November 20, 2024 • 14 mins
Ready to revolutionize your approach to restaurant management? Discover how Riccardo Mariti, owner of Riccardo's Restaurant in London, shattered conventional norms by introducing Scrum, a framework typically reserved for software development, into the world of fine dining. Joined by Dr. Jeff Sutherland, the co-creator of Scrum, Riccardo embarked on a transformative journey, which, despite initial resistance—including the departure of his manager and head chef—proved to be a game changer. Learn how Ricardo streamlined processes, turning a daunting 24-hour scheduling task into a mere one-hour operation, and uncovered hidden costs that unlocked a 15% budget increase.
This episode goes beyond just organizational tweaks; it highlights Riccardo’s innovative approach to workforce structure by nurturing T-shaped employees. Picture team members like waiters and bartenders seamlessly stepping into roles beyond their primary expertise, enhancing flexibility and collaboration. Riccardo’s remarkable experiment didn’t just save his restaurant—it redefined what it means to be agile in the hospitality industry. Tune in to hear how he and Dr. Sutherland have brought these cutting-edge practices to life, turning challenges into opportunities and creating a thriving Agile hub.
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Episode Transcript
Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
Marie (00:00):
You know, when you think of Scrum, you don't usually
picture like restaurants, right?
Mike (00:03):
Yeah, it's usually all about software and tech and all
that.
Marie (00:05):
But that's what makes this deep dive so interesting.
We're going to go behind thescenes at, well, the world's
first Scrum restaurant.
Mike (00:11):
To see how it actually works in the real world, Like
can it even work?
Marie (00:15):
Exactly.
Our source material this timeis a transcript of a talk called
Make it Happen Creating theWorld's First Agile Restaurant.
It happen.
Creating the world's firstagile restaurant Ooh catchy.
By Riccardo Mariti, e-owneryeah, the restaurant owner
himself, and Dr Jeff Sutherland,co-creator of Scrum.
So can a system built for likecomplex code really improve
(00:35):
something as complex as, say, abusy Friday night dinner rush?
Mike (00:40):
Well, Riccardo Mariti.
He's the owner of Riccardo'sRestaurant in London.
It's fancy.
And he was facing some seriouschallenges back in 2016.
Rising costs, employeemanagement issues the whole
works.
Marie (00:52):
Sounds rough.
Mike (00:53):
He needed a solution, and fast.
Marie (00:56):
So what did he do?
Did he hire, like a fancyconsultant or bring in I don't
know, a celebrity chef?
Mike (01:03):
Nope, he had an aha moment after reading Scrum the art of
doing twice the work in half thetime.
Marie (01:09):
That's a classic.
Mike (01:10):
And Team of Teams.
Marie (01:12):
Oh, another good one.
Mike (01:13):
He started to think, hey, maybe these principles could
actually save my restaurant.
Marie (01:17):
So he decided to apply Scrum a system literally
designed for softwaredevelopment, to his restaurant.
Talk about thinking outside thebox.
Mike (01:26):
It was a bold move and not everyone was thrilled.
Marie (01:30):
I can imagine.
Mike (01:31):
In fact, when Riccardo told his manager, And his Head
Chef, about his plan, they bothquit.
Marie (01:37):
Wow, talk about resistance to change what
happened.
Mike (01:40):
The manager was used to a more traditional hierarchy, you
know.
Marie (01:43):
Like a chain of command.
Mike (01:44):
Exactly, he wanted someone to report to a more traditional
hierarchy, you know, like achain of command.
Exactly, he wanted someone toreport to.
He wanted to be the boss, thehead chef.
Well, he wasn't ready to giveup control of his kitchen.
Marie (01:52):
It sounds like they were both pretty set in their ways,
but Riccardo didn't give up, didhe?
Mike (01:57):
Oh, he pressed on, undeterred, and his first major
success it came withrevolutionizing the restaurant's
scheduling process.
Marie (02:05):
Okay, tell me more.
Mike (02:06):
They call it the ROTA in England.
The ROTA yeah.
The schedule Using Scrumprinciples.
The team completed get thisfour weeks of scheduling in just
one hour.
Marie (02:16):
Four weeks of scheduling in one hour, that's incredible.
I mean, how long did it takebefore?
Mike (02:22):
The manager used to spend over 24 hours on that task.
Marie (02:25):
It's amazing what can happen when you empower a team
right.
Mike (02:28):
Exactly, and this gives them more ownership, a sense of
responsibility, and it's notjust about speed.
