Aut Viam Inveniam Aut Faciam
Posted by estiator at 18 January, at 06 : 52 AM Print
MANAGING FOR SUCCESS By CONSTANTINE N. KOLITSAS Business Coach
Don’t stress it; I can’t pronounce it, either. It’s Latin. The phrase translates to “I will find away or make one.” It was uttered by the ancient Carthaginian general Hannibal in response to his generals when told it would be impossible to cross the Alps on war elephants in his siege of Western Europe during the Second Punic War. The moral of the story is, of course, that it wasn’t impossible after all, as Hannibal went on to invade and occupy lands as far south as southern Italy for 15 years.
As conducting business in a competitive environment is often compared to war-fare, this term bears further consideration, especially in the current environment.
Situations change, and solutions change along with them. Sorry is the manager who goes with the status quo approach, expecting familiar results in an unfamiliar business environment. If Covid taught us nothing, it taught us this: that to thrive (or even survive), we need to adapt and reinvent.
In the markets where my restaurants operate, I’ve seen several very good restaurants go under in the past 12 months, many of which had been veritable institutions in the towns and cities where they did business. The reasons that these establishments joined the ranks of the shuttered vary. But in no instance was it because the food wasn’t good, or the service wasn’t good. More likely, it’s because the operators didn’t believe they could cross the Alps on elephants.
When I’m developing someone for my management team, I tell them lots of stories, lots of parables, lots of lessons I’ve learned in life. One of the first things I tell them is this: In business and in life you will come up against brick walls over and over. There are three things you can do when you come up against such an impediment. The first is to turn around and go home; the second is to figure out a way around the brick wall; and the last is to tuck your head down and bust through that damned wall. I’ll always try to figure out my way around that wall, but if that doesn’t work, or if it takes too long to figure out, I’ll tuck my head down and bust through. Turning around and going home is never an option.
The reasons that some establishments join the ranks of the shuttered vary. But in no instance is it because the food isn’t good, or the service isn’t good.
To add to the illustration, there are some people who don’t even recognize a brick wall when they come up against one. They’re oblivious. It’s as if they don’t realize that they can’t move forward, and at some point their legs stop moving without them even realizing. I think this is where many of those failed businesses I alluded to found themselves. They didn’t realize that there was brick wall before them until their legs gave out, and by then it was too late to do anything. (The saddest part is that these businesses were not failed in any other sense—they’d been successful for years and decades.)
Those examples aside, it’s time for all of us recognize that there are brick walls all around us these days and to “find our way or make one.”
Are customers become less restaurant-loyal and looking to restaurants to provide special or even novel ways to provide a dining experience? Create dishes and experiences that are unique and special and Instagrammable. Is the economy hitting harder for some guests who are now price-sensitive where they had not been previously so? Think about value-driven prix fixes. Is there a day of the week where business is too slow? Host an event that’s appropriate for your restaurant (a tasting dinner for an upscale eatery, a trivia night for a bar/tavern).
Failure is not an option. Brick walls are not impossible to navigate. And elephants can cross the Alps. It’s been done. Find your way or make your own. The reasons that some establishments join the ranks of the shuttered vary. But in no instance is it because the food isn’t good, or the service isn’t good.
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Constantine Kolitsas is a business consultant and president of Greca Hospitality Group, the owners of Greca Mediterranean Kitchen + Bar. He can be reached at dino@grecamed.com.
