Woman's Day, November 1st, 2006
HER CHALLENGE After being a stay-at-home mom most of her life, Peggy decided to embark on a new adventure—she bought a small restaurant to run on her own. She was a pro at planning family parties and had briefly worked in catering, but she’d never managed a staff before. “It was harder than I thought
to delegate,” Peggy says. “I felt like I was being mean or that my employees wouldn’t like me.”
HOW SHE TURNED IT AROUND Caitlin Friedman, coauthor of The Girls’ Guide to Being a Boss (Without Being a Bitch), gave Peggy a crash course in Management 101.
1. Never be afraid of your employees. “Peggy needs to keep in mind that her skills are different from everyone else’s. She’s not doing anyone a favor by accepting mediocre work to avoid confrontation,” says Friedman.
2. Be clear with your team. Friedman suggested Peggy give detailed instructions and put each task in a larger context. So instead of saying, “Put away the
clean mugs,” Peggy demonstrates exactly where she wants them and explains that mugs belong on that shelf because it’s closest to the coffee, which leads to
faster service and better tips!
3. Be supportive. “A good boss always keeps the lines of communication open,” Friedman emphasizes. “I’ve now made it clear that there are no stupid questions,” Peggy says.
NOW SHE’S COOKIN’ With these guidelines, Peggy says she no longer feels guilty about delegating. “The Egg Shell is running much more smoothly now,” she says. “We’ve really become a family.”