By bringing the schedulingprocess out in the open, they
made it transparent.
Marie (02:38):
Which is he and Scrum.
Mike (02:39):
And this uncovered something they called hidden
shifts.
Marie (02:42):
Hidden shifts.
Okay, what are those?
Mike (02:43):
They were extra shifts that the manager had been adding
to the schedule to avoid, youknow, potential short staffing,
I see.
Marie (02:49):
So by applying Scrum and empowering the team, Riccardo
uncovered these hidden costs hedidn't even know existed.
Mike (02:56):
Like finding a bonus 15% budget increase just by working
smarter.
Marie (03:01):
Precisely.
It's a perfect example of howthose traditional top-down
approaches can createinefficiencies that just go
unnoticed.
Mike (03:07):
But by making things transparent and collaborative,
they were able to identify andeliminate that waste.
Marie (03:14):
This is already blowing my mind, but wait, there's more
right.
Mike (03:17):
Oh, there's always more.
This whole discovery actuallyled them to rethink how they
structured their workforce.
Instead of relying on likespecialists, they encouraged the
development of get thisT-shaped employees.
Marie (03:30):
T-shaped employees.
What is that?
Some new culinary technique?
Mike (03:34):
Think of it like this Imagine your waiter is also
trained to help in the kitchenduring a rush.
Marie (03:39):
Oh, okay.
Mike (03:40):
Or your bartender knows how to handle reservations when
the host is busy.
Marie (03:44):
So they're multi-talented like team players.
Mike (03:47):
That's the kind of flexibility T-shaped skills
bring.
They have deep expertise in onearea, but also broader skills
in others.
Marie (03:54):
That makes so much sense.
Mike (03:55):
And to encourage this, Riccardo offered unlimited
vacation time.
Oh really, With one conditionSomeone with the same skills had
to be able to cover.
Marie (04:04):
That's brilliant.
It incentivizes cross-trainingand creates a more versatile and
adaptable workforce.
Mike (04:11):
This move organically created a culture of continuous
learning and development.
Employees were eager to learnnew skills, which ultimately
benefited the entire restaurant.
Marie (04:20):
So, So Riccardo is shaking things up, changing the
way the restaurant is run, buthow is he actually using Scrum
to manage the day-to-dayoperations?
Mike (04:30):
That's where things get even more interesting.
We'll delve into that in parttwo of this deep dive.
Marie (04:35):
Welcome back.
We're digging deeper into theworld's first Scrum restaurant.
Mike (04:40):
And how Ricardo used this framework to create some
positive change.
Marie (04:45):
Yeah, remember, this isn't just about making a
restaurant more efficient.
Mike (04:49):
It's about finding new ways to work smarter, not harder
, exactly, and that's where theconcept of minimizing decision
latency comes in Decisionlatency.
Yeah.
Marie (04:59):
That sounds a bit technical.
Mike (05:01):
It does, doesn't it?
Marie (05:02):
Can you break it down for us?
Mike (05:03):
Okay, so imagine a busy Friday night, right.
Marie (05:06):
Okay.
Mike (05:06):
Orders are piling up and a server needs like an urgent
decision about a substitution.
Marie (05:11):
Happens all the time.
Mike (05:12):
Instead of waiting for the manager, who's totally swamped.
Scrum empowers them to actquickly.
Marie (05:16):
Keeps the customers happy , keeps the kitchen flowing.
Mike (05:19):
Exactly that's minimizing decision latency.
You're cutting down the time ittakes to make and implement
decisions.
Marie (05:26):
So instead of waiting for the manager to make every call,
the team is trusted to handlethings on the front lines.
I bet that really speeds thingsup.
Mike (05:33):
It does and it also empowers the team, which can
lead to greater job satisfaction.
But this shift to a moreautonomous way of working, it
wasn't without its hiccups.
Marie (05:45):
Oh, I bet there were some interesting stories there.
Let's hear one.
Mike (05:48):
Okay, so there was this one time when a customer
complained about a dish.
Remember, ricardo had empoweredhis team to handle customer
issues like on their own.
Marie (05:58):
So what did they do?
Did they offer a free dessertor something?
Mike (06:01):
They went above and beyond .
They comped the entire mealWhoa and gave the customer a
bottle of champagne to take home.
Marie (06:08):
Whoa, I guess you could say they really took that
customer satisfaction thing toheart.
But, was that?
I mean, was that the right call?
Mike (06:15):
Well, it turned out, the customer wasn't even that upset.
