Communicating With Staff
Mark S. Elliott has spent 25 years working in various management roles within the tenanted and leased divisions of the UK's largest breweries and pub companies. His extensive knowledge and day-to-day involvement with pubs and publicans make him well qualified to know what is required to run a successful pub. He shares his knowledge and many 'insider tips' with you in this book. Mark is based in Cockermouth, Cumbria.
COMMUNICATING WITH STAFF
With a small number of staff, it is relatively easy to keep in touch with them on a one-to-one basis. However, if you have a large number of staff you may need to consider other ways of communicating with your employees. Short team meetings can be useful ways of improving communication between you and your staff. They are a chance for you to bring staff up to date with issues, discuss changes and equally importantly, obtain feedback from your staff. Staff meetings are also an opportunity to provide your employees with additional training in the following areas: product knowledge, sales techniques, using new equipment, legislation etc.
A staff noticeboard is another way of communicating with your employees. Industry news and information from the licensed trade press can be displayed on it, as well as your forthcoming events and marketing activity. Staff will soon ignore noticeboards that have not been updated recently or have dog-eared displays. Keeping your staff noticeboard fresh and clutter-free will encourage staff to use it.
Communication is a two-way process and you should aim to foster an environment that encourages your staff to give you suggestions and feedback. This can be done in a variety of ways: informally directly to you, or via team meetings or through suggestion schemes. Encouraging staff to give you feedback helps reduce problems and makes them feel more involved in the business.
