CASE STUDY: BRASA ROTISSERIE - Researcher and Curriculum Consultant
Objective:
Brasa Rotisserie implemented an open-book management system for their Minneapolis and St. Paul locations. The language barrier between the Spanish-speaking employees and the management was preventing 100% engagement and execution of the system.
Methods:
The main issue other than the language barrier that was preventing full engagement with the new management system was a lack of trust between Spanish-speaking employees and management. I used my Spanish skills to earn employees' trust and communicate their positive feedback, concerns, and career goals to management. The project included the following phases:
Process map for Brasa engagement
Interviewing and surveying employees to learn more about their backgrounds, interests, and career goals.
Analysis of the results of the interviews and surveys as well as development of experience map and flow chart to present the key issues for employees to management.
Facilitation of group discussion on ways they see waste and excess in their roles and ideas for streamlining and saving money.
Development and delivery of financial literacy curriculum based on experience, place of origin, and education level of the employees.
Personas
Two personas were created based on the questionnaires and interviews with the Brasa employees. These were the personas I kept in mind as I developed the curriculum and activities to teach financial literacy.
Experience Map for Spanish-Speaking Employees
Outcome
Employees became more engaged in the restaurant, felt more empowered to suggest ways to reduce waste and increase efficiency. Examples of this innovation include a change in the way soap is dispensed to a metered dispenser from an unmonitored gallon jug, implementation of a food measurement system to ensure uniformity of servings, and a waste tracking system to measure how much food is lost. Employees were also given clearer paths to advancement within the organization and management provided opportunities for those who wished to expand their creative skills, for example, in presentation and plating design.