Oh, they just wanted the dishlike adjusted slightly.
It became a learning moment foreveryone involved.
Yeah, Highlighting the need forclear guidelines even when
you're empowering employees.
Marie (06:28):
Right, you got to give people the freedom to act, but
also make sure they understand.
You know the boundaries.
Mike (06:34):
Yeah, it's like giving someone a powerful tool.
You need to make sure they knowhow to use it safely.
Marie (06:37):
Exactly.
It's all about finding thatbalance Right.
So the scrum thing, it soundslike it's not just about
processes and systems, it's alsoabout creating a new culture in
the workplace.
Mike (06:51):
That's a key insight.
Remember, Ricardo's restaurantwas initially, you know, steeped
in traditional hierarchicalmanagement practices.
Scrum helped to shift thedynamics between management and
employees.
Marie (07:02):
How so.
Mike (07:03):
Ricardo, inspired by Scrum principles, kind of
transitioned from a traditionalmanager to a servant leader.
Marie (07:09):
Oh, interesting.
Mike (07:10):
So, instead of directing and controlling, he focused on
supporting and empowering histeam.
He removed obstacles, providedguidance and fostered an
environment of collaboration andcontinuous learning.
Marie (07:23):
So it's less about being the boss and more about being
like a coach, a facilitator.
Mike (07:27):
Precisely, and this shift in leadership was crucial to the
success of Scrum at Ricardo's.
By creating that culture oftrust, transparency and shared
responsibility, he unlocked thefull potential of his team.
They were no longer justemployees following orders, but
like active participants inshaping the success of his team.
They were no longer justemployees following orders, but
like active participants inshaping the success of the
restaurant.
Marie (07:48):
Okay, we've talked a lot about the process, the cultural
shift, but let's get down tolike brass tacks.
Did all of this actuallyimprove the restaurant's bottom
line?
Mike (07:57):
That's where the data gets really interesting.
Marie (07:59):
It is with the numbers.
Mike (07:59):
Okay, remember those hidden shifts we talked about.
Yeah, just eliminating thoseled to a 15% reduction in labor
costs.
Marie (08:06):
That's a significant chunk of change.
And what about the impact oncustomer service?
Mike (08:10):
you know, with the team empowered to make those
decisions, so, by empowering histeam and improving efficiency,
ricardo saw a remarkable 20%increase in table turnover.
Marie (08:20):
Wow, so they were saving money and serving more customers
.
Mike (08:23):
A win-win.
Marie (08:23):
But what about?
You know, the big one profits.
Mike (08:26):
Okay, here's the clincher All those operational
improvements translated into awhopping 40% increase in net
profits 40%.
Yeah.
Marie (08:36):
That's incredible.
It really shows that investingin your people and creating a
more empowered and efficientwork environment can pay off off
like big time.
What else did Ricardo notice?
Mike (08:47):
He also saw a significant improvement in employee
satisfaction and a reduction inturnover.
Marie (08:53):
Makes sense.
Mike (08:53):
When you create an environment where people feel
valued, trusted and empowered.
It shows in their work andtheir commitment to the team.
Marie (09:01):
It's a great example of how a system like Scrum can
actually lead to a morehuman-centric and fulfilling
workplace.
It's not just about the numbers, it's about the people.
Mike (09:10):
Precisely.
Marie (09:11):
Now I know some of our listeners might be thinking okay
, this all sounds great, but Idon't work in a restaurant.
How can I apply theseprinciples to my own work?
Mike (09:18):
That's a great question, and the answer is you don't have
to be in the food serviceindustry to benefit from these
principles, right?
While the specifics of Scrummight not translate directly to
every field, the underlyingprinciples are like, universally
applicable.
Marie (09:32):
So how can we start incorporating these ideas into
our own work lives?
Mike (09:37):
Start by identifying like a recurring problem or challenge
you face in your work.
Marie (09:41):
OK.
Mike (09:42):
Think about how you can break down that problem into
smaller, more manageable tasks.
How can you involve your teamin finding solutions?
Marie (09:54):
How can you create a system for tracking progress and
continuously improving yourapproach.
So it's about shifting yourmindset from a fixed top-down
approach to a more flexible,iterative and collaborative way
of working.
Mike (10:02):
And don't be afraid to experiment.
The beauty of Scrum is thatit's a framework for learning
and adapting.
Embrace the process ofexperimentation, gather feedback
and continuously refine yourapproach.
Marie (10:14):
So not about getting it perfect the first time.
It's about constantly learningand evolving.
