Top 5 Misuses of a Restaurant Manager Log

One of the greatest challenges with a manager log of any form is the misuse of this very important legal document. Here are some of the most common misuses:

• The Bitch Session! Often managers feel like this is a good place to bitch and moan about company policy, procedures, employees, other managers and even the owner. This is NOT a place to bitch and moan. When a manager does so, they lose credibility as a leader. Coworkers see them as a negative backstabber to others. And last but not least, they could end up losing their job over it.
• Backing Up the Bus. When there is poor communication and a lack of teamwork in your restaurant, it can build resentment. When you have this negative work environment, the manager log becomes the place where managers cover their butts — or in other words — where they throw others under the bus. The manager log is not a place where you cover your butt; it’s a place to communicate.
• Getting Personal. Oh my goodness! While we care about all of our people’s well-being, the manager log is not a place to talk about your headache, that you’re feeling ill, that your significant other left you, or that you are so hung over from the kick ass party one of the other managers had last night. The manager log is strictly for business. Entries need to be void of personal issues and only communicate what’s going on in the business.
• Answering Like a Teen. Have you ever asked a teenager how their day was at school? Well, you typically get a one-word answer: good. It’s so easy to make entries in the manager log that are brief because you want to go home, but sometimes they are so brief that they don’t give any information that is of any use. Honestly, you’re in the restaurant business, so much goes on in a day, it should be difficult to keep your entries short.
• The Author. The opposite of answering like a teen is the manager who loves to write a novel! While I love more information, too much causes others on the team to just stop reading your entries because they are just too long. Stick to the facts.

A manager log is a useful tool to improve communication in your restaurant and to better hold your management team accountable.