Ease The Pain That Comes With Change…

A friend of mine asked me if I would help him with a restaurant he owned.

He explained that even though he was the majority owner, he still had a minority shareholder as Manager of the outlet; things were not going well.  The customers had dropped off, costs were up; and they just could seem to compete with the other, larger chain outlets nearby.

The Manager also asked for help. He sounded almost desperate.

I took all the available information into consideration, and produced a first draft marketing plan for my friend to review.  It seemed fine to him.  First, I planned to reduce the huge amount of money being spent on media advertising, by taking a target-directed approach to media buying.  Next, I planned other public relations efforts that would position my friend as the number one restaurant in his trading area…a restaurateur who really cared about his customers/community. There were many other aspects of the plan; but it required everyone on the team pulling together to make it really work.

Next, I planned to take his management staff through a one day “marketing planning seminar” so they could all see and contribute to the draft plan of marketing attack and then embrace it as their own. This happened quite successfully (or so I thought) just last week.  Then two days later, the proverbial you-know-what hit the fan!  The Manager, the guy who earlier, had begged for help with the advertising and marketing, blew up and said he didn’t need any “outside help” and he would continue to do it his way…by himself.

If he had done a great job up to this point, my friend would not have had to ask me for help. It was obvious that he was in over his “marketing head.”  My colleague has his own personal net worth tied up in this business; and if this business doesn’t make it, he’ll go down in flames. When my friend heard this  'Manager' refuse any outside help…after he and the staff had sat through a complete day of marketing discussion, reflection, planning and agreement…he simply blew his top!

Wouldn’t you?

It seems that all it took was the fax that was sent out two days after the seminar.  The fax clarified (in writing) that I would be assisting in all aspects of the marketing of the restaurant.  This man’s ego couldn’t handle the obvious: he wasn’t able to do it by himself.

Now we had a nasty problem: "ego".  All the best advice in the world does no good, if the staff won’t listen or act upon that advice.  This happens to advisers/consultants/coaches frequently. Often regular staff resent an outsider, even if their own jobs are in jeopardy.  Some folks are just plain stubborn, even as the ship is sinking under them.

The good news is my friend and I fashioned an alternative strategy on how to “position” this outside help in the next few weeks.  Then after two days, he spoke with his Manager and let him know that he simply can’t do it all. No one can. He gave him some very specific tasks—important ones—to accomplish while I am advising on the advertising and marketing side of things…behind the scenes. He made him see that those other tasks are the important ones to be accomplished, if the firm is to survive (and his minority shares are to have any future value).

‘Moral of this story? If you have to step in and take the reins tighter in your hands, be sure to think everything through first. Plan your moves and how you will handle each key employee.  Try to ease the pain of “change”.  Most people are frightened by it and will fight it to their own detriment. Draft a private plan of how you’ll implement those changes.  It will save you a lot of grief in the short term, and contribute to your success in the long term.

What do you think?  Let me know your two cents' worth.  Submit a comment, just below….