Mike (10:18):
Exactly.
Marie (10:19):
This is a lot to take in, but there's one more twist to
Ricardo's story, and it might bethe most surprising of all.
There's a lot to take in, butthere's one more twist to
Ricardo's story, and it might bethe most surprising of all he
found a way to use Scrum to maketime for innovation.
We'll uncover that, and more,in part three of this deep dive.
So stick around, you won't wantto miss it.
All right, we're back for thefinal part of our deep dive into
this Scrum restaurant.
Mike (10:39):
And you won't believe what Ricardo did next.
Marie (10:41):
I'm on the edge of my seat.
Mike (10:42):
So we've seen how he tackled scheduling, empowered
his team.
Marie (10:47):
Yeah.
Mike (10:47):
Deuced profits.
Marie (10:48):
Even found hidden money.
Mike (10:50):
But here's the thing he used Scrum to actually like
carve out time for innovation inhis restaurant.
Marie (10:56):
Really, that seems I don't know kind of
counterintuitive right it does,doesn't it?
Mike (11:01):
You'd think?
Running a restaurant, it's allabout keeping up with the daily
grind.
Marie (11:03):
Yeah, exactly.
Mike (11:05):
But Ricardo found that by you know, applying these Scrum
principles, he could create morespace for, like, creativity and
new ideas.
Marie (11:13):
OK, so how did he do it?
Did he hire a team of like madscientist chefs to invent crazy
new dishes?
Mike (11:21):
Not quite.
It's actually simpler than youmight think.
He started by just creating avisual system for tracking all
the repetitive tasks in therestaurant.
This helped him identify areaswhere they could streamline
processes and work moreefficiently.
Marie (11:36):
So it's like he applied Scrum to the back-of-house
operations as well, not just thecustomer-facing stuff.
Mike (11:43):
Exactly, and by optimizing those behind the scenes
processes, they were able tofree up a significant amount of
time, like a lot of time.
Marie (11:53):
How much are we talking?
Mike (11:54):
They managed to carve out an extra 90 minutes per day 90
minutes.
Marie (11:57):
That's like.
That's like finding a hiddentreasure chest of time.
Mike (12:01):
I know right.
Marie (12:01):
Imagine what you could do with like an extra hour and a
half every single day.
Mike (12:06):
Well, that's exactly what Ricardo did.
He used that newfound time forinnovation.
He encouraged his team toexperiment with new dishes, new
service approaches and even youknow explore new business
opportunities.
Marie (12:18):
Wow.
So by applying Scrum andstreamlining their processes,
they actually created more timefor creativity and growth.
Mike (12:26):
They unlocked a hidden level in the restaurant game.
Marie (12:28):
I love that analogy.
Mike (12:29):
And this leads us to, I think, one of the most important
takeaways from this whole deepdive.
It's this idea that continuousimprovement.
It's not just about workingharder, Right, it's about
working smarter.
Marie (12:41):
Yeah.
Mike (12:41):
It's about constantly looking for ways to you know,
optimize your processes,eliminate waste, so you can free
up that time and thoseresources for the things that
truly matter.
Marie (12:51):
And it's not just about restaurants, is it?
Mike (12:53):
This can be applied to like any field any field,
absolutely, whether you'rerunning business, leading a team
or just trying to manage yourown workload.
Marie (13:00):
Yeah.
Mike (13:01):
The principles of scrum can help you work more
efficiently and create morespace for the things you're
passionate about.
Marie (13:08):
So it's not about becoming a Scrum Master
overnight.
It's about adopting thatmindset.
Mike (13:13):
Of continuous improvement.
Marie (13:14):
Yeah, and always looking for ways to just do things
better.
Mike (13:19):
Exactly and remember it's a journey, not a destination.
Marie (13:21):
Right.
Mike (13:22):
You don't have to get it perfect the first time.
The key is to experiment.
Marie (13:26):
Yeah.
Mike (13:26):
Gather feedback and continuously refine your
approach.
Marie (13:30):
This whole story has been so inspiring.
Who would have thought that asystem like Design for Software
Development could have such aprofound impact on a restaurant?
Mike (13:38):
I know right.
Marie (13:39):
It really shows you the power of thinking outside the
box and challenging yourassumptions.
Mike (13:43):
Oh right, it really shows you the power of thinking
outside the box and challengingyour assumptions, and it
highlights the fact that theprinciples of agility, teamwork
and continuous improvementthey're truly universal.
Marie (13:55):
They can be applied to any field, any industry, any
aspect of your life.
