It's been a good month for inspiration

Jim Sullivan, one of the world's most celebrated restaurant gurus, has been in town. He addressed a sell-out audience in London on May 22 with some challenging, no-nonsense views on leadership.His particular focus was on how to get the best out of that vital tier of management that in the USA are called multi-unit managers, but better known in Britain as area mangers, district managers or business development managers. Peter Martin reports

Jim Sullivan was speaking at the first UK presentation of his Multi-Unit Leadership Workshop, orgainsed by Peach Factory, where he had 150 plus British pub and restaurant group leaders glued to their seats for a full day's session.

Jim may be American, and much of his experience based on working with top US chains, but the response of the British audience was testament to the relevance of his message both to the UK eating-out market and the current economic climate.

Most pertinent was the fact that his focus was on the practical rather than the theoretical. He is an ex-operator himself, with first hand experience of both success and failure. His content is also based on the findings of research among the best performers in the field. The day was about the real issues around creating and motivating the best teams.

Area managers are often the overlooked link in the management chain, and that can be as true in the US as in Britain. There too company induction may be no more than: 'Here's the keys. Here's a manual from my old company. Call if you need me, but not after 9pm.'

Perhaps the observation that raised the most reaction was that ideally a multi-unit manager, or area manager, should have only six units to control, to allow them to spend a day in each every week. With 20 plus units to look after for many in the UK market that was a shock.

That wasn't Jim being prescriptive, however, merely reflecting the practice of the most profitable US players. But it made the point that every minute spent in your pubs or restaurants needs to be used productively. It shouldn't just be about box ticking.

There is nothing 'fluffy' about the Sullivan approach. There is a toughness running through it. He reminded the audience that they shouldn't be afraid to get rid of the deadwood, to sack them and not merely move them around. 'Don't rotate old tyres!'

He also repeated the point that this is about making money ' something Americans are usually less shy about than we Brits.

It was an inspiring experience all round ' as I think those of you who were there will agree. As Richard Bigg, chief executive of London-based Cantaloupe Group, said: 'It was wall-to-wall positivity'. As the sector faces tougher times, we can all do with some extra inspiration.

To paraphrase Tony Hughes, the former head of M&B restaurants who introduced Jim at the event: 'We've had it easy over the past 10 years or so, the hard work starts now'.

How to learn more
This is not the place to repeat all of Jim Sullivan's words of wisdom ' and there are plenty. ('Don't practice on guests' is a particular favourite). Instead, you can get them yourself from his website www.sullivision.com, and I recommend you have a look.

You can also buy his book 'Multi Unit Leadership ' the 7 stages of building high-performing partnerships and teams' - just email Christine Martin christine@peach-factory.com for details.

There will be more from Jim Sullivan and Peach Factory in coming weeks and months, watch this space.