As part of a rebrand, Houston Independent School District’s dining team had to remove its collateral from all 279 school campuses in just 45 days. Instead of having managers tell employees how to complete the hefty workload, Keith Lewis, senior area manager of nutrition services operations, asked his crew of around 15 foodservice attendants how they thought they should complete the task. The employees suggested that the crew divide into two teams and hold weekly recap meetings to share best practices, with the department supplying lunch to maintain efficiency. In the end, the team completed the task within the 45-day deadline. This is just one of the ways Lewis is working to create an environment of ownership for this team. And when a team member’s newfound responsibilities lead to missteps, Lewis doesn’t sweat it.
“From my own experience, I’ve never really learned until I’ve made the mistake,” he says. “I want you to make the decision, own the decision and if there is an issue, let’s sit down and talk about it.” Here’s how Lewis helps team members bounce back from failures.