So what's the simplest thingyou can do to move a capability
forward?
That's the question.
That's the question.
We hope.
This deep dive has given yousome food for thought, maybe
even inspired you to trysomething new in your own work
or even your personal life.
Mike (14:10):
Remember, it's all about taking small steps,
experimenting and learning alongthe way.
Marie (14:15):
You might just be surprised at what you can
achieve.
Mike (14:18):
You never know.
Marie (14:18):
Thanks for joining us on this incredible journey into the
world of scrum and wellrestaurants.
We'll see you next time foranother deep dive into a
fascinating topic.
You know, when you think of Scrum, you don't usually
picture like restaurants, right?
Mike (00:03):
Yeah, it's usually all about software and tech and all
that.
Marie (00:05):
But that's what makes this deep dive so interesting.
We're going to go behind thescenes at, well, the world's
first Scrum restaurant.
Mike (00:11):
To see how it actually works in the real world, Like
can it even work?
Marie (00:15):
Exactly.
Our source material this timeis a transcript of a talk called
Make it Happen Creating theWorld's First Agile Restaurant.
It happen.
Creating the world's firstagile restaurant Ooh catchy.
By Riccardo Mariti, e-owneryeah, the restaurant owner
himself, and Dr Jeff Sutherland,co-creator of Scrum.
So can a system built for likecomplex code really improve
(00:35):
something as complex as, say, abusy Friday night dinner rush?
Mike (00:40):
Well, Riccardo Mariti.
He's the owner of Riccardo'sRestaurant in London.
It's fancy.
And he was facing some seriouschallenges back in 2016.
Rising costs, employeemanagement issues the whole
works.
Marie (00:52):
Sounds rough.
Mike (00:53):
He needed a solution, and fast.
Marie (00:56):
So what did he do?
Did he hire, like a fancyconsultant or bring in I don't
know, a celebrity chef?
Mike (01:03):
Nope, he had an aha moment after reading Scrum the art of
doing twice the work in half thetime.
Marie (01:09):
That's a classic.
Mike (01:10):
And Team of Teams.
Marie (01:12):
Oh, another good one.
Mike (01:13):
He started to think, hey, maybe these principles could
actually save my restaurant.
Marie (01:17):
So he decided to apply Scrum a system literally
designed for softwaredevelopment, to his restaurant.
Talk about thinking outside thebox.
Mike (01:26):
It was a bold move and not everyone was thrilled.
Marie (01:30):
I can imagine.
Mike (01:31):
In fact, when Riccardo told his manager, And his Head
Chef, about his plan, they bothquit.
Marie (01:37):
Wow, talk about resistance to change what
happened.
Mike (01:40):
The manager was used to a more traditional hierarchy, you
know.
Marie (01:43):
Like a chain of command.
Mike (01:44):
Exactly, he wanted someone to report to a more traditional
hierarchy, you know, like achain of command.
Exactly, he wanted someone toreport to.
He wanted to be the boss, thehead chef.
Well, he wasn't ready to giveup control of his kitchen.
Marie (01:52):
It sounds like they were both pretty set in their ways,
but Riccardo didn't give up, didhe?
Mike (01:57):
Oh, he pressed on, undeterred, and his first major
success it came withrevolutionizing the restaurant's
scheduling process.
Marie (02:05):
Okay, tell me more.
Mike (02:06):
They call it the ROTA in England.
The ROTA yeah.
The schedule Using Scrumprinciples.
The team completed get thisfour weeks of scheduling in just
one hour.
Marie (02:16):
Four weeks of scheduling in one hour, that's incredible.
I mean, how long did it takebefore?
Mike (02:22):
The manager used to spend over 24 hours on that task.
Marie (02:25):
It's amazing what can happen when you empower a team
right.
Mike (02:28):
Exactly, and this gives them more ownership, a sense of
responsibility, and it's notjust about speed.
By bringing the schedulingprocess out in the open, they
made it transparent.
Marie (02:38):
Which is he and Scrum.
Mike (02:39):
And this uncovered something they called hidden
shifts.
Marie (02:42):
Hidden shifts.
Okay, what are those?
Mike (02:43):
They were extra shifts that the manager had been adding
to the schedule to avoid, youknow, potential short staffing,
I see.
Marie (02:49):
So by applying Scrum and empowering the team, Riccardo
uncovered these hidden costs hedidn't even know existed.
Mike (02:56):
Like finding a bonus 15% budget increase just by working
smarter.
