The fifth key to empowerment is to give employees the knowledge they need to do their jobs. If they’ve been properly trained, they know their responsibilities, they know the standard of behavior, and they have the authority to do their jobs, what good is all of it if they are lacking in important facts with which to make decisions?
As the manager, you know if the sales level is leveling off. If you keep that under your hat and don’t communicate it to your team, then don’t be surprised when they drop enough food to feed a small army. Conversely, if you see a half dozen cars pull in the parking lot and don’t tell your team to get ready for a rush, don’t be surprised if they run out of food.
It is extremely important that your team have all of the knowledge that they need at their disposal. In a fast food environment, the best way to do that is to talk to them continuously, making sure that they stay apprised of business trends, food that is already prepped, sandwiches that are “extra,” and anything else of the sort that you, as their manager, feel that they need to know.
