Fernando, continued Rosetta. We already know what will happen. First, the boss will say how bad our financials were last week; then he will go on a by-department basis through the entire restaurant to indicate how the people in that unit spent more than they should have and negatively affected our results. The meeting will end with a statement about going back out there and doing better this week.

Thats exactly what has happened in the past, and its exactly what will happen again at tomorrows meeting, said Fernando. We have lots of ideas to help this place. But we never get a chance to present these suggestions because we focus on what has happened in the past rather than what we can do in the future.

What is the main problem with the meetings conducted by the manager of the Blue Bay Restaurant for the managers?

What are the two most basic things you would suggest to improve these meetings?

Case Study #2

We may have a problem, ladies and gentlemen, and I hope this meeting will be the start of our process to resolve it, said Vernette, the manager of Seashore Hills Restaurant.

Well, Ill start the conversation because I know what it is about, said Federico, the kitchen manager. I overheard two of my cooks talking about the wages received by some of their friends who are cooks in some of our competitors restaurants, and it seems like our pay rates are pretty low.

After further discussion, Vernette heard similar stories from the head bartender and the dining-room manager.

I might be taking too simple an approach on this, Vernette said, but I wonder if our restaurant should be at the lower, middle, or higher end of the pay scale when compared to other restaurants?

How would you respond to Vernette if you were one of her managers?

In addition to considering pay increases, what else can Vernette and her team do to address the compensation challenge?

Case Study #3

Angelo, weve talked about this informally, and now I want to have a more formal discussion. Thats why Ive called you to my office, said Constance, the manager of Tiptonville Bistro.

What do you think other servers think when you leave early saying that youre ill? This happens about once a week. It always seems to be after a rush when there is a lot of after-shift work because we didnt have the normal slowdown time, she continued. Do you think it is fair to have your team be short one member when they do cleanup?

I cant help it if the hard work and long time on my feet make me feel very tired and even sick, replied Angelo. There is nothing I can do about it!

Well, said Constance. Dino, another server, told me that he saw you at a bar later on a night when you had to leave early. I think we need to agree right now about what we can do to resolve this problem.

Assume that Angelo asked you, the manager, what your suggestions are. What would you say?

Assume Angelo agreed to your suggestions, returned to work, and repeated the same actions on a shift the next week. What would you do?

Please post your answer in detail.