Marie (03:01):
Precisely.
It's a perfect example of howthose traditional top-down
approaches can createinefficiencies that just go
unnoticed.
Mike (03:07):
But by making things transparent and collaborative,
they were able to identify andeliminate that waste.
Marie (03:14):
This is already blowing my mind, but wait, there's more
right.
Mike (03:17):
Oh, there's always more.
This whole discovery actuallyled them to rethink how they
structured their workforce.
Instead of relying on likespecialists, they encouraged the
development of get thisT-shaped employees.
Marie (03:30):
T-shaped employees.
What is that?
Some new culinary technique?
Mike (03:34):
Think of it like this Imagine your waiter is also
trained to help in the kitchenduring a rush.
Marie (03:39):
Oh, okay.
Mike (03:40):
Or your bartender knows how to handle reservations when
the host is busy.
Marie (03:44):
So they're multi-talented like team players.
Mike (03:47):
That's the kind of flexibility T-shaped skills
bring.
They have deep expertise in onearea, but also broader skills
in others.
Marie (03:54):
That makes so much sense.
Mike (03:55):
And to encourage this, Riccardo offered unlimited
vacation time.
Oh really, With one conditionSomeone with the same skills had
to be able to cover.
Marie (04:04):
That's brilliant.
It incentivizes cross-trainingand creates a more versatile and
adaptable workforce.
Mike (04:11):
This move organically created a culture of continuous
learning and development.
Employees were eager to learnnew skills, which ultimately
benefited the entire restaurant.
Marie (04:20):
So, So Riccardo is shaking things up, changing the
way the restaurant is run, buthow is he actually using Scrum
to manage the day-to-dayoperations?
Mike (04:30):
That's where things get even more interesting.
We'll delve into that in parttwo of this deep dive.
Marie (04:35):
Welcome back.
We're digging deeper into theworld's first Scrum restaurant.
Mike (04:40):
And how Ricardo used this framework to create some
positive change.
Marie (04:45):
Yeah, remember, this isn't just about making a
restaurant more efficient.
Mike (04:49):
It's about finding new ways to work smarter, not harder
, exactly, and that's where theconcept of minimizing decision
latency comes in Decisionlatency.
Yeah.
Marie (04:59):
That sounds a bit technical.
Mike (05:01):
It does, doesn't it?
Marie (05:02):
Can you break it down for us?
Mike (05:03):
Okay, so imagine a busy Friday night, right.
Marie (05:06):
Okay.
Mike (05:06):
Orders are piling up and a server needs like an urgent
decision about a substitution.
Marie (05:11):
Happens all the time.
Mike (05:12):
Instead of waiting for the manager, who's totally swamped.
Scrum empowers them to actquickly.
Marie (05:16):
Keeps the customers happy , keeps the kitchen flowing.
Mike (05:19):
Exactly that's minimizing decision latency.
You're cutting down the time ittakes to make and implement
decisions.
Marie (05:26):
So instead of waiting for the manager to make every call,
the team is trusted to handlethings on the front lines.
I bet that really speeds thingsup.
Mike (05:33):
It does and it also empowers the team, which can
lead to greater job satisfaction.
But this shift to a moreautonomous way of working, it
wasn't without its hiccups.
Marie (05:45):
Oh, I bet there were some interesting stories there.
Let's hear one.
Mike (05:48):
Okay, so there was this one time when a customer
complained about a dish.
Remember, ricardo had empoweredhis team to handle customer
issues like on their own.
Marie (05:58):
So what did they do?
Did they offer a free dessertor something?
Mike (06:01):
They went above and beyond .
They comped the entire mealWhoa and gave the customer a
bottle of champagne to take home.
Marie (06:08):
Whoa, I guess you could say they really took that
customer satisfaction thing toheart.
But, was that?
I mean, was that the right call?
Mike (06:15):
Well, it turned out, the customer wasn't even that upset.
Oh, they just wanted the dishlike adjusted slightly.
It became a learning moment foreveryone involved.
Yeah, Highlighting the need forclear guidelines even when
you're empowering employees.
Marie (06:28):
Right, you got to give people the freedom to act, but
also make sure they understand.
You know the boundaries.
Mike (06:34):
Yeah, it's like giving someone a powerful tool.
You need to make sure they knowhow to use it safely.
Marie (06:37):
Exactly.
It's all about finding thatbalance Right.
So the scrum thing, it soundslike it's not just about
processes and systems, it's alsoabout creating a new culture in
the workplace.
Mike (06:51):
That's a key insight.
