Keep staff in the loop
Communication is key to helping staff feel included and connected in the department and the organization, Brown says. She spends one-on-one time with workers to find out what their personal career goals are and how the department can help achieve them. She also recommends transparency about organizational news and updates. Brown helps facilitate conversations with “Ask Foodservice Leadership Anything” sessions, where the whole team can talk with supervisors about their questions and concerns. Geisinger’s low-tech whiteboards also promote regular communication in a timely way. “Staff want to know the 'why' in what we are doing or the changes that are being made,” she says. “People have that need to understand.”