AUTHOR'S SUMMARY:
From Turnover to Teamwork is about how to keep the good workers once you have them. More to the point, it is about how do you run your organization in such a way that people want to hang out with you! People stick around because they want to. People leave because they don't want to stay. Turnover and teamwork are not "things" -- they are very predictable consequences of the working climate in an organization. The better you understand how the process works, the more successful a manager you will become.

DUST JACKET COPY:
"How many people didn't show up for work today?"

If you regularly find yourself asking questions like this, your restaurant may be headed for serious trouble. High turnover is the plague of the foodservice industry but it is only a symptom of the real problem. Don't panic - From Turnover to Teamwork is here to help. This book offers fresh insights into the root causes of why people leave and why they stay. It is full of practical, common-sense solutions that will encourage your best workers to be part of the team and turn occasional guests into loyal regulars. It will help you see to deal more effectively with your most common staff-related issues and concerns, including:

• improving the effectiveness of your training program
• coping with discipline problems
• salary structure, wages and benefits
• encouraging excellence: recognition, bonuses and other incentives
• performance reviews
• creating and maintaining rapport between staff and management

You have seen it yourself. When a restaurant offers seamless service, personal attention, efficiency and camaraderie among the staff, it is a combination that keeps you coming back again and again for the pure pleasure of the experience. On the other hand, when half the staff seems new and inexperienced and the other half seems to have one foot out the door, the odds of repeat patronage are not very promising. High turnover is more than just an expensive nuisance; it has a negative impact on every aspect of your restaurant: its reputation, its service and its bottom line.

From Turnover to Teamwork takes an hands-on, common sense approach to a problem familiar to anyone who has ever owned or managed a restaurant or other service-oriented business. Bill Marvin, "The Restaurant Doctor," shares some simple insights into the underlying causes of why people perform poorly and walk out as well as what might cause the very same people to be loyal, contributing members of your team. When he managed the foodservice department at the U.S. Olympic Training Center, application of these principals enabled him to cut turnover from 300% to 25% in just six months while doubling athlete patronage at the same time.

The simple wisdom in his approach may surprise you. He points out common management practices that may be doing more harm than good. He gives specific suggestions on how to hang on to good workers and create a team that is happier, more productive, and fiercely loyal to your business. He demonstrates effective ways to cope with important issues such as training, salary and wages, bonuses and other incentives, performance reviews, discipline, and staff/management rapport. He suggests personnel policies and resources for retention will help you avoid misunderstandings with your staff and find reliable advice quickly when problems emerge.

Taken to heart, this book can help you to communicate with your crew more effectively - to understand what motivates them and to be sure that they understand your expectations of them. It can help you see ways to develop staff loyalty without spending a fortune, how to make your training more effective, and how to resolve disputes without lingering hard feelings. Most of all, From Turnover to Teamwork can help you tap your own innate human relations skills to create a business climate that both encourages your good people to stay and makes your patrons want to come back for more.

COMMENTS FROM THE PROS:

Here is what some industry professionals are saying about From Turnover to Teamwork:

"Bill Marvin's book is chock full of practical, "Whack on the side of the head", make sense ideas on how to improve employee retention and productivity. If you use only one idea from his book in your business, you will have more than earned back the price you paid for it."
-- Michael Brandson, Vice President McGuffey's Restaurants, Asheville, NC

"Dr. Bill's philosophies articulate clear guidelines for practical improvements that have resulted in real increases in our customer service and profitability."
-- Randy Rayburn, Owner Sunset Grill, Nashville, TN

"Bill Marvin once again turns conventional wisdom upside down and replaces it with common sense. It presents an exciting model of management for the new century and should be required reading for any serious business manager or owner."
-- Robert Kausen, President Life Education, Inc., Trinity Center, CA

"Marvin has done it again! The idea that turnover and teamwork are only symptoms of the climate in the organization is an eye-opening concept. It reinforces my belief that there are no bad people, only bad systems."
-- Frank Henderson, Training Director Azteca Mexican Restaurants, Seattle, WA