How a Manager took the wind out of my sails

TGIFYou may have heard me tell the story of how when I started my business, with very little experience in selling my services and unable to pay my bills, I had to go get a part-time job bartending. A few articles ago, I shared how I got hired at a TGI Friday’s by a new General Manager who was willing to take a risk on someone completely “green” in the restaurant industry.

Well, his risk paid off because it just so happens that I was a near perfect fit for the job. I was fun, friendly, enthusiastic, hard-working, dedicated, resourceful, etc. Dare I say, the perfect employee. 😉

Until the day he took the wind out of my sails!

It was a shift that started in the morning to open the bar for lunchtime. Let’s just say – not the ideal shift – as you do a lot of prep and setup with very little business (i.e. tips) until later in the day.

But like I did most mornings, I came in happy and ready to work. The GM was at the bar looking for the remote to turn on the TV’s and asked if I knew where it was. I said jokingly, “What do I get if I find it?” He said, “You get to keep your job.”

OOF!

This offhanded remark literally felt like a punch to the gut. Here I was making the best of a not-so-great situation and he took his frustration out on me. I can tell you honestly, it was a turning point in my level of enthusiasm and commitment to him and his vision for that particular restaurant.

I’ve had many years to think over this one remark. With time comes perspective. I NOW know that his remark wasn’t personal. I NOW know that his frustration at being unable to find the remote was likely the tip of the iceberg of challenges he was facing that day. I NOW know that you never try to charm or play with a High Dominant person when they are in “go” mode.

But I also NOW know that as a Manager, he failed to understand one basic tenet of employee engagement. And that one tenet is the topic of this next series of articles.

In the meantime, if you have any specific employee engagement challenges you’d like to discuss, feel free to reach out to meet at nancy@discwizardonline.com.

~ Nancy Roberts
The DISC Wizard

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