John Tuccio’s Post

Do you remember what it was like to be a first-time manager? How challenging and humbling it was to grow into your role? Maisie Ganzler, Chief Strategy & Brand Officer for Bon Appétit Management Company, the billion-dollar food service company committed to “a sustainable future”, recalls her time as a young, growing manager, and generously shares some of the deep lessons (and hard knocks) encountered along her career path – especially when “learning to lead” in her incredible video interview for A Taste of Opportunity (the restaurant industry’s career development and leadership book). Maisie did not hold back in her interview – sharing personal experiences, career insights, and ultimately offers a powerful masterclass on how to give feedback, how to influence, and ultimately how to build a satisfying and successful career – with purpose. In addition to openly sharing her personal career insights in order to help swing the door open for the next generation of leaders and those currently mid-career path – Maisie also has an incredible new book that you should definitely check out. You Can’t Market Manure at Lunchtime (Harvard Business Review Press). It is absolutely jam-packed with real-life stories and insights for how to build a truly sustainable brand. Under Maisie’s leadership, BAMCO has grown to operate +1,000 cafes in 33 states, with +20K employees and executes +250 Million Meals a year - all with a deep commitment toward delivering more sustainable foodservice with every action they take. Thank you, Maisie, for your leadership, for your mentorship, and for always saying it like it is. You are a true inspiration! *Please repost and share broadly – someone you know may need to hear these messages today. **See link below for Maisie's full video interview - it's absolutely phenomenal. Michiel Bakker Stacey Payne Catherine Lederer Dana Gunders Sheilina Henry gigi-anne hoh Ashmeet Kaur, MBA, MS, CPFS Juliana Stone Gilbert Verdugo Casey Gleason Zach Thomas #leadership #careers #masterclass #jobsinfood #gratitude #atasteofopportunity #youcantmarketmanureatlunchtime #compass #bamco

Advice for August 7 If you have been in a management position for more than three years and have not been promoted and you want to be promoted, it's time for you to have a candid straight forward discussion with finess, with your leader, to learn why. Is it your perfomance, your attitude, your trustworthyness, your knowledge, or are you working for a leader who just has not focused on training and developing you for bigger and better things or they themselves are incompetent and just want to keep you, because you are a great performer. www.cockerellstore.com Either way, you have a problem. Either you are the problem or your leader is the problem. Have the hard conversation and make the hard decisions to fulfill your goal. The clock is ticking. For every problem, there is a solution....Lee

“Doesn't everyone want to be doing things they are good at as often as they can?” I'm pleased as punch to bubble up the awesomeness that is Tara Anderson, Mountain America Credit Union’s very own Café General Manager. In her role, Tara is responsible for all food service operations and cafe events at our Cairns Café located in our Sandy Mountain America HQ location. Her reach extends into financial management, reporting and analysis, business reviews, employee management, and guest service and interaction. A few months ago, I had the good fortune to chat with Tara about her CliftonStrengths. Tara leads with Strategic, Individualization, Learner, Woo, and Communication, and it has been inspiring to watch how quickly she has put those strengths to action. I asked Tara what value she’s found in knowing her CliftonStrengths and how she created opportunities for her department of over 70 team members to learn what they do best. “With CliftonStrengths, I learned a language around what I already do well and what I gravitate towards. It allowed me to see myself through a lens of capacity and potential. I also see that when I am struggling, I am likely not using my strengths properly. Often times, we focus on improving weak areas; CliftonStrengths allows us (if we choose) to use our natural tendencies to tackle work and lead in an unlimited capacity. At the beginning of the year, my Senior Vice President asked if anyone had a suggestion for a team-wide goal for 2024. I immediately knew this would benefit our entire team, "top to bottom." Everyone benefits when they understand their abilities and how they operate; when you combine that with team leaders having this valuable knowledge it allows for great understanding and hopefully better use of the talent we have. Doesn't everyone want to be doing things they are good at as often as they can?” If you've every stopped by the Cairns Cafe, you know firsthand what amazing experiences Tara creates for us all. Thank you, Tara for bringing out the best in all of us! #cliftonstrengths #teamdevelopment #culture

Over the course of my career in retail store operations, field leadership, and learning and development, I’ve been able to travel to many different places for work, leaving just three states in the U.S. that I had yet to visit: Alaska, Iowa, and New Mexico. My trip in July not only checked off one of those states, Alaska, but it also added another area of North America I’ve yet to explore: British Columbia. As a self-confessed foodie, I always seek out great restaurants when traveling and, if possible, the opportunity to meet the chef while I enjoy their food. While in Vancouver, we enjoyed a spectacular experience at celebrated restaurant Viji’s Bib Gourmand. During our time at the restaurant, we met and talked with Chef Vikram’s entire staff. He explained that it was important to him that we met all of them because everyone contributes to the success of the customer experience. They were all highly engaged and authentic; nothing was for show. Having spent a large part of my life and career developing leadership training to create this type of culture in retail organizations, it made a huge impression on me. I was struck by how humble and appreciative he was for his restaurant team and where he is today. One sign of just how powerful his restaurant’s culture is: Most of his team have worked with him for over 20 years! The parallels to retail are evident: Treat your team well, empower them with skills and confidence, and instill in them a sense of ownership and pride, and they will ensure your customers are well taken care of. It’s the employee-customer profit service chain that I have followed my entire career. When you engage and empower people, they will deliver their best work for your customers. And they (and your customers) will stay with you for the long haul. How are you creating a culture of trust and respect? #LearnMOHR #Retail #LeadershipTips

