Words from the Wise – Simon Kossoff
Simon Kossoff, chief executive of Carluccio's, shares his business secrets
Listen
Listening is a real skill that needs practice. As a decision-maker, hearing everyone's views and gathering all the information is key to making the right call. You can't do this without being a good listener.
Worry about the inside
You can't control what the competition does so make it a priority to control what happens within your business. Watch what happens inside your business - your employees, your food, service, atmosphere and cleanliness. Manage your own business without constantly looking over your shoulder and speculating about your competition.
Broad shoulders
Be prepared to take responsibility when things are difficult or go wrong, but make sure you share the credit generously when things go well. There's nothing worse than management that always points the finger down the hierarchy, apportioning blame. The boss is responsible when things go wrong. Of course the boss is also responsible when things go well, but the motivational benefit of sharing credit is always worth bending the rules for.
Detail counts
Successful hospitality businesses are built on many, many tiny pieces of detail. It is these details that characterise one business from another. Although we often don't know exactly which little piece is key for the guest or which contributes most to the success of the business, you abandon them at your risk.
Remove hierarchy
My first job in hospitality was in a hotel. The hierarchy was ridiculous, with each step on the ladder defined by tiny measures of status, such as a better uniform, better staff food, better hours, use of titles and surnames rather than first names and so on and so forth, all the way up to the general manager - the biggest fish in the smallest pond. This kind of hierarchy stifles initiative. True authority comes from a person's behaviour, not their status or position.
Best advice
During a brief period working at Capital Radio Restaurants one of the bosses told me, "We only want to work with talented people who are also nice."
Just nice won't do, of course, but neither will just talented. I'm not sure they followed their own advice but it struck me as important at the time and all the more so for a hospitality business where being "nice" is your bread and butter.
In the end, the most important decision our managers make is who they appoint and allow to join the team. We make sure that nice, as well as talented, are criteria for appointment.
Career highlights
1986-96 Joins My Kinda Town, rising to UK managing director
â- 1997 Starts up Carluccio's with Antonio and Priscilla Carluccio
â- 1999 Carluccio's chief executive
â- 2005 Carluccio's floats on AIM with a value of £54m
â- 2010 £90m offer for the company is announced
Simon Kossoff to speak at arena lunch
Simon Kossoff will be speaking at the Arena Lunch on 17 July. He will discuss the Carluccio's story so far, plus his strategy to stimulate and sustain growth, and ultimately reach the target of opening 120 UK sites.
Prior to the Arena lunch there will be a special briefing of Allegra Strategies' Project Restaurant report, providing insight into consumer purchasing habits and behaviour, attitudes towards eating in restaurants, brand perceptions and key trends.
Tickets cost £135+VAT for Arena members and £175+VAT for non-members and include access to the briefing. To book tickets contact Lorraine Wood on lorraine@arena.org.uk or on 0203 087 2378 or go to www.arena.org.uk
