Coaching Culture in Joey Restaurant Group:How Cool Is That?
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LE Watch JOEY accept their 2011 Prism Award A < DERSHIP Coaching Culture in JOEY Restaurant Group: How Cool Is That? AboUT: ood and drinks are not the only things that revenue growth, and reduced turnover. They have done P JOEY Restaurant Group RO so through booms and busts in the economy and have JOEY Restaurant Group is now serving. While F F been recognized in 2010 and 2011 as one of the Best The JOEY Restaurant Group I they are known for producing award winning cuisine L Workplaces in Canada by the Great Place to Work ES and cocktails inspired from around the globe, they provides their guests an exceptional Institute. JOEY is the only restaurant group to ever have dining experience by offering globally are also in the business of cultivating the leaders made this exclusive list. JOEY calculates a 682 percent inspired menus and engaging in a and entrepreneurs of tomorrow. return on investment from their coaching initiative. This fun, lively setting. In 2010 and 2011 level of success awarded JOEY Restaurant Group the ICF the company was recognized as one International Prism Award in 2011. JOEY, along with BC JOEY Restaurant Group, headquartered in Vancouver, of the Best Workplaces in Canada BENE Housing (also of Canada) received the award at the Annual British Columbia, Canada, has over the past 20 years in the annual ranking produced by International Conference in Las Vegas last September. the Great Place to Work Institute in expanded from one to 25 restaurants across Canada F partnership with the Globe and Mail. ITS and Washington State. Combining flavors from around “The International Prism Award is an amazing the world, JOEY prides itself on having food that “brings acknowledgement” said JOEY Restaurant Group Vice Headquarters: people together.” President of Human Resources Andrew Martin. “To be Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada recognized by the coaching community for taking on an A closer look at JOEY shows that it’s not so much a Industry Sector: innovative approach to leadership development, causes Entertainment/Dining formula for success they’ve perfected as it is a strategic M us to take a breath and celebrate what we have focus on developing their employees. Like many other A accomplished to date.” Number of Employees: RKETING restaurants, JOEY hires numerous people who are just 3000 starting their careers, many of them college students. Their Story JOEY has focused on the development of these younger Annual Revenue: employees so they will have an abundance of talent to Joey Restaurant Group began its coaching initiative while N/A step to the next level of leadership when needed. Guided the rest of the entertainment/dining industry were facing with the understanding that coaching can benefit any deep recession struggles. In early 2008, JOEY identified Start date of coaching project: 2009 organization, JOEY began its coaching initiative and has priorities in their development program; they wanted it to since experienced great success. be heavily focused on leadership development, conflict Status of coaching project: R management, and personal growth. They also wanted an Active and ongoing ESE JOEY Restaurant Groups’ commitment to coaching internal program that could be sustained and replicated – and would be the best fit for their organization and culture. Prism Nominating Coach: A has seen them experience a more than 30 percent R Marjorie Busse, MCC C H 14 Coaching World | February 2012 | www.coachfederation.org LE A Coaching Culture in JOEY Restaurant Group: How Cool Is That? DERSHIP “People think we are here to serve food,” explained the Regional Managers from across Canada and the JOEY Vice President of Operations, Al Jessa. “We Pacific Northwest of the United States. are actually in the people development business. If The International Prism Award is kids can come here and work while going to college “The process started with a relationship awareness or sorting out their young lives and then whether they tool, the Strength Deployment Inventory® (SDI®),” P an amazing acknowledgement. RO choose to stay or leave, they say they started their says Busse. “We feel SDI comes from a real To be recognized by the coaching F self-awareness journey and learned their coaching motivational place. It’s not about behaviors; it’s about I L community for taking on an leadership skills at JOEY, then we’ve succeeded.” what motivates each one of us.” ES innovative approach to leadership The program that JOEY envisioned was heavily The initial group then took Essential Impact’s three- development causes us to take focused on leadership development, conflict day Excelerator Coaching™ workshop, an ICF a breath and celebrate what we management, and personal growth. They also felt approved coach specific training program. Since have accomplished to date. that an internal program