Attention to detail is one of the reasons a Chick-fil-A Restaurants drive-through may be second only to a NASCAR pit stop when it comes to speed and effectiveness. Today, I noticed holders installed to hold team member drinks. It's a detail that supports efficiency and customer service by making drinks easy to locate and access, maintains a neat and clean appearance, and shows team members that the company cares about their comfort and convenience. Is there a challenge or opportunity you need to address where attention to detail can improve your speed to better results? #culture #accountability #engagement #performance #leadership

My combined experience of working in customer service, hospitality and the food industry extends well over 10 years. In my recent reflection I realized the common denominator in all of these fields are PEOPLE. Directly interacting with, working with, serving and caring for people. Thankfully, I am naturally a people person so by default I am a relational leader who understands it's the people who matter. I never wanted anyone of my employees to feel like they were the "bottom line" or just another number on a report. The dishwasher is just as vital as the lead cook in the kitchen, the CSR is just as important as the manager, so on and so forth. Without the "bottom line" there is nothing for those at the top to manage and run. Whether on the side of business or consumer the fact is without people there is no business. So we must value people beyond words in a mission & value statement. It needs to be exemplified throughout corporate leadership & the systems they put in place and all throughout the company. When employees feel valued retention soars. When customers feel valued beyond the dollar you want from them loyalty becomes second nature. #peoplematter

Being a leader isn’t just about having a title or position. You can be a manager but not a leader, and vice versa. For instance, I enjoyed attending a store-wide meeting with my incredible co-workers at Fareway yesterday. We gathered before the store opened for the day, and the managers and district leaders shared some exciting updates. Of course, there was the usual reminder about our dress code and other minor things that need to be improved, but the real focus was on enhancing our customer service when interacting with customers. I think the meeting was productive. I jotted down some key points and will put them into action. I’m a part-time clerk working around 15 hours a week during peak hours to assist customers and showcase our products. My role is at the bottom of the traditional organizational structure. After the presentation, I discreetly shared some constructive feedback with the district manager. I pointed out specific crucial points I felt he missed because he spoke to a diverse group of employees spanning multiple generations. My team includes high school students and seasoned professionals, including some of my colleagues over 70. I remembered a quote that I use as a barometer: “Corrective feedback offends those who feel they’ve arrived and motivates those who seek to improve.” I feel the district manager, who’s been in the grocery business for ages and worked hard to EARN his title, still wants to learn and grow. If you have feedback for someone, remember this quote before you share it: "Corrective feedback offenses those who feel they’ve arrived“and motivates those who seek to improve.” #alwayslearning #leadership #100daychallenge #bowtiebob

I am a big Starbucks fan ☕️ (no surprise to those that know me) I also love to think about leadership and how to develop teams so this article combines two of my 💕s! “Building a Culture of Stewardship” This also resonated with the Quaker culture at Sidwell Summer and our Auxiliary Programs at Sidwell Friends School! The incoming CEO is known for driving innovation and delivering exceptional customer experiences through stewardship of the organization and team members. Key ways: ✅ Giving team members the green light 🚦 to lead in line with the organization’s purpose and values ✅ Leading by example giving values and culture a soul and 💕beat ✅ Acting in the best interest of the organization - considering diverse perspectives, building confidence and pride 🌈 ✅ Letting team members lead and build the culture 🛠️ - “fostering a sense of pride and accomplishment that inspires and motivates” For my friends in leadership positions - any of this resonate with you? My SPARC, Summer Programs and Auxiliary Revenue Collaborative colleagues - does this feel campy to you? #independentschools #auxiliaryprograms #summerprograms #leadershipdevelopment #leadershipcoaching

Recognition is a key component of some of the best cultures and greatest performing companies around the world. Three things that make recognition most powerful are: 1. Make it fun!  2. Deliver it fast!  3. Make it personal! David Novak, former CEO of YUM! Brands (KFC, Taco Bell, & Pizza Hut), says recognition is the secret weapon to a business. At KFC, he gave out rubber chickens with hand written notes on them (along with a small cash award). Your teams have been working hard. What are you doing now to recognize the people in your business that are putting in the work and delivering results?

🎉 Exciting news for Red Lobster! 🎉Congratulations to Nichole Robillard on her new role as CMO! With her impressive background at Smokey Bones and a deep understanding of both marketing and operations, she's the perfect fit to lead Red Lobster's brand revitalization. - 𝗦𝘁𝗿𝗮𝘁𝗲𝗴𝗶𝗰 𝗵𝗶𝗿𝗲: Bringing in Nichole just two days after announcing a new CFO signals that Red Lobster's new CEO, Damola Adamolekun, is serious about rebuilding the company and putting a strong leadership team in place. - 𝗖𝗿𝗲𝗮𝘁𝗶𝘃𝗲 𝘃𝗶𝘀𝗶𝗼𝗻 𝘄𝗶𝘁𝗵 𝗼𝗽𝗲𝗿𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻𝗮𝗹 𝗲𝘅𝗽𝗲𝗿𝘁𝗶𝘀𝗲: This is exactly what Red Lobster needs – someone who can not only develop exciting marketing campaigns but also understands how to execute them effectively within the restaurant environment. - 𝗥𝗲𝗯𝘂𝗶𝗹𝗱𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝘁𝗿𝘂𝘀𝘁: After all the negative PR, Red Lobster needs to reassure customers that it's still a great place to enjoy seafood. Robillard's leadership will be crucial in communicating the brand's renewed commitment to quality and value. And congrats to Damola on building a strong leadership team! I'm looking forward to seeing Red Lobster reconnect with customers and reclaim its position as a seafood destination. No doubt the team at Smokey Bones will miss Nichole! (Link in comments)