Black Weekend.

I had the expectation that the day after Thanksgiving would be slow. It fulfilled, and surpassed, my expectations. Saturday, and also today, Sunday.

Our store is at a real low as far as customer counts and gross sales are concerned. It's the very first time I've experienced a slow period that lasted multiple days. We're getting all sorts of things cleaned up, and the store's equipment and Front-End storage areas are being maintained well while we're slack in customer counts.

This morning, I was running a bit later than I normally do and also left early - before our lunch even started - my labor was high, things were slow, and they had more than enough staff for the projected sales. I got to pick my kids up from the sitters early, and I get to hit the internet up for the first time in days (life's busy even if the store isn't!)

I feel a lot of ownership for my McDonald's. I want the store to be the best it can be, not to just do well, but great. I like being a part of a succeeding team. I don't believe the world runs itself - there has to be intelligent, thoughtful, careful human intervention into an environment before it will operate in it's intended manner. Especially in a McDonald's. If there is no careful direction given to the individual team members, the team won't exist. I enjoy being the giver of direction in a team. I can and will take direction, though not as well. It's been a difficult week by not stepping in and taking control of every situation that I encountered. It was part of a deal I made with my store manager.

I've mentioned my need for control, but it's not as though I feel I need to wrest control out of the hands who hold it and use it responsibly. I have no problem letting someone else who is doing something very well continue to do so. I would probably seek this person out as a friend, as a counselor and as a mentor. However, I have little respect (often none at all) for those people who have the control and do not appreciate it and use it with responsibility. There are plenty of people who abuse power, but power for power's sake doesn't interest me. I will assume control or leadership if no one else maintains control for something integral to what I do.

Some things I have taken control of, and even during my week of "not taking control" I have still maintained include: our dry stock area, organization and cleaning; receiving deliveries, often alone for all or part of the delivery; tracking speed of service times on a whiteboard, 3 shifts per day everyday; and a crew training program which is the one thing I'm not maintaining as well as I could be. I waited for a couple weeks for resources and my steam kind of petered off. I have, however, also been training three Crew Trainer candidates, and we're at a point where they have to do some self-study.

So, again, I think it's important that all aspects of my store be in control of someone capable and willing to do a job well (which usually means extra or harder work). I don't for a second doubt that each of the managers I work with, and nearly every single crew person, has the ability to do their job phenomenally. It's the character of willingness that I feel is in short supply.