Remember, Ricardo's restaurantwas initially, you know, steeped
in traditional hierarchicalmanagement practices.
Scrum helped to shift thedynamics between management and
employees.
Marie (07:02):
How so.
Mike (07:03):
Ricardo, inspired by Scrum principles, kind of
transitioned from a traditionalmanager to a servant leader.
Marie (07:09):
Oh, interesting.
Mike (07:10):
So, instead of directing and controlling, he focused on
supporting and empowering histeam.
He removed obstacles, providedguidance and fostered an
environment of collaboration andcontinuous learning.
Marie (07:23):
So it's less about being the boss and more about being
like a coach, a facilitator.
Mike (07:27):
Precisely, and this shift in leadership was crucial to the
success of Scrum at Ricardo's.
By creating that culture oftrust, transparency and shared
responsibility, he unlocked thefull potential of his team.
They were no longer justemployees following orders, but
like active participants inshaping the success of his team.
They were no longer justemployees following orders, but
like active participants inshaping the success of the
restaurant.
Marie (07:48):
Okay, we've talked a lot about the process, the cultural
shift, but let's get down tolike brass tacks.
Did all of this actuallyimprove the restaurant's bottom
line?
Mike (07:57):
That's where the data gets really interesting.
Marie (07:59):
It is with the numbers.
Mike (07:59):
Okay, remember those hidden shifts we talked about.
Yeah, just eliminating thoseled to a 15% reduction in labor
costs.
Marie (08:06):
That's a significant chunk of change.
And what about the impact oncustomer service?
Mike (08:10):
you know, with the team empowered to make those
decisions, so, by empowering histeam and improving efficiency,
ricardo saw a remarkable 20%increase in table turnover.
Marie (08:20):
Wow, so they were saving money and serving more customers
.
Mike (08:23):
A win-win.
Marie (08:23):
But what about?
You know, the big one profits.
Mike (08:26):
Okay, here's the clincher All those operational
improvements translated into awhopping 40% increase in net
profits 40%.
Yeah.
Marie (08:36):
That's incredible.
It really shows that investingin your people and creating a
more empowered and efficientwork environment can pay off off
like big time.
What else did Ricardo notice?
Mike (08:47):
He also saw a significant improvement in employee
satisfaction and a reduction inturnover.
Marie (08:53):
Makes sense.
Mike (08:53):
When you create an environment where people feel
valued, trusted and empowered.
It shows in their work andtheir commitment to the team.
Marie (09:01):
It's a great example of how a system like Scrum can
actually lead to a morehuman-centric and fulfilling
workplace.
It's not just about the numbers, it's about the people.
Mike (09:10):
Precisely.
Marie (09:11):
Now I know some of our listeners might be thinking okay
, this all sounds great, but Idon't work in a restaurant.
How can I apply theseprinciples to my own work?
Mike (09:18):
That's a great question, and the answer is you don't have
to be in the food serviceindustry to benefit from these
principles, right?
While the specifics of Scrummight not translate directly to
every field, the underlyingprinciples are like, universally
applicable.
Marie (09:32):
So how can we start incorporating these ideas into
our own work lives?
Mike (09:37):
Start by identifying like a recurring problem or challenge
you face in your work.
Marie (09:41):
OK.
Mike (09:42):
Think about how you can break down that problem into
smaller, more manageable tasks.
How can you involve your teamin finding solutions?
Marie (09:54):
How can you create a system for tracking progress and
continuously improving yourapproach.
So it's about shifting yourmindset from a fixed top-down
approach to a more flexible,iterative and collaborative way
of working.
Mike (10:02):
And don't be afraid to experiment.
The beauty of Scrum is thatit's a framework for learning
and adapting.
Embrace the process ofexperimentation, gather feedback
and continuously refine yourapproach.
Marie (10:14):
So not about getting it perfect the first time.
It's about constantly learningand evolving.
Mike (10:18):
Exactly.
Marie (10:19):
This is a lot to take in, but there's one more twist to
Ricardo's story, and it might bethe most surprising of all.
There's a lot to take in, butthere's one more twist to
Ricardo's story, and it might bethe most surprising of all he
found a way to use Scrum to maketime for innovation.
We'll uncover that, and more,in part three of this deep dive.
So stick around, you won't wantto miss it.
All right, we're back for thefinal part of our deep dive into
this Scrum restaurant.
Mike (10:39):
And you won't believe what Ricardo did next.
Marie (10:41):
I'm on the edge of my seat.