that could be sustained and JOEY’s eventual goal was to have this entire program BENE replicated would be the best fit for their organization. in-house, with their own coaches facilitating the Andrew Martin, JOEY Restaurant Group In starting this daunting process JOEY turned to leadership development program, there was a need F Vice President of Human Resources Essential Impact Coaching for assistance. for coach accreditation. ITS “In the spring of 2008, Andrew Martin, JOEY’s Vice “Since we knew that eventually they wanted to be Past Winners – In addition to JOEY President of Human Resources asked us to come instructors in the program, they had to first be an RESTAURANT GROUP and BC Housing discuss what we had to offer the company,” said accredited coach,” said Busse. “That’s the line that of Canada previous winners of the Marjorie Busse, MCC, of Essential Impact Coaching. we draw. We didn’t want them to be just in there one prestigious ICF Internaitonal Prism M “Creating a coaching culture would fit the bill on all day teaching the program, we wanted them each to A Award are 2010: Genentech, Inc. and the counts, at every level of leadership.” be a coach.” RKETING TINE Group 2009: www.ibm.com (North America) and Solaglas Windowcare The new coaching initiative began with strategic In order to meet this requirement, the first group (United Kingdom) 2008: British selection of the most senior leaders in the couldn’t simply take the first 24 hour three day Broadcasting Corporation (BBC) and organization, with the idea being they could be Excelerator program, they also needed to complete SYSCO Food Services of Canada 2007: coached and trained as Internal Coaches while Essential Impact’s 36 hour Excelerator Essentials NASA (APPEL 4-D Systems) and Deloitte running their respective restaurant groups. 13 out of program, which would give them altogether 60 and Touche 2006: University of Texas at the 28 most senior leaders were chosen to initially hours of coach specific training. This extraordinary Dallas (UTD) and Verizon Business and R participate, including VP of Operations Al Jessa, commitment to coaching by JOEY meant that these ESE in 2005: IBM and MCI. Nominations for VP of HR Andrew Martin, and JOEY Executive Chef original 13 champions of coaching were fully on their the 2012 award will start in March. Watch Chris Mills. The other members of the group included way to ICF Coach Credentials. A CoachFederation.org for more details. R C H 15 Coaching World | February 2012 | www.coachfederation.org LE A Coaching Culture in JOEY Restaurant Group: How Cool Is That? DERSHIP A second group, including head chefs and general managers less. The use of coaching helped them take the extraordinary of individual restaurants, then went through the SDI® and people who work there, and helped them excel not only as Team JOEY Coaching Box Score* Excelerator Coaching™ program, with the members of chefs and managers, but as leaders and individuals. the original 12 helping to facilitate the program alongside 30% revenue growth Essential Impact. Since then, every member of the head As an employer of young college students, they typically P office staff, including the President of JOEY Restaurant have a higher than average turnover rate. The adoption of RO 134% increase in Group, has taken the SDI® and three-day Excelerator a coaching culture has changed that. The rate of employee F overall retention rate I Coach™ training program. All are currently being coached, turnover has dramatically reduced from less than 100 percent L and many are now coaching others internally. (twice) retention to 66 percent – a 134 percent improvement! ES 100% (virtually) retention at senior level Amazingly they also now have virtually 0 percent at the Coaching has since been integrated throughout all eight senior level. $1 million invested in JOEY Restaurant Group regions and 25 restaurants, coaching including the company’s five different brands. The goal is to Another benefit has been the explosion of internal talent have any employee who has been with them for at least six created and fostered from the whole coaching experience. BENE 682% ROI months to start the journey through the coaching program. They now have a line-up of highly qualified and skilled staff In 2012, they expect to add 50 Internal Coaches, and have competing for the next open position and promotion. F 1,000+ people coached their first Internal Coach achieve an ICF Certification at the ITS to date Associate Certified Coach (ACC) level. In fact, VP of Human “In many companies, developing internal talent is highly Winner, ICF Prism Resources Andrew Martin received his ACC credential from desired by staff but varies on how valuable it is strategically,” Award 2011 the ICF in December 2011. said Busse. “For JOEY having the talent to support their extraordinary level of quality and service as they grew is 1 ICF Associate JOEY Restaurant Group is a company that measures mission critical.