Management in Public Spaces
- Rachel Davidson
- Feb 25, 2020
- 8 min read
Updated: Feb 29, 2020
Management in Public Spaces
in Public Business Management
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by: Rachel Davidson | February 24th, 2020
Management in Public Spaces
So today we're talking about how to be the best manager you can be in the customer-facing workplace.
Running a business that serves the public is unpredictable and sometimes a little bit messy. The public spaces I am talking about are coffee shops, libraries, hotels, restaurants - the type that have to serve the public to make a profit or to be funded.
Your Monday and Tuesday could be event-free in matters of your guests or customers. No guest complaints. No staff issues.
But Wednesday, you and another guest in your establishment are assaulted by a man and have to ride in a cop car to ID him and stay to write a report...
Your guest was further inconvenienced, missing her appointment she was on her way to, and you ran OT for someone who was covering you... Then Thursday, you have to close the public bathroom because some dude decided it would be cool to shave his whole body and clean his clothes in the 2 foot by 2 foot sink.
Friday Ashley is late, and Kira is sick. You're down a person, and your 8 hour day quickly turns into a 14 hour day. See what I mean by unpredictable?
Over the years managing restaurants, cafes, and hotels, I've been exposed to so many different scenarios and situations that I've learned valuable lessons from!
There have been times I felt a lot of joy in being in charge of a space that other people felt comfortable enough to spend their money and time in. I've always strived to ensure my teams worked hard to create the right vibes and give the best service... so when other people also enjoy it, it can be really rewarding!
Then there have been times that I've felt intimidated by customers, and had to involve police and reports - an overall exhausting experience that is sometimes just part of running a business with an open-door to the public. This has happened with myself and with associates I was in charge of.
While attempting to always be empathic to the human condition, I've also had to remain authoritarian at times to maintain face with my customers and my staff. There have been matters of homelessness, shelter, offensive odors, hunger, and of loss that were factors in some of the decisions I had to make while at work.
How are you supposed to ethically kick someone out of your shop and into the rain because they're smelly, and offending other guests... It's not easy.
I've had a woman who I knew was homeless and probably starving ask me outright for EXPIRED food before. I was torn about it the first time she did it because it was against company policy obviously.
But almost immediately, it clicked into a 'yes, of course'... breaking company rules and gave it to her. But then she kept doing it and I was being faced with losing my job almost everyday I went to work. I got myself through it by being truthful, but it was still a hard experience.
I've had guests yell racial slurs at each other. I've had physical fights between guests.
There are so many things to juggle while also keeping the business aspect of the business at the forefront of your mind. This is the case if you own your own business OR if you are running another person or company's business.
For me, managing public spaces has been difficult but very rewarding and I've grown SIGNIFICANTLY over the years from the roles I've held.
To be a great manager in spaces that serve the public, I've learned you should:
1. Be resilient in ensuring your staff and your safety is always prioritized
2. Know when to put your foot down & when its okay to break the rules
3. Be empathetic and sensitive to human nature and the human condition
1. Be resilient in ensuring your staff and your safety is always prioritized
Where safety is concerned, there should never be a question on where it lands on the list of prioritization. It's #1 my friends! Safety is incredibly important when running any business - especially one that interacts so heavily with the public. Not only should you be concerned with your staff's and YOUR safety, but of the people in your establishment as well.
Basic safety training should always be implemented in the on-boarding portion of hiring new employees. If you're the boss, make one. If there isn't one in your hiring process, ask for one - or at least as some basic safety questions to become more aware of potential threats, i.e. how and what tools should be used, or what clothes should be work to minimize accidents from occurring, or how to respond to a theft or bomb threat, etc.
Your staff has the right to always feel safe at work, no matter what. Should an occurrence like assault happen (and it might) you as the manager need to know the correct steps to take. Make sure you listen in your training about what to do in these situations. If there isn't a training, make sure to ask your boss what they would like you to do in emergency situations specific to your location and circumstances. You can also ask your coworkers what you should be aware of from their perspective.
Always be aware of your entire space. You should be a know it all of the layout of your space. Where are your entrances and exits? How do you get out of the space you're in safely? If you can see the entire space in your view, are you aware every time the door opens and closes? Do you have an emergency button to use in specific emergencies?
