bar teamwork

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Well this is a subject I have read countless articles on over the years & I think most miss the real point. So its time to break the myth above all else the secret of being a great bartender is working well with your team.

A bar is a team sport & a bartender is only as good as his team. I will use the analogy of a sporting team to demonstrate my point, how many legendary sportsmen in any team sporting competitions on earth have great players playing on a team that doesn’t win. I will give you a tip not many.

I can enlighten you from personal experience I have looked great when I have worked in great teams & looked mediocre whilst trying twice as hard in weak ones. I must also take part of the blame for the failings of those bars because although I tried hard in those teams, I put my effort into all the wrong area's, I forgot I was working in a team. Yes I have had success & failure. The Success story's were where I managed to work well performing my role in the team.

So what does it take to be a great bartender?

team work is the correct answer.

Lets delve a little bit deeper into this philosophy & lets look at the bartenders needs. A bartender has a huge dependence on his bar backs who get ice, restack glasses, clean the floor, fill juices, restock fridges & all the other little jobs a bar back does. If your bar back doesn’t perform you look bad, you get less tips & so can you consider yourself great no.

The same goes for the bar manager if he makes mistakes with the ordering & you have limited stock, in the eyes of your bars clientele you look bad.

When a team don’t perform as a team eventually their staff will become frustrated, disillusioned & drop standard levels.

Be positive when everything works well & stand united as one when everything goes wrong. Remember the sports stars that make the hall of fame did it by producing heroic efforts in adverse situations, but to establish their true greatness, listen to the way their team mates speak about them.

Now not for one moment do I want to tell you that all those tips sheets on being a great bartender give bad information, because most give fantastic insight, however it is my personal opinion that for you to become a great bartender the most important thing is to maximize what you give to the team.

Going back to sport its not always the team with the most superstars & superstar egos that makes a great team but the one that comes together when there backs are to the wall.

So if you are a bartender reading this article start thinking about how you can most effectively improve your dealings with your fellow staff & your management. It will not be easy but the rewards for the effort will be far greater than if you make none. Take ownership & realize that not everybody will have the same talents you have but they may have unique qualities that if nurtured may provide your team a valuable treasure.

I can tell you from personal experience that when you work in a team where everyone works as a unit, those in your team become like a family & its incredible to be a part of.

For the bar managers out there, your number one priority should be team building & every little activity like staff training should work hand in hand with team building. If you get the spirit high within your team then your team will want to help you achieve your vision as much as you do.

I will end with a rap for a friend of mine Steve Rodwell at Good Bar Sydney who is holding flair training sessions for his bartenders once a week. This is a great example of going to extra effort for your team & the result is when he needs his team to lift they will.

Its all about the team

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