Aligning Your Team With Your Business Goals for Sustainable Growth

Last Updated on February 27, 2022 by Owen McGab Enaohwo

The restaurant industry was one of the industries most impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic. As the chief operations officer at Bottleneck Management, Mark Gray was saddled with the responsibility of keeping the business intact during the pandemic. 

In this episode of the Process Breakdown Podcast, the host, John Corcoran, speaks to his guest Mark Gray about the significance of leadership team alignment and goal setting in business.

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Bottleneck Management

LinkedIn Mark Gray

Show Notes   

[0:26] Intro   

* John Corcoran mentions some of the past guests who have been on the show, including David Allen of Getting Things Done, and Michael Gerber of the E-Myth. * John Corcoran introduces SweetProcess, a workflow tool that helps businesses to streamline their operations even in life-or-death situations.   * SweetProcess offers a 14-day free trial without a credit card. 

[1:27]  John Corcoran introduces the guest Mark Gray.

[2:01]  Mark gives an overview of Bottleneck Management.

* Bottleneck Management has sixteen restaurants in many different locations including Chicago, Pennsylvania, Maryland, Disney World, and Texas.* With four brands under their belt, the team’s two main growth vehicles are Old Town Pour House and City Works.

[3:33]  Mark recounts the state of operations at Bottleneck Management when he joined them.

* The individual skill set was fantastic but people operated in a vacuum.* There was no operational uniformity across the organization, which slowed things down.* Mark recognized a need to create a standardized system across the organization.

[6:06]  What particular incident can Mark describe as the watershed moment that brought about the need for change?

* When the team decided to launch a particular meal on its lunch menu just a few weeks after a tasting, Mark realized that they didn’t have a standard system of operations. 

[8:11]  Mark talks about factors to consider in launching new products or services.

* The timing of your innovation and how you roll it out matters.* Develop a pipeline of products based on seasonality and arrange them into a launching schedule.* Get feedback about the product and make the necessary adjustments before the launch.