Program Content
The program presented here is based on a 41-module, competency-based, online product: Harvard ManageMentor^® (HMM) or Harvard ManageMentor PLUS programs developed by Harvard Business School Publishing.

41 Modules on Key Leadership & Management Topics
The foundation for the program is the online Harvard ManageMentor PLUS and the Harvard Business School Publishing (HBSP) "Universal Competency Matrix," a competency model that sets forth the major capabilities managers need in 11 areas, ranging from customer focus to managing change. (See Appendix A.) The following 41 topics from Harvard ManageMentor link to those competency areas. The 41 modules cover the following topics, which are available online to all enrolled in this program through your company. These modules, which contain advice, tips and tools, can be read online or printed out for reference.

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Program, Content & Implementation
An Implementation Model Tested in our Industry This recommended implementation model encompasses three components that allow the learner to approach the material in a practical applied way. These components are:

• Online readings/modules on Leadership and Management from Harvard ManageMentor PLUS;
• Group discussion sessions to illustrate content and apply ideas and techniques to the restaurant, hospitality and foodservice industry; and
• Applied activities (homework) and practical exercises between discussion sessions.

The blend of these three components leads to an understanding of how to apply knowledge to achieve business results.

This approach, coupled with a culture of participation and a focus on management and leadership development, in a multi-unit restaurant operation yielded positive results with unit managers—in both performance and retention. At the end of the first 15 months of the program, management turnover went down to an astounding 5 percent.

The discussion sessions and applied homework activities are critical for relating the ideas and concepts presented to restaurant, hospitality and foodservice operations. The discussion sessions lead to implementation, application of the ideas presented, and an understanding of how to use the techniques to improve management performance and business results.

The recommended approach for implementation in the restaurant, hospitality and foodservice industry is described below.

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9-Step Implementation Process for this "Blended Approach"

1. Identify participants.
2. Define cluster of 10 to 12 topics.
3. Schedule eight discussion sessions covering one or two topics (every other week).
4. Assign first reading/topic, and publish schedule of readings.
5. Hold first session. Discuss reading and assign first applied homework.
6. Between sessions: Do homework, read next assignment.
7. Hold next discussion session.
8. Repeat Steps 5-8.
9. Analyze results to determine ROI (Return on Investment).

More Details on the 9-Step Implementation Process

1. Identify a set of 10-12 managers (a small group discussion size) as the participants in the program. Make attendance part of their regular monthly work schedule.
2. Define a cluster of topics that will constitute a "course" in the program. The recommended cluster is 12 topics for a four-month course. A recommendation for Leadership & Management I, a first course, is outlined on page 7.
3. Set up a schedule for a three-hour group discussion session (two-hours on ideas in reading, one hour debriefing the assignment from last session), every other week, over a four-month period (8 sessions). For instance, hold the sessions every other Wednesday afternoon from 1:00 P.M. to 4:00 P.M., or every other Monday from 10:00 A.M. to 1:00 P.M. These discussion sessions should be held in person, if possible. If access to video or Web conferencing is possible, it could be used for participants who are in another location.
4. Assign the first reading so that participants come to the first session prepared to discuss that material.
5. Hold the first discussion session. Assign the first applied homework exercise.
6. Have participants complete applied homework exercises between sessions, bringing the completed written or oral reports to the following session. Read new topic module(s) for the next discussion session.
7. Hold the next discussion session. During each subsequent three-hour discussion session, spend two hours on the new material (assigned reading for this session) and one hour debriefing the homework done since the previous session.
8. Repeat the discussion session/homework cycle session each time to complete the cluster of eight sessions that constitute a "Course."
9. Track results, including retention rates and business performance, during the course and after.

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Facilitation: Choosing and Defining the Role of Facilitator
The discussion sessions do not require an outside trainer, consultant or professor. They simply require a discussion leader who will take responsibility for organizing the sessions and leading the discussions.

The facilitator could be someone from an education and training department, someone from human resources, or simply an experienced manager who is interested in the material and in the professional development of other managers in the company. It is important that the facilitator has meeting and discussion management skills.

Discussion sessions should be focused on:

1. Understanding the ideas, concepts, and techniques presented in the online readings/modules.
2. Discussion and sharing examples of how these ideas and techniques can be applied and used in your restaurant, hospitality or foodservice operation.
3. Debriefing/discussing the homework exercise and distributing the new assignment/exercise.
4. Presentation, discussion and analysis of results being achieved from using these techniques. This should include quantifiable costs, time invested and financial returns. Program, Content & Implementation

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Recommended Ways to Cluster the Content
Using a subset of the 41 topics, we recommend organizing the Course 1 in the following way.

Note: Topics on Harvard ManageMentor PLUS are organized according to those groupings.

1. For the Leadership & Management Course I
   
   

   Session Number and Topic(s)	Homework Due
   1. Setting Goals	None
   2. Managing Upward     Managing Difficult Situations	Corporate Goals (Written)
   3. Leading A Team     Keeping Teams on Target	People Skills (Presentation & Written)
   4. Managing Workplace Stress	Teams & People Skills (Presentation & Written)
   5. Managing Your Time	Teams (Presentation & Written)
   6. Coaching     Delegating	Managing Time (Written)
   7. Giving Feedback     Receiving Feedback	Debriefs continued
   8. Retaining Employees	Delegating & Coaching (Presentation & Written)
   Last Assignments—No group meeting Assignments Due: (date) Optional "Graduation" recognition dinner or luncheon	Written Assignments: Giving and Receiving Feedback, Retaining Employees

   Cluster the twelve topics above into eight sessions and present as a four-month course. The homework assignments for these sessions are printed in Appendix B.