Mike (10:42):
So we've seen how he tackled scheduling, empowered
his team.
Marie (10:47):
Yeah.
Mike (10:47):
Deuced profits.
Marie (10:48):
Even found hidden money.
Mike (10:50):
But here's the thing he used Scrum to actually like
carve out time for innovation inhis restaurant.
Marie (10:56):
Really, that seems I don't know kind of
counterintuitive right it does,doesn't it?
Mike (11:01):
You'd think?
Running a restaurant, it's allabout keeping up with the daily
grind.
Marie (11:03):
Yeah, exactly.
Mike (11:05):
But Ricardo found that by you know, applying these Scrum
principles, he could create morespace for, like, creativity and
new ideas.
Marie (11:13):
OK, so how did he do it?
Did he hire a team of like madscientist chefs to invent crazy
new dishes?
Mike (11:21):
Not quite.
It's actually simpler than youmight think.
He started by just creating avisual system for tracking all
the repetitive tasks in therestaurant.
This helped him identify areaswhere they could streamline
processes and work moreefficiently.
Marie (11:36):
So it's like he applied Scrum to the back-of-house
operations as well, not just thecustomer-facing stuff.
Mike (11:43):
Exactly, and by optimizing those behind the scenes
processes, they were able tofree up a significant amount of
time, like a lot of time.
Marie (11:53):
How much are we talking?
Mike (11:54):
They managed to carve out an extra 90 minutes per day 90
minutes.
Marie (11:57):
That's like.
That's like finding a hiddentreasure chest of time.
Mike (12:01):
I know right.
Marie (12:01):
Imagine what you could do with like an extra hour and a
half every single day.
Mike (12:06):
Well, that's exactly what Ricardo did.
He used that newfound time forinnovation.
He encouraged his team toexperiment with new dishes, new
service approaches and even youknow explore new business
opportunities.
Marie (12:18):
Wow.
So by applying Scrum andstreamlining their processes,
they actually created more timefor creativity and growth.
Mike (12:26):
They unlocked a hidden level in the restaurant game.
Marie (12:28):
I love that analogy.
Mike (12:29):
And this leads us to, I think, one of the most important
takeaways from this whole deepdive.
It's this idea that continuousimprovement.
It's not just about workingharder, Right, it's about
working smarter.
Marie (12:41):
Yeah.
Mike (12:41):
It's about constantly looking for ways to you know,
optimize your processes,eliminate waste, so you can free
up that time and thoseresources for the things that
truly matter.
Marie (12:51):
And it's not just about restaurants, is it?
Mike (12:53):
This can be applied to like any field any field,
absolutely, whether you'rerunning business, leading a team
or just trying to manage yourown workload.
Marie (13:00):
Yeah.
Mike (13:01):
The principles of scrum can help you work more
efficiently and create morespace for the things you're
passionate about.
Marie (13:08):
So it's not about becoming a Scrum Master
overnight.
It's about adopting thatmindset.
Mike (13:13):
Of continuous improvement.
Marie (13:14):
Yeah, and always looking for ways to just do things
better.
Mike (13:19):
Exactly and remember it's a journey, not a destination.
Marie (13:21):
Right.
Mike (13:22):
You don't have to get it perfect the first time.
The key is to experiment.
Marie (13:26):
Yeah.
Mike (13:26):
Gather feedback and continuously refine your
approach.
Marie (13:30):
This whole story has been so inspiring.
Who would have thought that asystem like Design for Software
Development could have such aprofound impact on a restaurant?
Mike (13:38):
I know right.
Marie (13:39):
It really shows you the power of thinking outside the
box and challenging yourassumptions.
Mike (13:43):
Oh right, it really shows you the power of thinking
outside the box and challengingyour assumptions, and it
highlights the fact that theprinciples of agility, teamwork
and continuous improvementthey're truly universal.
Marie (13:55):
They can be applied to any field, any industry, any
aspect of your life.
So what's the simplest thingyou can do to move a capability
forward?
That's the question.
That's the question.
We hope.
This deep dive has given yousome food for thought, maybe
even inspired you to trysomething new in your own work
or even your personal life.
Mike (14:10):
Remember, it's all about taking small steps,
experimenting and learning alongthe way.
Marie (14:15):
You might just be surprised at what you can
achieve.
Mike (14:18):
You never know.
Marie (14:18):
Thanks for joining us on this incredible journey into the
world of scrum and wellrestaurants.
We'll see you next time foranother deep dive into a
fascinating topic.
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