Posts Tagged ‘Staff’
Scary, fearful, cautious, desperate, timid, negative - all words.
How can I? When should I? What if I can’t? How will it end? - still only words.
Most small business owners are apprehensive at best on a day to day basis. This is normal. Contrary to what most coaches, therapists and others may say, it’s not always possible or reasonable to float around on a business high. It’s much more reasonable to acknowledge that running and managing a business regardless of its size is a journey filled with stress and anxiety. Not filled up, not even necessarily half full, but certainly a lot of cubic meters worth. Again, this is normal.
People have many faces but that’s not to say that they are liars, some just present different parts of themselves at work or in negotiations or even in the day or night. Some people find it hard to blend their personal views with their business agenda and hospitality is a perfect example of that, in fact retail or sales in general as well. Take for example waiters (non gender specific); their job is to be hospitable, welcoming. They are in charge of your customer experience. When they look at you, do they make eye contact? Does their face reflect their feelings or their words? Are they sincere, going through the motions or openly bored and can’t wait to finish their shift?
5.00am: It’s a typical day at VIVO Cafe.
Of course I say that in the car while driving to work. I listen to AM radio in the hope that I will know a tiny bit of what’s going on in the world around me. Sometimes my work bubble extends so much over my life bubble that it can, does and will totally take over. Especially on a day like today, that is about to send me over the edge. So far all is as it should be, but not for long!
5.01am: First phone call, two staff have already missed the train, they will be one hour late. As it’s against the law to SPEED and I can’t magically appear at work, I now have the ‘drive of stress’ to contend with. The one where you develop road rage against everything because the world doesn’t get that you need to go to work faster. Right now. We have over 100 booked for breakfast starting at 7.00am and we need to unpack furniture and basically get ready for the entire day. Breathe. Even after 25 years as a business owner, or maybe especially because of these 25 years, I still get worried when calls start early. It’s never good. It always gets worse. This isn’t pessimism, or a self fulfilling prophecy or me being negative. This is life in a small business and in the cafe world when you start to run late early on, you very rarely get ahead.
There are all kinds of rage these days - Road Rage, Sport Rage, Tiger Woods Rage, Waitress Rage, Customer Rage, Passenger Rage and millions more.
But what about Business Rage? The good, bad and ugly feelings that rumble inside us on a daily basis. The feelings that we suppress or allow out. Feelings that can build or destroy our business.