My staff seem to have lost focus

Dear Caroline,

My restaurant business has grown over the years. I now have 15 staff and we are growing. We managed to come through the Covid-19 lockdown, and to be honest, we made a lot of money from home deliveries.  I has noticed that the discipline and focus that we had about a year ago has slipped, and my workers, including managers, have stepped back; They come late, deliver sub-standard services and inaccurate accounting for funds. How do I address these issues?

Beatrice

Hello Beatrice, I do not think you should be alarmed by the behaviour you are observing. Many small businesses went through drastic changes, some significant, causing them to shut down; others to reposition themselves so they could remain relevant. It seems there has been a shift in your environment. It sounds as if your culture has been impacted. While the business has shifted, your people may still be stuck in the environment set during the lockdown, where they experienced a lot of empathy and support. You may find they are struggling to adjust. Your managers need to take the lead and help press the reset button. Your team is relatively small, and given the size and level of disruption, this may have, I suggest you coordinate a team-building retreat. The retreat may be a day away from work where you and your managers lead in sharing the business goals, vision etc. This would be an excellent platform to share any new strategies and innovations and an opportunity to receive feedback from the team. 

In the team-building session, you can also open the forum and ask staff what ideas they think can be introduced so the business can grow. If you are given a good idea, take it on. It is also essential to communicate to the team the impact their behaviour has on the business. While the company wants to support staff, the staff also must look after the company. Good Luck

Caroline Mboijana,

Managing Director, The Leadership Team (U) [email protected]