Family meal time

Culture is the buzzword we hear anytime there is a conversation about a successful business or strong operation. Corporate culture is positive when a business values the people, the employees that make things work. There is no doubt how one can feel when an organization is humming along, when the people inside feel safe and valued. Company culture grows with every positive action, across all departments, driven by every individual. Culture is not created by the CEO or by a designated leadership committee planted inside the conference room. It is invisible to the eye, yet impossible to ignore. Culture makes an employee want to stay and grow, or begin a search beyond familiar walls. It provides the energy to push forward, or the fog to slow down and question every forward step. A good culture brings more customers to your location, while the dysfunctional setting will send these same people to search for other options and calmer seas.

In 2021 I wrote a book about life lessons learned in the day-to-day push for success. One lesson told about an organization that had an off-property team lunch each time a new hire came on board. After taking part in six or seven of these get-togethers, I realized they were much more than soup and sandwich gatherings. These 90-minute meals, always including the boss, were fun events truly bringing people together. These lunches knocked down walls while building empathy for the person on either side of the table setting. Each new hire brought another lunch. Each meal created deeper friendships, better teamwork, and increased results. In the restaurant world, meal breaks are called family meals. I learned they can bring far greater results than just a tasty break. Here are three opinions about how to bring people together through a meal:

Schedule events: Certainly trying to schedule a meal, even on property can be hard, if not impossible. Do all you can to bring team members together. Building relationships, away from the minute-to-minute angst of hospitality, can be a game changer for your property. Even if you have to do it in shifts, setting up regular or semi-regular breakfasts or dinners to thank people for their service is, from what I have learned, a grand opportunity to watch your enterprise grow.

Find excuses: It is important, I believe, to get the troops together, away from the action on a regular basis. Having team members come together, without the immediate stress of the day on their shoulders can do many great things for the culture and the overall enterprise. Dig into the calendar and create events, not excuses.

Recognize: People want to feel good about where they work. They want to feel valued and essential. During these meals, take the time to provide awards: recognition to those team members that help them feel good about you and their efforts. These meals are the perfect time to present small awards in front of fellow team members, in recognition of work well done. In addition to small awards provided, look to create awards that become a part of the culture in the future. Think of every team member as an appreciating asset to handle with care and attention.

I learned that a simple team get-together can become the spark in building a strong, human culture. The family meal can go far beyond getting people away from their work for a time. That meal can turn your group into a team that always has each other’s back. Pull out your calendar to schedule events that may feel like a meal, but in reality are sessions that turn employees into people rowing the boat faster, all in the same direction.

Jack Dillon writes the In My Opinion posts. Jack is an expert in the business, specializing in service, communications, the golf shop and execution. Jack’s new book, The Grand Tug of War, buying and selling in the real world, will be available in April. Jack is available today to help you, your team and property create success in 2023. Contact Jack at jackd@careerdividends.com or call him at 407-973-6136. He is happy to do a FREE ZOOM call to answer your questions.