Good Morning Friends! Here are my 5 Things to Consider this week!
Culture – Being unapologetically ourselves. During the recent updating of our Mission, Vision and Values, we added something that I feel is at the heart of what we set out to do, and that’s being unapologetically ourselves. This is another perfect example of something that has always been with us, we just needed to pluck it out and define it. The importance of this one struck me a couple weeks ago when we decided to put out a new tee shirt that said, “I still call it Slut Sauce”. Honestly, I was super apprehensive at first, but the more I thought about it, the more I began to embrace it. We are allowed to look back at our past fondly and appreciate the things that got us to this point. We shouldn’t feel ashamed and we shouldn’t apologize. Now, I’m not saying we should walk around with our middle fingers in the air either. Another one of Values states that we will “treat every guest and Piesan with fairness and respect”, so there’s a balancing act that WE need to decide, as a company, where our comfort level is at. Pushing the envelope is a give-and-take. Knowing where “the line” is takes emotional intelligence, awareness of feelings, compassion and finesse. The more we mature, the better we get at this skill. The good ones do it brilliantly. The bad ones rely on being offensive, dick jokes and low-brow humor. We will be unapologetically ourselves and do it brilliantly.
Leadership – Always Pick up Trash. This is one of the simplest things you can do as a leader to set a good example for your team…and it’s as simple as the title. Napkins, paper plates, dirty cups, and more are all over the floors and tables of our restaurants at any given time. The minute you CHOOSE to step over a piece of trash on the floor, you’re setting an example for the rest of your team that a dirty restaurant is standard. When you CHOOSE to set the example of picking up trash, you’re setting the example that garbage on the floors is UNACCEPTABLE. If you remember nothing else from this paragraph, remember this, EVERYTHING you do sets an example for your teams. Every action you take and word you speak is your form of leadership and your team absorbs it like a sponge. What you EXCEPT is what you ACCEPT. What you ACCEPT is what you TEACH. One of the simplest things you can do to set a good example in your shops is always pick up the little pieces of trash on the floor.
History – The Shack. History of The Shack – The Original Late Night Slice – Part 4 – The Last Days and the First Days – Years 7 – 10 Abridged. On a cool Sunday morning in April of 2014 (someone correct my dates here!) we assembled in the parking lot, sledge hammers and saws in hand, to tear down the Shack. And that we did. The newly-built shipping container was being delivered that next Wednesday and we needed to make room for the new “Shack”. As sad as we were to see it go, we all knew it was the right decision. Plus, the new “Shack” was bigger and better all around. The falling of the old Shack symbolized a lot to me and the whole company at the time. It was the passing of an old way of doing things. A symbolic right of passage into whatever adulthood looked like for LNS. We were grown-ups now and we needed to look at the way we did things and do those things better.
Motivation – “The people who mind don’t matter and the people who matter don’t mind. – Dr. Seuss
What I’m Reading or Watching – Let Your Life Speak – Parker Palmer. The one thing I dislike about listening to a great podcast is hearing the guest talk about the books that changed his or her life. That always costs me money because immediately hop on Amazon and buy those books and BAM…$30. This is where I got Let Your Life Speak. It’s a short book, only about 100 or so pages, but whoa, talk about impactful. It’s full of quotes like this… “Before I can tell my life what I want to do with it, I must listen to my life telling me who I am.”
Baby Update – Son Number 1 is at the ripe ol’ age of 31 weeks currently and is the size of coconut! Pina Coladas anyone? He is currently practicing his showtunes in preparation of making it big on Broadway.
Thanks for reading! Like or hate any part of this? Let me know! I really value your feedback.
Have a great week!
5 Things to Consider Archive 