Boston Pizza
Elena Braithwaite is the Kitchen Manager at Boston Pizza in Yorkton, a restaurant chain that provides food and beverage service to customers.
The franchise in Yorkton has approximately 45 employees, with a third participating in the Transforming the Tourism Workforce project. Six employees are pursuing certification as Food and Beverage Servers and eight as Supervisors.
Although Braithwaite said it was easy to get staff to participate in the project, she noted that it has been a challenge getting everyone to complete the certification process. Like many in the food and beverage services industry, staff at Boston Pizza in Yorkton have to balance studying with late night and early morning shifts, split shifts, and long days on their feet. For this reason, Braithwaite said it's important for managers to "step up to the plate and lead by example".
There are various ways all managers participating in the project can take the lead and ensure that staff completes the requirements by the project end date on August 31, 2010.
- Set up study sessions for each occupation in which employees are pursuing Professional Certification. This will encourage all staff to prepare for and write the occupational knowledge exam.
- Find out what motivates employees and utilize this information to encourage them to complete the certification process and attend the required workshops.
- Recognize staff that attain Professional Certification and complete all requirements of the project at staff meetings, in newsletters, and/or with complimentary lunches. Most importantly, be creative!
Remember, leadership is not a top-down process. Managers should encourage staff, from cooks to servers and supervisors, to take on a leadership role. After all, you are only as strong as your weakest link.
