Case 1 : Restaurant

• Family-owned Greek and Italian restaurant.
• Located in a small city that is in the midst of revitalizing its downtown.
• The restaurant has been in business for 10 years, 5 years at the current location.
• Owner - 25+ years in the restaurant business.
• Several new restaurants are planning to open nearby that could negatively impact business.

SCOPE:

• Owner wanted to capitalize on the revitalization of downtown.
• Lack of accountability of employees.
• Ineffective communication between owner/managers and employees.
• Owner inability to complete projects or institute changes.
• Lack of teamwork among and between staff.

ANALYSIS:

• Owner attributed any success to luck and lacked confidence in his abilities.
• Owner only focused on the problems and was “braced” for failure.
• Owner’s communication style was giving him results he did not want.
• “Lone ranger” culture was pervasive due to way the restaurant was structured.
• Lack of accountability stemmed from owner’s micromanaging and attempts to control everything.
• Owner’s procrastination was due to his lack of confidence and fear of the outcome.

STRATEGY:

• Utilized Appreciative inquiry to discover the strengths of the owner.
• Conducted an Appreciative Inquiry workshop with entire staff.
• Developed a shared vision of the future of the organization.
• Designed organization to leverage strengths and to achieve the shared vision.
• Shifted focus to the strengths and capacities of organization.

RESULTS:

• Check averages went up from $13 per person to $16+ per person.
• Owner can now see the direct link between his strengths and the restaurant’s success, and he can leverage those strengths to create new opportunities.
• Instituted a lunch buffet. This reduced time for lunch and increased lunch business.
• After nine months of delays, owner built a new bar to encourage customers to wait for a table during busy periods. This resulted in an increase in bar business. It also attracted guests from a nearby hotel to dine at the bar. Additionally, the number of people who choose to leave because of the wait has decreased
• Marketing campaign to highlight 5th anniversary at current location increased visibility and increased business from same month previous year.
• Improved communication style of owner and his willingness to stop micromanaging and trust the employees increased staff accountability.
• The Appreciative Inquiry workshop with the entire staff resulted in reduced competition between staff, increased teamwork, and increased communication between the front of the house staff and the back of the house staff. This has enhanced customer service resulting in increased sales and repeat business.
• As a result of the cultural shift in the organization, an employee handbook was created that reflects the strengths of the owner and staff. The content of the handbook was developed from the information gathered at the AI workshop.