The past couple months Beth and I have watched a program on the Food Network called Restaurant Stakeout. The show stars Willie Degel who is the founder and CEO of the Uncle Jack's Steakhouse chain in New York City. Each episode finds Degel visiting a restaurant at the request of its owner. The reason for Degel’s presence is that the restaurant is underperforming. Profits are either down or non-existent. The hope is that Degel can come in, assess the situation, and then recommend changes to the owner that will help increase its profitability.
The way that Degel accomplishes this is through the use of hidden cameras. These cameras are installed without the staff’s or customer’s knowledge. They cover every facet of the restaurant’s operation - the kitchen, the bar, and the entire restaurant floor. Then Degel invites the restaurant’s owner to join him in a separate room where they can view how the restaurant is being run. What they see is incredible - drinking on the job, arguing with customers, flirting (with other employees or with customers), arguments between the staff, neglect of customers, and a lack of knowledge of the menu. In addition to observing the staff, Degel will enlist some undercover people to enter the restaurant, acting as patrons. These people are wired so that Degel can communicate with them. Degel’s purpose in this is to test the staff and see what they know and how they respond.
As you can imagine, there is usually a good reason why the restaurant is underperforming and Degel and the owner can see it with their own eyes. Of course, the owner is shocked when they see for themselves what goes on in their restaurant when they are not around. Degel will mention to the owner what he sees is wrong and what should be happening. Afterward Degel and the owner confront the staff. At that time they learn who Degel is and why he is there. More importantly, they are then told about the presence of the hidden cameras. And that they have been under surveillance. Usually this results in a look of shock, embarrassment and shame on the faces of the staff. Degel will then tell the staff what he saw. He will commend the staff who did do a good job. And he will criticize the ones who didn’t.
As a leader, I put myself in the owner’s shoes. In some cases the staff haven’t been trained properly. Or there is no chain-of-command. That’s on the owner. But that still doesn’t excuse staff for basically ‘stealing’ from their employer by consuming product without paying for it or being lazy. If it was up to me I would have fired more than one staff member right on the spot. But Degel doesn’t do this. He meets with each employee individually. He tells them what they have been doing wrong. And then tells them what they ought to be doing. In some cases, he promotes employees and in other cases he moves them to a different position. Lo and behold, when Degel comes back a couple months later, those same staff are now model employees. They know what they are doing. They like what they are doing. And the restaurant is profitable.
As I watch these staff make a 180̊ change, I feel guilty. While I was willing to fire some of the staff, Degel worked with them. The result was a win-win situation. The employee learned how to do their job and the restaurant was not only able to retain their staff, but also get increased productivity out of them.
This is a problem in the church at times. And with Christians in general. We are pretty quick to judge others. Let a Christian fall off the wagon, or commit some kind of sin, and we immediately distance ourselves from them. We act as though they have committed the unpardonable sin. (Which they haven’t.) We also have little tolerance with church workers who don’t meet our expectations. If they are not performing well, we simply don’t re-up them the next year. Or we make not-so-subtle hints that they ought to do something else. Quite frankly, often we treat others like they are disposable.
How sad! Over and over again the Bible says that God is a God of second chances. Why don’t we understand this? And practice it? Shouldn’t we be praying for, and working with, those who fall into sin? Shouldn’t we be coming alongside our workers to help them improve? To become all that God created them to be? The answer to both of these questions is yes. The fact is that God doesn’t give up on anybody. Neither should we.
Lord, help me to be humble. And filled with grace. To see the best in others. To be willing to look past their mistakes and weaknesses. To see the potential that You have placed within them. Help me to pray for, and work with, others so that they can be all that You created them to be. In Jesus’ name, Amen.
The way that Degel accomplishes this is through the use of hidden cameras. These cameras are installed without the staff’s or customer’s knowledge. They cover every facet of the restaurant’s operation - the kitchen, the bar, and the entire restaurant floor. Then Degel invites the restaurant’s owner to join him in a separate room where they can view how the restaurant is being run. What they see is incredible - drinking on the job, arguing with customers, flirting (with other employees or with customers), arguments between the staff, neglect of customers, and a lack of knowledge of the menu. In addition to observing the staff, Degel will enlist some undercover people to enter the restaurant, acting as patrons. These people are wired so that Degel can communicate with them. Degel’s purpose in this is to test the staff and see what they know and how they respond.
As you can imagine, there is usually a good reason why the restaurant is underperforming and Degel and the owner can see it with their own eyes. Of course, the owner is shocked when they see for themselves what goes on in their restaurant when they are not around. Degel will mention to the owner what he sees is wrong and what should be happening. Afterward Degel and the owner confront the staff. At that time they learn who Degel is and why he is there. More importantly, they are then told about the presence of the hidden cameras. And that they have been under surveillance. Usually this results in a look of shock, embarrassment and shame on the faces of the staff. Degel will then tell the staff what he saw. He will commend the staff who did do a good job. And he will criticize the ones who didn’t.
As a leader, I put myself in the owner’s shoes. In some cases the staff haven’t been trained properly. Or there is no chain-of-command. That’s on the owner. But that still doesn’t excuse staff for basically ‘stealing’ from their employer by consuming product without paying for it or being lazy. If it was up to me I would have fired more than one staff member right on the spot. But Degel doesn’t do this. He meets with each employee individually. He tells them what they have been doing wrong. And then tells them what they ought to be doing. In some cases, he promotes employees and in other cases he moves them to a different position. Lo and behold, when Degel comes back a couple months later, those same staff are now model employees. They know what they are doing. They like what they are doing. And the restaurant is profitable.
As I watch these staff make a 180̊ change, I feel guilty. While I was willing to fire some of the staff, Degel worked with them. The result was a win-win situation. The employee learned how to do their job and the restaurant was not only able to retain their staff, but also get increased productivity out of them.
This is a problem in the church at times. And with Christians in general. We are pretty quick to judge others. Let a Christian fall off the wagon, or commit some kind of sin, and we immediately distance ourselves from them. We act as though they have committed the unpardonable sin. (Which they haven’t.) We also have little tolerance with church workers who don’t meet our expectations. If they are not performing well, we simply don’t re-up them the next year. Or we make not-so-subtle hints that they ought to do something else. Quite frankly, often we treat others like they are disposable.
How sad! Over and over again the Bible says that God is a God of second chances. Why don’t we understand this? And practice it? Shouldn’t we be praying for, and working with, those who fall into sin? Shouldn’t we be coming alongside our workers to help them improve? To become all that God created them to be? The answer to both of these questions is yes. The fact is that God doesn’t give up on anybody. Neither should we.
Lord, help me to be humble. And filled with grace. To see the best in others. To be willing to look past their mistakes and weaknesses. To see the potential that You have placed within them. Help me to pray for, and work with, others so that they can be all that You created them to be. In Jesus’ name, Amen.
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