TIDAS & OTS

Acronyms are sometimes useful and become part of the lexicon where we sometimes forget the actual original like SCUBA (self-contained underwater breathing apparatus).  BTW, this new one--TIDAS,  came out of a national management meeting about a year ago, when several old-guard senior leaders quietly quit on us, and we discovered a number of rules, standards, and programs that had been put in place that made no sense and went against the logic of trying to make a successful business.  This manifested into an important management mantra called TIDAS—This is Dumb Ass Shit.   

Let’s say for example, a general manager of a restaurant has hockey practice on Tuesday nights at 8pm, do you close the property to accommodate his schedule.  Of course not.   Even worse, do you kick 100 paying customers off of a bustling roof deck filled with people consuming wine and food, so that that bar can close on time to catch a baseball game?  Well, both are examples we discovered and no one serving underneath these “leaders” had the chutzpah or cahonnes to let senior management in HQ know this was going on. (BALLS: Better Alert Leaders Leveraging Sales, ok that is a stretch with borderline Daddy humor).   How to empower managers and/or any staff to feel the confidence and security to mention the TIDAS to those above.  How to feel secure in communicating and circumventing your boss when something flies in face of logic and you feel it is for the good of the company to bring it to someone’s attention.   This is the concept of TIDAS and its all around us. 

Now, it is possible to get too idiosyncratic like Larry David and go overboard on some silly little details.  Like the one episode where he was in line at an ice-cream shop and the lady in front of him was trying every single flavor.  Larry went ballistic on her saying there needed to be a limit to number of samples one can try on a stick at the counter.   He was hysterical, but actually was pointing out a great example of TIDAS.  Yes, there should be a limit of 3 samples to make sure the line moves and is respectful of people’s time. 

What things do we do as a company that don’t make sense, what can be improved?  How do we as managers encourage our teams to point out things that, perhaps over time, that have become routine or adjusted from the original idea that need to be changed for the better.   How much TIDAS is all around us that we need to look at to see the forest through the trees.  

And now, OTS.     No matter what your role, you got to “Own the Shit”.  What has made certain employees stand out is when they shine by taking full responsibility for their work.  It is clear when a server is observed as an amazing team member who pays full attention to their tables, not missing the slightest customer turn of the head for service—this person “Owns the shit.”  If they sees anything out the corner of their eye, no matter what they is doing, they are the first to help.    They are going beyond the call of duty, offering exemplary hospitality to everyone.  This person not only owns their own shit, but owns “the” shit.  There is a subtle difference, and we could have had the “t” be “their” instead of “the”.  But “the” is universal, it is not just their own, but a communal bunch of crap.  While the table next to your section might not be your direct responsibility but clearing the empty dish or helping take their order, your supporting your team, your helping the company, your owning “the” shit.  “da shit” is some someone who care about the planet, while one’s personal health is important, we share the planet, the air we breathe, and connection to everyone around is in linked.  Buried in the “the shit” is a deeper understanding of the connection to the ecosystem of our company, how everyone is connected and not picking up that piece of trash can negatively affect the business.  

OTS is a standard of employment we need reestablish throughout the company—frankly throughout society today.   It’s a work ethic that has been lost in a world that simply does not want to work as hard.  I’m not talking about hybrid or work from home issues.  I’m simply saying, when you’re on, be on, 100%.  Be there 110% giving it your all, thinking about overachieving at your work, how your job fits in the machine of the entire company and the important role it plays.  Take your work seriously and focus on not just getting your work done, but any connective tissues to your role, do what you can to improve those.   The more receptive you are integrating with your co-workers, observing everything happening around you, and being open to learning, the better you will be at delivering on your work.  This is owning the shit. 

Thanks for listening.