Melissa Jaalaid joined us for this episode of our Strategy and Leadership Podcast to talk with us about developing strategy and leading teams in the restaurant industry. Melissa is the Director of Growth and Development at the local Vancouver chain, MeeT Restaurants. With a background in communications and human resources, Melissa has a passion for working directly with people and leading growth initiatives within the organization.
Throughout our conversation, Melissa shared her tips on working with people to develop culture and to foster successful strategy implementation, including:
- The importance of knowing your organizational values and vision, and hiring people who share the same motivations: Rather than focusing solely on credentials, placing importance on the individual’s personality and how they fit into your company culture is also important.
- Understanding that successful strategy cannot be rushed: Whether it’s for your organizational strategy or your hiring strategy, it’s crucial to have plenty of time to work through your organizational needs and wants, so that you can develop and communicate a strategy that will help you reach your goals and targets.
- Remembering to communicate well and keep your team in the loop: Another great way to make sure your team members understand your organization’s strategy is to cross-train them in multiple departments, regardless of their role. This will help them see how each role contributes to the business’ success, and to understand how their role fits in with the others.
- Developing ways to keep your team members engaged: Whether it’s through surveys or individual check-in meetings, it’s important to have open lines of communication to foster engagement among your staff members. This shows your team that you care about their personal growth and value their input, especially when done regularly.
If you’d like to connect with Melissa, visit her LinkedIn profile.
