You’re a culinary manager. What are the most common strategic mistakes you might be making?

2 Neglecting the staff

Another common mistake you can make as a culinary manager is to neglect the staff training, motivation, and retention. You might think that your staff are just there to follow your orders, but they are actually the backbone of your business. They interact with the customers, prepare the food, and maintain the standards. If they are not well-trained, motivated, and retained, you will face high turnover, low productivity, and poor quality. To avoid this, you need to invest in staff development, recognition, and incentives. You also need to communicate clearly, listen actively, and delegate effectively.

3 Overlooking the costs

A third common mistake you can make as a culinary manager is to overlook the costs of running your business. You might think that your revenue is enough to cover your expenses, but if you are not careful, you might end up spending more than you earn. You need to keep track of your food costs, labor costs, overhead costs, and other variable costs. You also need to optimize your inventory, portion control, and waste management. To avoid this, you need to create and follow a realistic budget, analyze your financial reports, and implement cost-saving measures.

5 Forgetting the goals

A fifth common mistake you can make as a culinary manager is to forget the goals that you have set for your business. You might think that you are doing everything right, but if you are not measuring your performance and progress, you will not know if you are on track or not. You need to have clear, specific, and measurable goals that are aligned with your vision and mission. You also need to monitor your key performance indicators, evaluate your results, and adjust your strategies accordingly. To avoid this, you need to be focused, organized, and accountable.

6 Here’s what else to consider

This is a space to share examples, stories, or insights that don’t fit into any of the previous sections. What else would you like to add?