2. For the Leadership & Management Course II To continue building leadership and management skills, provide a second course offered over another four-month period dividing it into eight sessions, built on the 9 topics below:
   
   
   1. Focusing on Your Customer 5. Managing Crises
   2. Implementing Strategy 6. Finance Essentials
   3. Managing for Creativity & Innovation 7. Making Business Decisions
   4. Negotiating 8. Solving Business Problems Persuading Others
   
   
3. Use of Electives or Alternatives The remaining topics from the original list of 41 can be held aside as electives or alternatives. When you register for the program, you have access to all 41 topics. Recommended topic clusters for Leadership & Management I and II are outlined above. However, an organization may choose to change some of the topics in those clusters to include one or more of the following electives/alternatives:

Elective or Alternative Topics (in alphabetic order)

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Homework and Homework Guides
The homework assignments should be hands-on practice and/or questions that require a written response on how the idea or technique applies to the manager’s own operations and success. Spend about one hour of the three-hour discussion session debriefing these assignments.

Appendix B provides concrete examples of homework assignments that have been used successfully with topics in the recommended Leadership & Management Course I program, including:

There are no homework assignments for Leading A Team (Session 3) and Managing Workplace Stress (Session 4)

Note to Facilitator on the Homework Assignments: The homework assignments (see Appendix B) should be given to the participants as handouts during the sessions specified. The homework assignments are formatted in worksheet style so participants can simply complete them and bring them to the discussion session as a completed document. These completed exercises will be used for reference in discussion, in the oral presentations, and turned in to the facilitator as the completed assignment.

Changing Topics and Homework to Fit Your Organization This program is very flexible. If one of the recommended topics is not a priority for your organization, or if you already have an internal process in place for that topic, you may want to substitute a different topic and different homework assignment.

The key is to choose modules that will advance performance and build management capabilities in your particular organization.

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Facilitating Discussion Sessions: Tips from Experience
Here are some tips for facilitators implementing the NRAEF Leadership & Management Program discussion sessions in the restaurant, hospitality and foodservice industry:

• Make support of the program by the CEO/President, or Senior Staff leadership very visible.
• Let managers know they are included in this program because the company feels they have great potential, and it is willing to invest in their success.
• Keep the tone of the discussion session professional, but informal. The program is based on exploration, application, and practice—not lecture.
• The facilitator should share something of himself/herself—how he/she has used this material to be a more effective. Provide examples from experience.
• For each discussion session, prepare questions that require knowledge of the material read before the session. Get creative ideas from participants for application to their own operations.
• Prepare industry specific examples for concepts that do not appear to be immediately applicable to this industry. For example: Intellectual Property (IP). You can assist in making the translation/application of this term, by relating specific industry applications. Explain that, in this industry, IP refers to the totality of customer relationships and knowledge that managers and servers build up while working with customers over many years. IP also encompasses things like company name, logo, trademark, copyrighted recipes, proprietary manufacturing and operations processes. When necessary, help the group in translating a concept to this industry.
• Managers are always busy, always short of time. Set these ground rules for participation in the discussion sessions:
  
  
  • Come prepared—read the assigned material ahead of time.
  • Attend the session with notes and written or oral homework—but not the printed module/ article. Leafing through print outs of the online article/module during class for answers is not effective learning.
  • Be ready to join the discussion—everyone participates.
  
  
• Keep the focus on the practical and applied. These are ideas and techniques for use on the job.
• Get everyone to talk. An informal breakfast or lunch before or after the session can help to bring out ideas from the less vocal, and encourage them to participate more during the next session.
• This is a gathering of peers and work associates—it can have a strong team-building element. The facilitator can encourage this by structuring breaks, time to talk, or the before or after informal session suggested above.
• Create an atmosphere that is conducive to peer-interaction and advice. For example, a younger manager having some trouble with an aspect of his operational results may get off-line advice from some of the more experienced managers in the class.
• Acknowledge participants who have completed the course in some special way. Hold a special recognition event or ceremony and give certificates of completion. Create an alumni club within your company. Plan a series of continued leadership and management learning activities for each group that completes the program.

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The Online Toolkit of Best Practices
Your enrollment in this program and use of the Harvard ManageMentor or Harvard ManageMentor PLUS entitles you to access the Harvard Business School Publishing eLearning Online Implementation Toolkit. This valuable part of the program includes a wide range of best practices for implementing this program from a variety of industries.

We wish you great success with the program! If we can be of help, please call us at the NRAEF.

Contact Information:

Wendi Safstrom, Vice President, Management Development, NRAEF
Tel: 312.715.6746
Email: wsafstrom@nraef.org

Susan Anderson-Khleif, Senior Vice President, Strategic Initiatives, NRAEF
Tel: 312.715.6767
Email: sanderson-khleif@nraef.org

Jim Lindquist, Sales Manager, Corporate and Academic Accounts
Harvard Business School Publishing
Tel: 617.783.7610
Email: jlindquist@hbsp.harvard.edu

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