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ISSUE 2 | 2ND QUARTER 2022

THE BANNER

Guardian Independent Operator Association’s Educational Newsletter

CONTENTS 1

GIOA News

Benefit Services

Words of Wisdom

Featured Vendor

Leading in Lean Times: Every Good Idea Isn't a Great Idea for Your Business by Alex Vann, GIOA Executive Board Member & Leadership Council Truett made that statement when he was 88 years old to the National Press Club in Washington, DC. When hard times come, you better know how to work and to build. It’s easy to look at Chick-fil-A over the past few years and think the success is normal. However, the story of Chick-fil-A is one of humility, hard work, determination and principled-decision making despite adversity. Truett grew up lean. He built a lean, but strong business. There are different seasons in the life of any organization. Our season has changed and a new level of difficulty has been reintroduced. If you look at our businesses this year as opposed to any of the past few, things have become lean in a hurry. Lean implies thin, but is a condition of good health. Now is the time to examine your business - is it healthy? When you are leading in lean times, every good idea may not be a good idea for your business. Perhaps, over this last season you’ve adopted some things in your business that need adjusting, replacing, or maybe outright removal. This is a time to do so. Likely, your bandwidth, your workforce and your margin have all shrunk. So, you need to get lean. Build lean muscle because that is where you get your endurance. If you are going to endure in this business then you must learn the principle of leading lean.

"I had the privilege of growing up in poverty. The blessing is you had to work for a living." -Truett Cathy

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ISSUE 2 | 2ND QUARTER 2022

Good News! It's a great day at GIOA when Randy Smith, GIOA Executive Director stops by with lunch for the team to celebrate the 1 year Anniversary of the GIOA Service Center.

At your service!

Meg

Hi, I’m Meg! I’m the New Membership Coordinator for GIOA. I have the privilege of sharing the incredible benefits of GIOA with any Operator interested in becoming part of our association as well as finding new opportunities to connect with Operators who have not yet become part of GIOA. From Operators just starting Fundamentals to those who have served for some time and are looking to transition their store to GIOA, I will be your resource and guide. I’m here to connect new Operators with our team and lay out the best next steps to make it as easy and smooth as possible to become part of our amazing community of GIOA Operators. If you know an Operator not yet part of GIOA, send them my way! I’d love the opportunity to speak with them and find out how GIOA can best serve them and their team. So happy to have joined this community and looking forward to serving you.

Compliance Corner UnifyHR ACA Town Hall Recording: Click Here Access Passcode: *JG7$rBM

GIOA Operator Forum GIOA Administrator Forum

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ISSUE 2 | 2ND QUARTER 2022 Continued from page 1

Figure out how to make your business as lean as you can in as many areas as you can. This is called stewardship. It’s easy to neglect stewardship when things get comfortable. Good stewardship means tightening your belt and cutting where you can when things get more difficult. You may have felt pressured to make certain offers or start initiatives that have now become more cumbersome on your operation, your sustainability, and your profitability. You may have invested in temporary fads now being quickly replaced. Look to your neighbors who are excellent stewards. Study their businesses and how they are doing it. I’ve done so many times over the years. Being a copy-cat will never strengthen your business, however. Following good business practices or principles can lead to a stronger business. Principles are foundational and lasting. Look to those you trust for these principles. However, when you copy-cat, your motivation and understanding may not be as thorough as the one whom you’re copying. Copy-cats have bigger blind spots. Just because the Operator down the road or competing business does something doesn’t always mean you should do the same. What’s best for you is unique to your specific business. In 20 years as an Operator and working for Chick-fil-A, I’ve worked in 20-30 different stores. And guess what? Every single one of them had similarities, but none of them were the same. Every business has nuances. You must learn the nuances of your team, your business and your opportunity and decide what will work best for that context. When you copy, you lose something in translation. However, when you model, you build something. Find models, learn from them, and adapt the concepts into your business.

This is a time to be in your business. There are times to work on your business and there are times to work in your business. When times are lean, you need to lead from the front and in front of your team. You need to ask more questions, have more discussions, listen to the people, the hum, and the equipment. You need to engage your environment at a different level. The past busy, complex season has allowed many Operators to become too disengaged or detached from their business. Remember, your business is always first and last a restaurant operation. Before you are a builder of people, community influencer, or innovator extraordinaire, you are a restaurant Operator. Leading lean means getting back in the trenches with the troops to learn, discover and encourage a strength in your business that will endure. Finally, be careful who you are learning from. Learn from those who have earned it. Andrew Cathy talks about being a pioneer. I encourage you to go find the pioneers in and around your markets or on your Operator teams. The pioneers at Chick-fil-A all learned to lead lean. They didn’t have a choice. There is a lean leadership muscle in them that is good to learn from. Pioneers don’t panic. Pioneers are builders. They go find solutions. They hunt problems. And they build stronger businesses. Pioneers are focused on the future. They have a long-term strategy, yet retain enough flexibility to move freely when needed.

"Pioneers don't panic. Pioneers are builders."

Jim Collins, in his book, Good to Great, talks about The Window and the Mirror Model. When times are good, look out the window toward the future and share credit. But, when times are hard, look in the mirror. Take responsibility for what you can control, adjust and fix. This is a time in our businesses to look in the mirror and learn to lead lean. For additional resources visit www.alexvann.com

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ISSUE 2 | 2ND QUARTER 2022

Upcoming Important Dates

Monday, July 4th GIOA offices are closed in observance of the holiday Wednesday, July 13th Monthly Operator/Admin training 4pm ET (training will be held each month on the 2nd Wednesday) Thursday, July 14th Our next Operator TownHall 4pm ET The Importance of Data Management & Employee Benefits (invites forthcoming via email, text & FB forum) August/September 2023 AHP Renewal Release & Annual Strategy October 24th - November 4th 2023 AHP Open Enrollment

This Month's Featured Vendor

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