HRT 382

1. Team Work: Putting it All Together HRT 382 Dr. Ben Dewald Collins School of Hospitality Management

2. Reference • Cullen, N. (2001). Life Beyond the Line. “Team Work: Putting it All Together”, Chapter 26, pp267-284, Prentice Hall, New Jersey. • Cal Poly Library: • TX911.3.M27 C8497 2001

3. Guest service Facts What is a team Successful teams Communication Making teams work Getting the best from team meetings Team training Understanding team behaviors Resolving conflict within the team Recognizing team members Outline

4. Guest Service Facts • If 20 guests are dissatisfied with the foodservice product, 19 won’t tell, and 14 of 20 will take their “business” elsewhere • Dissatisfied guests tell an average of 10 other people about their bad experience • Satisfied guests will tell an average of 5 people about their positive experience • It costs 5 times more money to attract a new guest • Up to 90% of dissatisfied guests will not call again • Quality of service is one of the few variables that can distinguish any foodservice organization from its competition.

5. What is a team Together – Everyone – Achieves – More • A group of people working together to achieve a common goal.

6. Successful Teams What do we want from teamwork? • The most effective, rewarding, and productive way of working together • Team building involves getting employees to feel a sense of belonging and ownership in what they are doing as a group. • To be successful in the hospitality industry, teamwork within and between all departments is essential.

7. Communication • Presentation of information important to get message across. • Select best way • Words are main communication vehicle • Words alone inadequate to present a picture to a group of people, they will all receive a different picture, even though the all hear the same words.

8. Definitions • Communicate: to give share of, to impart: to reveal: to bestow: to have something in common with another: to succeed in conveying one’s meaning to others. • Communication: transmission, imparting; giving of information messages etc. means of communicating: system of transmitting messages.

9. What is Communication? • Communication can be as simple as • a hand raised in a classroom • an answering nod • but often much more complicated.

10. Four/Five Stages of Successful Communication • The Sender’s Idea • His/Her Expression of the Idea • The Receipt of the Idea • The Response to the Idea - ACTION There may be a fifth item - FEEDBACK - from receiver to sender

11. ONE WAY Fast for speaker but dissatisfied receiver Results less accurate Pleasant experience for communicator Lower level of confidence of hearers TWO WAY More difficult to prepare & more time needed Results more accurate More pleasant experience for receiver Higher level of confidence. One/Two Way Communication

12. The Raw Materials For person to person communication the possible tools (select the best) include: • SPEECH • WRITTEN WORD • SIGNS AND GESTURES

13. The Rules Of Communication • FORMULATE MESSAGE • be clear to the point • TRANSMIT • state purpose, create interest • INTERFERENCE • beware of noise • RECEIVE & INTERPRET • listen, ask questions, purpose, action needed.

14. The Method • KEEP TO THE POINT • be as precise as possible • KEEP IT SIMPLE • use easy words • SAY WHAT YOU MEAN • there will still be questions • PLAN YOUR CAMPAIGN • choose best time, mode e.g. bulletin board and speech

15. The Barriers • LANGUAGE BARRIER • avoid long word, jargon, local dialect • HABIT BARRIER • don’t do everything the same • DISTRACTION BARRIER • try to remove them or make allowances • MISUNDERSTANDING BARRIER • slow down and double check.

16. Communication - Basic Rules (1) • Feedback from receiver - (build it in) • Observation - be aware of non verbal signs of receiver • For clarity - diagrams can help • Break it down - don’t overload • Try to assess knowledge of receiver • Pace - a little slower using familiar language

17. Communication - Basic Rules (2) • Don’t break down too much • Notes - notes needed, given or taken • Listening - important • Interference - take into account • Time - adjust to each person.

18. Developing a Positive Team & Work Climate • Clarify each team member’s role and sort through any interpersonal conflict • Setting aside time to learn and apply quality improvement methods and reviewing work methods which affect team member performance and quality • Listening, receiving, and reacting to team input.

