Ans the 5 question

Food for Managerial Thought can train people all day," he explains, "but we can't find (Third Course) happy people with good attitudes. We can't train that into people. Either they are or they aren't.... You can't train "We're always hiring. And we're people to be enthusiastic, nice, fun, great people. always firing." "You have to hire that," he argues, and the Barcelona -SCOTL LAWTON, COO OF BARCELONA RESTAURANT GROUP approach to finding the right people to deliver the required level of customer service seems to be hiring Throughout the video for this case, Scott Lawton, COO new employees until the person-job fit clicks. And, of of Barcelona Restaurant Group, * talks about the com- course, firing employees who don't fit. "We're always hirpany's approach to human resources (HR), which is, he ing," says Lawton. "And we're always firing." Very few says, "the biggest thing we do." At the very end of the managers, he reports, actually quit Barcelona, but he video, the interviewer asks him if he would hire himself notes that, in his three years with the company, "we've for a managerial position at Barcelona. "That's a good turned over 60-70 percent of management.... And that question. I think I would," he replies, but after a is because we're not afraid to let people go. We demand moment's hesitation, he reconsiders his initial response. a certain level of quality, and we're continually raising the "Well, I don't know," he says. "I don't know if I would bar on what our expectations are." have the floor presence that I demand out of my man- And not only does the bar go up, but employee agilagers. I'm not sure that I'd be a great floor manager for ity often goes down. "This is a high-burnout business," Barcelona." explains Lawton. ... Somebody who is great a year ago What does a floor manager do? Typically, the floor may not be great this year." Take DJ, whom we never manager in a restaurant is a jack of all trades. He or she meet but whose name comes up in a managers' meetmust train and schedule employees and ensure opera- ing. After reminding managers that they're "famous for tional efficiency by managing employees and controlling friendly service," Lawton alludes to some reports that inventories and cash. Above all, however, a floor manager he's received about DJ's performance: "I'm getting is responsible for customer service-making sure that cus- some signs," he says, that customers "did not feel weltomers come first and that every employee understands come by DJ. They love Barcelona, but they said [DJ's that dictum. And that's why, according to Lawton, HR- attitude] just didn't feel like Barcelona." DJ's manager particularly, the approach to hiring people-is critical at agrees that customer perceptions were probably accuBarcelona: "For any company that's involved in customer rate at the time but hastens to add that, on other occaservice," he says, "hav[ing] the right people in front sions, "I saw him hustling and doing a good job." of your customers is the most important thing you "Well, let's put it another away," interjects cofounder can do." and CEO Andy Pforzheimer. "DJ can be good. Right now, So, why would Lawton-at least in his own opinion- he's not. So have somebody else there or make him real not be the right person to hire as a floor manager at one good real fast." of his own restaurants? Perhaps it's something in his per- In any case, when it comes to upgrading the work ception of his personality. Training people to do certain force through firing and hiring, there's always the falljobs is always a major task in HR management, but back position of paring away the bottom 20 percent. Lawton is skeptical about training as an effective method "We're always hiring," Lawton tells his managers, of developing exactly the right people for Barcelona. "We because "we're always culling out the bottom 20 percent. There's always somebody better out there than Job Responsibilities our worst servers." He himself conducts hiring inter- Responsibilities include but are not limited to the views every day and advises his managers to do the following: same: "That's how you get better. You hire your way - Oversee management and operations at your out of your problems." In the last stage of his own hiring locations. process, explains Lawton, he asks prospective employees to "pretend that you've worked for us for six months. I - Execute company-wide strategic plans \& implement want to see who you are. I want to see you commanding processes to achieve them. the floor, making friends with the guests, talking to the - Ensure our high standards of guest service are upheld. staff. I want to see who you'd be for me." - Develop, coach, mentor and evaluate performance of the management staff. CASE QUESTIONS - Execute operating procedures to ensure uniform 1. Would you be enthusiastic, nice, and fun if you worked performance throughout the company. for Barcelona? Why or why not? - Drive Sales, Profitability and Guest Satisfaction 2. Focusing on the issue that's central to this video-HR results in the market. strategies and processes-explain why conflict is liable Given what you know about Barcelona's HR policies, to arise at Barcelona. Judging from the video, what types of reactions to conflict-avoidance, accommodado you think that you have the right personality for a tion, competition, collaboration, or compromise - are job like this one? Do you have, or would you be intermost likely to be evident, whether at individual outlets ested in developing, the skills for such a job? What or within the managerial ranks? reservations might you have about the job? (Note: 3. Consider your answer to question 2. Does top manage- The starting salary for a General Manager at Barcelona ment at Barcelona tend to depend more on stimulating is " $100,000+++.") conflict or on conflict resolution? Do you approve of the preference, or do you think that the other approach- ADDITIONAL SOURCES or some combination of the two-would be more Valerie Schroth, "Success Stories: Barcelona Finds the Formula," effective? In other words, how would you go about Connecticut Magazine, January 2012, www.connecticutmag.com on achieving the optimal level of conflict summarized in June 27, 2012; Barcelona Restaurant Group, "About Us" (2012), www. barcelonawinebar.com on June 27, 2012; James Cooper, "Chef InterFigure 15.1? 4. For what reasons might intergroup conflict develop at Aiew: Andrew Pforcheimer of the Barcelona Restaurant Group, Examiner.com, January 27, 2010, www.examiner.com on June 27, 2012. Barcelona? [Hint: Recall the managers' meeting "Barcelona is also the subject of Video Case 5, which introduces us to excerpted in Video Case 5.] Be as specific as you can the company's top managers and their philosophy for managing in describing the nature of this potential conflict. employees ("We attempt to hire grownups"), and Video Case 6, 5. Here's an excerpt from the kind of advertising that which discusses their strategies for motivating employees and gathScott Lawton talks about in the video: + ering information about the level of customer service at Barcelona outlets. Extremely Busy Restaurants in Connecticut's "General Manager/Director of Food \& Beverage," careerbuilder.com, Fairfield County are Looking for a General Manager September 4, 2012, www.careerbuilder.com on September 29, 2012