By Juanpablo Barrantes
Leader’s approach
(3 min read)
—Do you usually go out for a meal?— You know, in my case I do; I even have a top five ranking of my favorite places in town for regularly going out and enjoy the pleasure of a great meal at a nice place and at a fair price based on what I asked for. But there’s just one out of those top five places that really delights not only my taste, but also my whole satisfaction on customer experience: besides the delicious Peruvian cuisine, the crew at this place seems to be so passionate on what they do, they really seem to enjoy what they do while I see they really master what they do. Definitely a great combination of key skills and talent to delight customers! After my latest dining visit to “A lo Peruano” which means “The Peruvian’s way”, I felt so inspired by what they do and the way they do it so I thought it’s worthy to share my reflections on what happens whenever performance meets passion in a workplace. - The Leader sets the pace and the height of the bar (not the drinking bar but the performance bar!) A lo Peruano’s owner is one of a kind... I could say you immediately recognize he’s the one in charge right in your first visit mainly because you feel his presence where the action happens. Let me explain what I mean by the word “presence”: —he’s genuinely involved with the people (his customers and his crew) and with the process (his business and customer’s experience). This guy has taught me a simple but vital lesson on outshining to your team and your customers: be present and walk your talk. - The team is the one that makes the difference. A great performing workplace is the sum of every singular talent plus highly skilled resources, both performed with passion and engagement. These elements well combined and properly managed determine how your customers will fall in love with your product or service and how your business will thrive and spark above the crowd consistently over time. Each member of the crew at A lo peruano has the right skills and training, and they also have the right resources and attitude to excel at work; this is perhaps what makes customers to come back again and again... and spread the word so more people enjoy the experience as well. - At the end, the customer rules. Everything that I’ve just mentioned above will be useless if, right at the moment you’re sit in the dining terrace, you don’t get delighted by the plate you asked for and by the overall experience during meal time. A lo Peruano is my first option in town just because not only the product but also the experience is way beyond any other place. After each visit to A lo Peruano, I make my mental notes to address my workplace with the same approach, and to lead my team with such a similar mindset. At the end, I think anyone in a leader’s shoes knows that whenever performance meets passion, success happens. www.jpbarrantes1973.wixsite.com/leadersapproach