I know that honesty is the best policy. I also know that sometimes being honest will destroy the receiver of the bad news. I do not have the right to destroy the spirit of the pizza cook. Instead of telling the pizza owner his pizza is not as good as I have had in this region, I might ask him if he plans to do all of the cooking, 24/7? I might ask, what about your customers? Good restaurant owners make a point to wander about the dinning room and greet, socialize and make sure its patrons are receiving the proper special treatment. How are going to do that and cook pizza's? I also know that if I do not come straight with the pizza owner today, eventually, his boss will. His business is his boss and it will reprimand the quality of his pizza. His business will struggle and that is the worst kind of reprimand.
Many owners of struggling business models do not consider the business as their boss. What's more, many owners of struggling business models do not recognize when their boss is reprimanding them. It is no different than if I had immediately told the pizza owner the taste of the pizza was not as good as others in his region. He would likely become offended and simply not change a thing. You know this to be true. It is like telling your Mother and your Father they should have raised their children better! The shortcomings of the child would have to be admitted! Guess who that child is?
Your business is and always will be your toughest boss. Your business does not care if failing hurts your feelings. In fact, your business does not care if you do not care. It will reprimand you in every way you deserve to be reprimanded. And does. Have you noticed the clues? Does your boss reprimand you right now? Is your boss telling you the pizza does not taste good? Is your boss telling you your staff is offensive? Is your boss telling you the customer service you provide stinks? Is your boss telling you the products you offer are outdated? Is your boss telling you the selection you offer is short of good? Is your boss telling you the prices you set are not as competitive as they could be? Is your boss telling you the customers do not get it when they respond to your marketing efforts? How is the relationship you have going with your boss doing lately? Your business is your boss. It will reprimand you and likely is busy at work doing that right now. Are you listening? Is your growth developing better business results? Or is your boss busy pulling the rewards away from you right now? You know the answer to that last question...but are you listening to it? If I tell you your pizza is not as good as the others in the region, what will you do? How will you react?
Will you justify the taste of your special recipe and tell me you will be lowering the price to be the best priced pizza in the region? A gob of business owners do exactly that very thing. They find out that the boss has decided to slow down their revenues and as a result, they discount their products to stimulate their sales numbers! They might as well tell me that they know their pizza taste bad, but the lower price will bring more business anyway! Millions of current business operators, who are being reprimanded by their business boss right now, are doing exactly that 'discount' step to revive what the are not getting in volume. Trust me, your boss will not like that move. Your boss thinks more of itself than that type of treatment. It will retaliate.
All you will do when you discount what you do is attract those who love to take advantage of low margin deals. Low margin deals will guarantee low margin profits. Enough of that kind of effort will only guarantee enough of more business profit reprimands from your boss. Enough is enough. If this is happening to you, you and your boss are on the outs! Just in case you did not notice it, your boss is winning. His reprimands are beginning to hurt. You better get it together and make some healthy changes in how you do your job!
If your pizza recipe is not bringing them in, change it. If your mistakes cause customers to complain and you find you wished those 'picky' customers would just go away...your customer service sucks. Your boss will definitely reprimand you for it. You should be more than eager to go fix the problem the customer has described. If not, and you have learned the art of 'not listening,' your boss will be reprimanding you for it. Your pizza does not taste good. You may be proud of the recipe, but the pizza still does not taste good.
Your boss is telling you a lot of things. Your boss is working with you in many areas of reprimands right now. Are you listening?
If I am too tough with this news, I am certain you have not yet met your real boss. Your real boss is cracking a larger whip than I could ever use. Your business is in trouble and it has nothing to do with the economy! Many are growing just fine.
When I am asked to taste someones pizza, I do not worry so much about what flavor I am going to experience. I worry more about how they are going to react when the answer is unfavorable. The reason why this concerns me the most is due to the fact that very few owners are open to changing how they "want" to operate the business they own. Most have their minds made up on how they "will" their operations into the format of methods they permit and support. As an outsider, it is often amazing to me to witness so many bosses doing such a great job of reprimanding their owners and to watch their owners refuse to accept the failing process as a clue to change! It is astounding!
Your business is your boss. It is reprimanding you for the choices you are placing on your business activities. Your methods of operation are getting their monthly review...over and over and over. Your boss, your business, will reprimand you. And does.
Until next time...
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