19. Team Activities Should: • Stimulate thinking, • Create enthusiasm, and • Assist in analyzing different approaches to quality service.

20. Great Team Environment • An informal relaxed atmosphere • Understanding of the total quality philosophy • Willingness to act as a group, communicate, and listen to each other • Willingness to share new ideas • A focus on differences about concepts – not about team members • A readiness for action once a course of action has been arrived at through consensus.

21. Training Individuals in Teamwork For teamwork to be successful, the members of the team must be trained for the task. • Role playing or simulations • Simulations provide imaginary or real-life situations that a team member figures out how to solve (HRT 382) • Feedback from the facilitator • Case studies

22. Getting the Best from Team Meetings • Keep meetings to under 12 people • Start meetings on time • Be informal; key to putting the team at ease • Respect the contribution of each team member, avoid arguments • Encourage everybody to participate • Control meeting, interrupt, summarize points • Ask debatable questions “which is a better method?” • Take minutes and decide on actions

23. Team Training • Job Talk: speech by team leader • Team Meetings: group discussions • Role Playing: assuming parts in a realistic situation • Demonstrations: actual equipment used to demonstrate action • Case Study: written narrative of real situation; propose solution(s) and make decisions • Apprenticeship: trainee’s work under guidance • On the Job training (OJT): repeated instruction and supervised practice.

24. Difficult People & Teamwork Team member will disagree. Balance emotional and rational reactions to behavior that upsets you: • Take a break • Count to 10 if official break is not possible • Consult a third party • Acknowledge and talk about your emotions • Accept responsibility and apologize if an argument erupt • Prepare yourself when you know an emotional situation is likely.

25. Human Characteristics • Hostile-aggressive: bully and overwhelm others • Complainers: gripe incessantly but do nothing • Silent & unresponsives: respond to every question and plea for help with a yes, a no or a grunt. • Superagreeables: reasonable, sincere and supportive in presence of others but do not produce • Negativists: “It won’t work” deflate other optimism • Know-it-all experts: condescending, imposing (if they know) pompous (if they don’t). Make other feel like idiots • Indecisives: stall major decisions until decisions are made for them. Can’t let anything go until it is perfect, which means never.

26. Resolving Conflict within the Team • Conflict is inevitable within all teams. • If handled correctly this might lead to greater creativity and innovation by challenging assumptions, values, and proposals.

27. Causes of Conflict • Confusion: unclear team goal or objectives • Perception: interpretation based on past experiences • Emotions and egos: cloud judgment, confuse facts and feeling, and get things out of proportion. (Also a tremendous source of energy and morale, should not be ignored) • Communication: both verbal and non-verbal provides an opportunity for misinterpretation.

28. Overcome & Resolve Conflict • Present issues unemotionally – use “I” message and ask team members for help. “Can we agree to work together on this? I really need your help.” • Clarify and define the issue. “Here is how I see the problem, what do you think is the issue?” • Understand the other person’s position, listen without judgment or rebuttal, ask for clarification (probe), “can you tell me more about that?” • Give your point of view. Use “I” statements, test for understanding • Develop common objectives or conditions.“What are we all after?” • Brainstorm alternatives, put judgment on hold • Jointly choose one alternative • Finally decide how each member will know if solution is working.

29. Recognizing Team Members • Send letter to thank team members for help • Develop “behind the scenes” award • Create “best idea of the day/year/quarter/project” • Honor helpful peers in a meeting/briefing • Create a visibility wall to display information, posters, pictures, thanking individuals and describing their contributions, team picture • Take interest in a team member’s development • Have stock of small gifts to give to people you “catch doing things right”.

30. Review Questions • Describe the benefits of a team approach in the food service industry • Outline attributes of successful teams • Describe why effective communication is vital in the food service industry • Explain the steps in conducting effective meetings • Outline benefits and elements associated with teamwork and training • Explain the complexities involved with understanding team member behaviors, and discuss how to deal with difficult people and resolve conflict.