Operator Toolbox: Leadership & Team Building
Operator Tools in the Leadership & Team Building Category:
- Leadership by failing: You Can’t Expect to Win Unless You Know Why You Lose
- 17 Things to Look for in a New General Manager
- People Are The Killer App
- Cost-Effective ways to Motivate Teams in a Challenging Economy
- Don’t Know What You’ve Got Till It’s Gone
- Do’s and Don’ts of Supervising Young Employees
- Focus & Make Every Shift Rock
- Getting Rid of “Rusty”: The Key to Change Management
- How to See It, Say It, and Make It Stick: From Vision to Execution
- Managers: Learn to Fear This Question
- Power Shift: Managing in the Red Zone
- Seven Ways to Be Ready When the Upturn Comes
- Sullivan’s Laws
- Sullivan’s Laws Part 2
- The 7 Stages of High-Performing Multi Unit Leaders
- The Architecture of the Shift
- The Best Books on Service & Leadership of the Last 25 Years (A Subjective List)
- The New Basics: Leadership Insights from the Field
- The Root Cause of Mediocrity? Monkey See, Monkey Do
- Twelve Month Action Plan in 1000 Words (Or Less)
Sullivan’s Laws
I present over 70 live service and leadership seminars annually for General Managers and executives at both chain and independent operations worldwide. Without fail, attendees clamor for a copy of a list I close with that I call “Sullivan’s Laws.” I regard the seasoned and saucy suggestions that follow to be only considered, not legislated.
Copyright 2007 Sullivision Inc.
I present over 70 live service and leadership seminars annually for General Managers and executives at both chain and independent operations worldwide. Without fail, attendees clamor for a copy of a list I close with that I call “Sullivan’s Laws.” I regard the seasoned and saucy suggestions that follow to be only considered, not legislated. I’m pleased to share them:
- Sullivan’s Law of Comfort Zones: If you’re not playing a big enough game, you’ll screw up the game you’re playing just to give yourself something to do.
- Sullivan’s Law of Pre-Emptive Knowledge: It is better to know it and not need it than it is to need it and not know it.
- Sullivan’s Law of Reciprocity (with thanks to Don Peppers): Customers don’t give a damn how valuable they are to you, they only care how valuable you are to them.
- Sullivan’s Law of Unsuccessful Employees: one cannot do what he is told; the other cannot do anything unless he is told.
- Sullivan’s Law of Exploration: The greatest undeveloped territory in the world lies under your hat.
- Sullivan’s Law of Distinction: Different is not always better but better is always different. First be best, then be first.
- Sullivan’s 1st Law of Service: Good service can save a bad meal. A good meal cannot save bad service.
- Sullivan’s Law of Computing: Artificial Intelligence is no match for natural stupidity.
- Sullivan’s Law of Criticism: Before you criticize a man, first walk a mile in his moccasins. Now you’re a mile away. And, you have his moccasins.
- Sullivan’s Law of Leniency: Favors granted always become defined as rights.
- Sullivan’s Law of Training Priorities: It’s the speed of the slowest many, not the fastest few, that matters most.
- Sullivan’s Law of Server Blindness. Full trash cans exude a certain substance that causes them to become invisible to servers and busers. Empty or nearly empty trash containers do not have this quality.
- Sullivan’s Law of Distinction: Patience is a virtue. Polyester is a fabric.
- Sullivan’s Law of Probability Dispersal: Whatever it is that hits the fan will not be evenly distributed.
- Sullivan’s Law of Know-How:Any dope with a checkbook can buy a business. It’s what you do afterwards that matters.
- Sullivan’s Law of Labor Statistics:The rate of unemployment is 100 percent if it’s you who is unemployed.
- Sullivan’s Law of Excuses: If you do it, then it’s done.
- Sullivan’s Law of Price and Value: People always buy value, since there’s always a “lower price” somewhere else
- Sullivan’s Law of Hierarchy: If you’re at the top of the ladder, cover your ass; if you’re at the bottom, cover your face.
- Sullivan’s Law of Barnyard Hierarchy: In any pecking order, the ratio of peckers to peck-ees is always greater than one.
- Sullivan’s Law of Over-Use: Everyone stands for quality. As a result, no one does. Pick another benefit of your product to promote to customers.
- Sullivan’s Law of Convergence: If two people are in a kitchen, they will head for the same spot sooner rather than later.
- Sullivan’s Law of Coaching Priorities: It’s better to focus on enhancing an employee’s strengths than trying to eliminate their weaknesses.
- Sullivan’s Law of Indecision: Procrastination is the devil’s chloroform.
- Sullivan’s Law of History Lessons: The further back you look the further forward you can see.
- Sullivan’s Law of Zen Indifference: Do not walk behind me, for I may not lead. Do not walk ahead of me, for I may not follow. Don’t walk beside me, either. Just leave me the hell alone, OK?