2. Know when to put your foot down & when its okay to break the rules
If you're a business owner, you make your own rules of engagement with your customers. You choose to allow outside food in or not, or to smoke inside, to listen to music without headphones, etc. You can easily tell someone to stop being a nuisance to others, or even kick disruptive people out.
Give your favorite customer the wifi password. Its your space, your rules. Make them and break them as you please. You will learn lessons over time and make rules as you see fit as you go. On the flip-side, some larger companies have standards that management has to abide by when managing their businesses. Follow them, or there's potential to lose the position!
You have to kick someone out for X, or you can't let someone in if they aren't wearing XYZ. After doing so, you must write a report and send it to corporate.
There have been times where I had to ask someone to leave that I really didn't want to, but HAD to because of company policy. I have to remind myself now, that the policy exists for a reason - and to trust that they have the rule for the betterment of their company goals and aims. Or maybe the safety of their employees. Or to protect their investments.
Then again, there have been times I have broken rules and given someone a free sandwich. Or let someone sit under my umbrella for an hour to wait for the rain to pass. Having this leeway will be different for each position, and may change location to location depending on management and hierarchical hurdles.
At the end of the day, if you work for someone else and not yourself, sometimes you have to do things differently than you think you might do them if it was solely your decision.
3. Be empathetic and sensitive to human nature and the human condition
You are not in an office cubicle inputting data and speaking to no one. You are interacting with the public every day at work. So, it might be easier if you like people at least a little bit. People can be emotional, unpredictable, and sensitive!
Think about a time you have overreacted from having a bad day, or being embarrassed. Your customers will also have these days too! And chances are, you will have to manage the repercussions of a rude customer to your staff, or a rude associate to a customer!
[What a nightmare!] >.<
If you run your own shop, you can be as empathetic as you please, but I believe if you treat others with empathy, you will get respect back. If you are understanding and empathetic to your associates and your customers situations, they will be more engaged and receptive to you in times of stress.
When your assistant Gary has to be sent home because of food poisoning, don't be too salty. Cover your work and his, because in your time of need, they will work harder for you. Also be sympathetic. Remember the last time you were sick from food poisoning? It's not pleasant AT ALL!
So now that you've worked in the public business sector for however many years, how do you remain resilient and motivated in your everyday life?
Your thrown situation after situation and your emotional toll is great. Seeing people experience the negative aspects of human reality isn't always easy. And when you step back into the normal world after working a long day, how do you snap out of being that strong leader and into being a regular person?
Be EMOTIONALLY INTELLIGENT! Keep these in mind:
1~ Know your stress-points. Stressors are specific. If there is something particular that bothers you, its helpful to recognize it. When you know it's coming, it's easier to keep from spiraling out of control.
2~ Try not to take things personal. People have bad days. Some people are not always outwardly nice. That's okay. We're all different.
3~ De-stress if you need to. Mediate. Drink a few cocktails. Take a long bath. Do something mindless like a sudoku puzzle or stretch for 30 mins. I blog to de-stress. Some people like to chat with their best friends. Vent. Whatever!
4~ Know your place. Dude, sometimes you're going to make calls you don't agree with. Too bad. As long as it doesn't go against your personal morals, do what your policies say. If you're the boss, run your ship tightly. Don't let things slip - rather than letting things happen to you in your position, make decisions that have positive impact all around.
5~ Look at the bigger picture. Do you see yourself working here in this position forever? It's fine if there are no immediate plans for movement, but you should always be looking ahead at your goals, not getting stuck on the crap that happened recently. Life is bigger than what you're experiencing at work.
6~ Begin each day as a new one. Try to remember that you're your own person and you aren't living just to work. Enjoy today for what you've achieved, what you've been blessed with, who you've chosen to surround yourself with - you get it? Work is work, but it doesn't define who you are. It's WHAT you do, not WHO you are. A teacher is a person that teaches. An administrator is a person who administrates.
7~ Be confident in your decision-making abilities. Chances are if you're reading this, you're a manager or business owner who serves the public. And chances are you've seen some crazy things. Experience really is EXPERIENCE. You may not have made the best decision in handling a situation in the past, but you probably know what you would have done differently. If you're faced with that again, you will most likely handle the situation better this time around.
This was something totally different today and I really hope you liked it. Let me know of your experiences that have made you stronger working in the public!
As always, mahalo nui loa for reading!! -Rachel @rachelpaiige
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