A masterclass in how to be a better boss
There is a component of success in the pub trade that's really powerful if it can be harnessed — the relationship between you and your staff.
The boss of Kent-based Thorley Taverns, Phil Thorley, provided a masterclass on the subject when he appeared at our MA250 conference for multi-site operators a couple of weeks ago.
I had asked Phil to provide his top tips on how to run a successful company. We were treated to a tour de force in how you get the most out of the people you employ.
The degree of success in running a successful pub — or a number of pubs in Phil's case — will be determined in very large part by the kind of people you employ, the way you train them and the way you treat them.
Phil summarised his tips thus: "I think the secret to success is communication. I think the quality of your communication equals the quality of your results because the quality of your communication with people is exactly equal to your relationship with them.
"It's really important that you get the communication right, and I'm a great believer that our best sites are where our best people are.
"We get our best returns from where our best people are. We are a people business."
When you talk to friends and colleagues about their experiences at work you too often hear tales of poor quality management.
You hear about businesses where the boss is a remote and aloof figure — neither a particularly positive nor negative individual, just rather distant and cold (there are worse bosses than this type, but it's a lost opportunity to create team spirit and create an emotional bond with staff, which means they go the extra mile).
You hear about businesses where the boss has been a demotivating force, emerging only to chide rather than thank, direct and encourage (this kind of boss tends to see people, often good people with great potential, leave on a regular basis because the message in the workplace is so relentlessly negative).
You also hear about businesses where the boss has been someone who is not inclined to lead from the front, set an example of being hard-working or have a positive attitude (over time this kind of boss, in my experience, loses the respect of people who work for him or her).
There are quite a lot of businesses where the types of boss mentioned above can rub along for years, even enjoying moderate success.
It simply cannot be that way in the pub business. I'm not sure anyone's ever done a psychometric test on the personality type required for success in the pub trade.
But I think the test would reveal the following key characteristics: successful licensees are sociable, optimistic, hard-working, resourceful and creative.
They employ hard-working sociable optimists and they treat them like friends — they encourage them, train them, support them and they recognise their achievements.
How would your staff describe you?
• Click here to read Phil Thorley's top tips on how to run a business.
