With Latin music blaring and dancers twisting on stage, it’s obvious that David Wallack founded Mango’s Tropical Cafe on fun.
But don’t be fooled — Wallack takes the restaurant and nightclub business very seriously. With 20 to 30 job applications coming in daily, his 240 employees know that they can’t afford to slip up or they could possibly pass their positions to the next in line.
Wallack takes communication beyond rules and regulations by making it personal. The company’s president makes sure employees understand his expectations and the price for not performing. His approach keeps them at the top of their game, contributing to 2007 revenue of $19.7 million.
Smart Business spoke with Wallack about how to cultivate your employees to perform like superstars.
Q. How do you communicate your expectations to employees?
[We have] a manual that dictates everything from demeanor to dress to meetings and conduct and what’s expected out of each person in each position.
The first thing is to get someone else’s company manual and use it as an outline. I say that literally. I’m sure in the beginning [that] I did the same thing. And then you just adapt it to your own needs, your own company’s needs and your own personality.
Over the years, I began (the manual) and others in the organization have contributed substantially. That keeps growing each time you run into a situation that’s not covered [and] you add a section and cover it, and so it continues to evolve. You bring in your experts in that division, have a meeting, make notes and then draft.
Then notify and send out the modification to every staff member and, if necessary, review it at the next staff meeting so that it’s not just written but everybody also knows about it.
Q. How do you make that communication personal?
[We have] regular, mandatory staff meetings, which, when needed, were once a week and moved to once a month. [We have] mini-meetings, shift meetings run by managers. Those can be departmental as well as entire shift.
And regular contact between me and my management and me and my staff and an open-door policy directly to me for anyone if they have a problem that is unresolved.
The way I [make myself approachable] is I show up. It’s a hello, a handshake with everyone from the manager to the bartenders, the security, the dishwashers, the line cooks. I’m in there with them. They’re seeing me. There’s a touching. There’s maintenance of a connection there.
With the women that work for me, there’s a hug and a kiss on the check, looking in their eyes, letting them know they’re special and letting my staff know they’re special. … It’s realizing even within the management set, there’s a heart to it all. While we have the rules and the level of professionalism that we have to maintain, it’s also acknowledging the human factor.
