Jeremy recalls the early days of beginning the massive assignment of improving and rebuilding the entire Food & Beverage operations. When he first joined, the department was divided, team morale was extremely low, and progress was at a complete standstill. Division within the department had previously been enforced, thus there was a lack of accountability and an air of distrust among the employees. He also had the added challenge of working with an existing team of management and supervisors that were unaware of empathetic leadership principles. Negative interactions between this group lead to hostility, resentment, and severe communication breakdowns.
Jeremy realized that his first order of business was to address the leadership team to create unity, so the mission and the message could be clear and consistent. He held structured weekly meetings to discuss concerns and solutions as a team prior to taking action. Jeremy shared inspirational and motivating content to help the leadership team understand the purpose of serving the individuals who keep the operation running.
Jeremy Imes, Culinary & Dining Services Executive
Jeremy first set expectations of a cooperative and helpful workplace culture with the leadership team, then shared the message with the entire department. He ensured any remaining negative tendencies were managed through progressive disciplinary action. The message he shared was, “We are all required to do four things to work here. Be kind, be respectful, be helpful, and be present. If you do these things, you can work here for as long as you like.”
With much work, many conversations, and time, these actions effectively changed the workplace culture to one that was positive, helpful, and unified. The shift in culture was evident through noticeable cooperation among the team and decreased documented conversations regarding undesirable behaviors. Some of the measurable results associated with the culture shift are 50% employee retention rate improvement, annual guest count growth of 20,000, 40% increased customer satisfaction for food quality, and 15% for service. Several internal promotions were earned and awarded including dishwashers to cooks, cook to sous chef, sous chef to executive sous chef, bartender to restaurant supervisor, and server to banquet manager. These individuals are still in their new roles and are thriving.
Watch full video interview below.
Contact Jeremy Imes via LinkedIn or his Career WebFolio.
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