My wife’s responsibilities at church on Sundays require her to arrive quite early, well before most others. I usually drop her off and go eat a quick breakfast. Waffle House is part of my regular rotation.
Recently, we were watching football on a Sunday afternoon and she asked, “Did you go to Waffle House today?” After telling her I did, she referred me to this article which shows the restaurant had a health score of 67.
I did not notice the score when I ate breakfast but there is something else which struck me that morning. I was really, really impressed with the staff.
The cooks and waitresses were incredibly happy, joyful in fact. They smiled when they spoke to each other. The waitresses were telling stories about their families and doing life together. The staff seemed to really care about each other and their interactions were quite authentic. From a relational perspective, it was as emotionally a healthy workplace culture as I have seen in quite awhile. Best of all, this flowed over to the customer experience. It was quite pleasant, even soothing.
As I was leaving I noticed this poster and stopped to take a picture of it:
I have to admit it. The one thing I did not notice that morning was the restaurant’s health inspection score. But what I did notice was the phrase “I found my place at Waffle House…” and how this statement was being lived out before my very eyes.
The wording was appropriate because the staff of five with varying responsibilities had found their place as well. It was a place where they were loved and found value. They mattered and seemed like family. The staff genuinely cared for each other. It was a workplace culture all organizations should wish for.
Oh yeah, one more thing, this same restaurant received a perfect score of 100 on their follow-up inspection one week later. Something tells me they would score exactly the same when measuring their emotional health.
Pat Warner, director of public relations and external affairs for Waffle House, said among other things in the article referenced above, “Our goal is to offer a positive experience to all of our guests, and we are sorry to disappoint our customers in this case.” Let me say that you are more than forgiven. Not only did I receive a positive experience at this restaurant, I received a great one. Thank you for a wonderful morning and I’ll see you this Sunday.
Haven ́t you ever wanted to become the leader God created you to be? Well, Timeless: 10 Enduring Practices Of Apex Leaders is now available for purchase.
My book combines leadership lessons from biblical leaders like Jesus, Daniel, and Joseph, along with modern-day leaders like Bill Gates, Nick Saban, Kobe Bryant, and multiple pastors.
You cannot read this book alone. You will find questions in each chapter that you can discuss within your circle of influence.
Order your book now and be a great leader for good causes! A special thanks goes to copywriter Al Nava, a fan of this site, for writing this blurb. If you are looking for a copywriter, Al can be reached at compellingcopyforyou@gmail.com.