Operations Professional Pathways
Executive Update
Four Tailored Strategies for Motivating Staff
If you asked school nutrition directors what their biggest challenge is right now, chances are you’d hear, “staffing.” Employees are leaving their jobs in large numbers. Others are discontented, and seem to be drifting away from the mission of their organizations. According to a recent Gallup Poll, only one in four employees feels connected to their workplace culture, and only one in three feels they belong where they work. This is a serious situation for school foodservice. Job apathy, negative attitudes, lack of contribution, and decreased productivity can suck the life out of a school nutrition program, and can ruin the integrity of a previously vibrant program. If this all sounds too familiar, don’t give up hope. There is something you can do to turn things around. Personalize Employee Motivation If you want to increase staff satisfaction, you need to learn as much as you can about what makes each employee tick. Instead of focusing on textbook ideas for employee motivation, empowerment, and recognition, ask your employees what makes them feel valued. Take the direct approach, and find out specifics that apply to the people who work with you. 1. Build Strong Relationships Years ago, when I was a fairly new director, I had the task of overseeing some critical changes in selected school kitchens. I knew people were unhappy, but as director, I was responsible for financially rescuing the program. I was feeling a bit unsure of myself, but one especially astute and supportive manager told me, “Just go into the kitchens with your head held high, continue to smile as you normally do, and make it a point to say hello to everyone in the kitchen.” I followed her advice, and it worked. I got to know individual members of staff, and they got to know and trust me. I learned everyone’s name, and acknowledged their individual good works. Then I explained the rationale behind the changes. At the time, the department had over 280 employees, but it eventually grew to over 400 employees. Despite the increase, I continue to learn as much as I can about the people who work in our program. 2. Promote from Within Maria Eunice, Director of Food and Nutrition Services in Alachua County Schools, Florida, could not find a qualified Area Supervisor to fill an administrative vacancy. So she looked to her internal talent to solve her problem. She reviewed the qualifications of her managerial staff, and promoted two
outstanding managers to the new position of Area Manager, instead. Maria saw how her decision to promote two individu- als from within turned out to be a team motivator. After all, the two staff members already knew the program, and had proven themselves to be loyal and dedicated to the team. 3. Play to People’s Strengths Roy Pistone, Director of Food and Nutrition Services in Citrus County, Florida, says we need to identify people’s strengths, and empower them to do their best work. Roy says, “You have to know your team. Not everyone approaches things in the same way. I know who I can go to for specific tasks, and who will knock it out of the park on behalf of the team.” He adds, “We don’t control salaries, but we can make employees feel valued. We also don’t control costs or inflation, either.” However, employees remember how you have recognized their talents, and their value to the organization. 4. Acknowledge the Human Side Maria Eunice has found that something as basic as saying, “Thank you,” or looking a person straight in the eye when you speak with them, can reinforce that you value them as a person. And experience shows that if you treat your staff with dignity, that’s how they’ll treat your customers, too. Roy Pistone relies on a number of different employee recogni- tion strategies in his department. These include awards for the most improved lunch and breakfast participation, or awards for those who provide the greatest support to their co-workers. Roy believes that, if people feel valued and recognized for their contributions, they will enjoy coming to work, and will achieve greater success. You work hard to build, and maintain, a good team. You’ll improve your odds for retaining your staff if you understand what makes them happy in their work, and loyal to your orga- nization. It’s an investment that really pays off.
Empower People Using Both Words and Actions By Bev Girard, PhD, MBA, PD, SNS, Owner, Leading Edge Training/ Consulting
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Beverly Girard is a Registered Dietitian and holds a Ph.D. in Public Health and Curriculum and Instruction, a Masters in Business, and a Masters in Nutrition. She is a member of the National Farm to School Network.
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