Soft Skills Playbook: A Must-Read for Restaurant Managers and Owners

By Michael Walters, RTS Partner

If you work in the hospitality industry, you know that success depends on more than just technical skills. While it’s important to have the necessary hard skills (cooking and managing inventory, for example) to do your job well,  it’s equally important to communicate, collaborate, and build strong relationships with others.

Soft skills, in fact, are the intangible qualities that make us human: empathy, teamwork, and problem-solving. These skills are especially critical for restaurant managers and owners, who are ultimately responsible for the customer journey.

So as a leader, your ability to foster a positive workplace culture and develop the soft skills of your team can make all the difference. Indeed, such skills lead to a workplace culture that attracts top talent and provides the support your team — and business — needs to thrive.

I was recently introduced to great book on the subject, Soft Skills Playbook, by its author Carrie Luxem, founder and CEO of Restaurant HR Group. Luxem, a former restaurant HR executive, identifies 12 critical soft skills essential for success. Three of them stand out as especially important in the hospitality industry: Communication, Relationship Building, Persistence.

Communication is the cornerstone of strong interpersonal relationships, both within and outside your organization. By developing your communication skills, you can motivate others, build trust and engagement, and reduce turnover. According to the Soft Skills Playbook, effective communication requires six key elements: Listening twice as much as you speak, practicing mindfulness, establishing clear expectations, assuming the best intentions of others, using reflective statements, and staying true to yourself.

Relationship building is another critical soft skill that is especially important for restaurant leaders. Whether you’re building connections with customers, peers, or vendors, investing in relationships  builds trust and creates a positive workplace culture. To build strong relationships, Luxem recommends recognizing and appreciating your peers and customers, showing up as your best self and apologizing when needed. Relationships are built from the ground up, she advises, and face-to-face interactions are valuable in that process.

Persistence is especially critical for restaurant leaders. When you persist, you are certain to see results, even if you need to adjust or change course along the way. Luxem reminds readers that persistence requires hard work, consistency, patience, and time. By defining your vision and the road to get there, looping in your circle of support, getting comfortable with detours, building your mental stamina, and revamping your identity, you can achieve lasting success. 

From my own experience managing restaurants, I know that by developing soft skills managers and owners create workplace cultures that foster growth, productivity, and happiness for team members and customers alike. As a leader, the ability to communicate effectively, problem-solve, manage time efficiently, and empathize with others can make a huge difference in your business.

Indeed, managers with a strong soft-skill set attract top talent and provide support and encouragement for team members. The Soft Skills Playbook can help you in that effort by identifying areas for improvement.

Michael Walters, owner of MJW Hospitality Group, has spent more than 30 years in the restaurant business. Most recently, he was the chief operating officer for Pokeworks.