Shift Happens – Putting your team first at Christmas with Madeleine Geach
Oh, the joys of Christmas! The celebrations with loved ones, dazzling light displays, decadent food, mulled wine (not that we necessarily endorse this), and it just so happens to be the busiest time of year for hospitality.
For those in the industry, this time of year can be overshadowed by the increased pressure of extra hours, boosting profits and demanding guests. But we want to help change that. That’s why we’ve asked industry experts how we can all prioritise wellbeing during the festive season.
A strong hospitality team relies on formidable leadership, and few know more about hospitality leadership than Madeleine Geach – ex Head of Culture and Hawksmoor and founder of The Good Life Coaching. You can follow her work here. We asked Madeleine to share her wisdom on how hospitality managers can effectively and compassionately lead their teams through the most chaotic time of the year. Spoiler, it goes way beyond what you do in December.
Madeleine founded The Good Life Coaching to provide leadership courses and coaching for hospitality mangers. Her approach to coaching is guided by her deep love and intimate understanding of the industry, making it truly holistic. Madeleine’s work has earned her the title of one of the most influential women in hospitality by CODE Hospitality, twice. She is also a bestselling co-author of the leadership guide Leading from the Heart. Her clients include Ottolenghi, Hawksmoor, Woodhouse and JKS as well as smaller brilliant independents like Rambutan, Elliot’s and Trullo.
Join us as we get to know Madeleine and learn from her years in hospitality leadership.
Why did you decide to make hospitality your focus?
Because it’s gloriously human. I love food and drink, but really, it’s all about people. There are so many different personalities. Plus, I saw a need – leaders in hospitality are often thrown in at the deep end with little or no training and as someone who spent 15 years working in education previously, I know that some fun, engaging manager development would make things a lot easier.
What do you think is the hospitality industry's greatest strength?
Teamwork. Honestly, nowhere else except maybe soldiers in trenches do you see bonds like this. At our best, everyone’s looking out for each other, rolling up sleeves together, and having each other’s backs – especially in busy season. The trust in a good restaurant team gives me goosebumps!
How can managers best balance customer experience and staff wellbeing?
Customers only get looked after if staff are looked after first. Protect breaks, give junior staff breathing space, and make it clear you have their backs: a zero-tolerance stance on harassment sends a message that staff are safe and valued.
What’s the best strategy for managing time off and work schedules?
Plan the year, not just November–December. Shorter shifts, no endless doubles from January to October, and making sure everyone takes proper annual leave ahead of and after the busy period keeps people as topped up as they can be to work extra hard for a few months.
How can managers communicate to guests to show empathy toward staff?
Lead from the front. Step in when guests cross the line. Politely set boundaries: “We’ll make sure you have a brilliant night, but our team comes first.” Most guests get it. The ones who don’t? Call a cab.
Most effective motivator for teams during busy periods?
This is the time to massively up staff food. A proper team breakfast, fresh fruit, ordering in pizzas. It's good to get front of house staff involved in organising this to support the extra busy kitchen. Giving your GM a welfare budget to treat the team during this part of the year is a great idea and something I always set up in the places I worked with.
When it comes to your own downtime, what do you do to unwind from work?
I try to get out into daylight a few times during my workday – it tops up my energy and helps me leave work less frazzled when I finish. I'd really encourage restaurant teams to make sure everyone gets into daylight at least once per shift for this reason too. Also, I'm very into the sauna trend that's finally hit the UK and love my local community sauna.
Favourite wine at Christmas?
A Crémant with canapés.
Nina Lloyd
Nina is the Brand Communications Manager at Bibendum Wine. She first learnt about wine when working in hospitality jobs alongside a degree in classical singing in her home Melbourne, Australia. Since moving to London, she has worked in several wine focused hospitality venues across the city and is currently undertaking her WSET Diploma in wine.