The Importance of Hitting on All Cylinders

Ok, evidently Popeye’s has a GREAT chicken sandwich…I’m good with that.

There’s been a ton of press on whether it might be as good as a certain hero product I know and love. It’s been such a meme-worthy phenomenon that even my pastor used it as a message illustration this week.

But here’s the problem. I took my family after lunch to see for ourselves how this sandwich was (it’s fun when research for your job is to eat at a restaurant!). But they were out of sandwiches. This is the second time this week I’ve heard of this.

It’s great when you have a product everybody wants. It’s terrible when you don’t have it when the customer wants it. I’m not saying this to throw shade on a competitor (ok, maybe a little), but the bigger point is that there are so many things that have to go right for any company to have a success:

You actually have a great product to cut through the competition.

You have to have great marketing or buzz to get noticed.

You have to have the supply chain in place to get the product everywhere you need it in the quantities you need it (and react quickly when your demand exceeds your forecast).

Finally, you have to execute with excellence or all of the above will be wasted.

It’s REALLY hard to get all those things right. And without all of them, you’ll disappoint your customer.

So, how do you hit on all cylinders?

You work on it all the time. You push the Jim Collins’ flywheel in every area of your business and you keep pushing. And when you push hard enough and long enough in the same direction, you gain momentum and start hitting on all cylinders.

Selah.

Building the Plane While You Fly

I just heard a new phrase is making the rounds at Chick-fil-A: “We’re building the plane while we’re flying it.” It’s used to describe the situation caused by the crazy good year over year growth we’ve experienced the last several years . It forces us to solve problems quickly and to iterate, launch, and “fly” before we’re totally comfortable.

However, think about this. There are only three options:

  1. Don’t build the plane.
  2. Build the plane before you fly.
  3. Build the plane while you fly.

The problem with the first two is that you’re not flying. In the last, you’re already flying. And flying, in business, is satisfying customers and making money. Everything depends on flying. And when the wind is favorable, you need to fly, ready or not.

If you’re building a plane before you fly, you better have a jet engine, wings, flaps, controls, and crash landing procedures…maybe a few other components. But with a lot less than you think, you can get off the ground. You. Can. Fly.

Comfortable seats, luggage storage, in-flight entertainment…you don’t NEED that to fly. You can build it while you fly.

Stop Procrastinating. Start Flying.

Question: What plane do you need to build while you fly?
What’s the next step you can take?

An IE Works Cow Appreciation Day at Chick-fil-A

The second Tuesday in July is Cow Appreciation Day, a day when raving fans of Chick-fil-A can dress like a cow for free food.

For Chick-fil-A Support Staff, it’s a chance to serve Operators and Team Members by working in the restaurant. I love working in the restaurant as I learn so much about how to improve our processes. Today, I was impressed by a well-oiled machine that is hitting on all cylinders to serve and delight Customers. Specifically, at Tiger Town Chick-fil-A, in Auburn, AL, I saw:

Right Tools – Sanitizer Wipes in a Box and Long Handled Dust Pans made keeping the Restaurant Clean a Breeze. Our Table Markers make it simple and easy to find customers so they can go ahead and sit down if their food is delayed.

Right People – I am consistently amazed at the talent, character, and servant hearts of our Team Members and Operators. CAD demonstrates how talented people working as a team can accomplish a highly complex operation with class, style, and calm.

Right Process – For a Chick-fil-a Restaurant to run smoothly, there are at least five processes interacting: Food Production, Order Taking in the Drive-Thru, Order Taking at the Front Counter, Meal Assembly & Marry Up, and Dining Room Table Turns. Operator Andrew Barnes had Aces in their Places, and each was well trained to keep food flowing, lines moving, and customers eating.

Right Capacity  – In order to absorb an extra 25% demand in one day, it was evident that this restaurant had plenty of cooking, order-taking, and dining capacity. Kudos to a company that equips Operators to grow sales and satisfy customer demand!

Right Labor – Capacity is only useful in the hands of skilled and adequate labor to exploit it. This Operator’s Team was on their game, fully engaged, and clearly having fun. As well, the restaurant was well staffed to handle the demand. This was obviously an intentional decision. Kudos to Andrew Barnes for a beautifully executed day. Andrew, I was blessed to serve with you.