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Waffle House & Its Management: A Light in the Middle of Atlanta's Snow


All too often it seems, management is criticized for not creating a team mentality among its workers and instead treating its workers like only a number.  However, this is often far from the truth.  Take Waffle House, for example.  

A few weeks ago, when another winter storm threatened to hit Atlanta, Waffle House chose to stay open and ensured it took care of its workers in the process.  At one particular Waffle House location, the restaurant bought hotel rooms next to the restaurant so its employees would have a place to stay and would not have to risk driving on potentially dangerous roads.  For those employees who did not stay at the hotel and remained at home, the restaurant coordinated on how to ensure these employees could still safely get to work.  The Monday before the storm hit, there was wide spread coordination to ensure that employees with four wheel drive vehicles could pick up those employees without such transportation.  One of the employees at this particular Waffle House was apparently elated to have such accommodations made to pick her up, which in turn likely translated to a positive attitude and renewed sense of pride in her work.

Actions like this from management should be applauded as a step in the right direction to help create a team mentality among its workers.  By going the extra mile and ensuring that steps were taken to ensure its workers stayed safe, the workers likely took a sense of pride in their work and had a more positive image of the company.  Knowing that management is not just there solely to critique the work being done or find ways to cut labor costs can go a long way in instilling a sense of pride in its workers.  Waffle House did just that and should be recognized for their efforts.


Thanks to Cliff Oxford who provided additional information on this topic:  New York Times Blog Article

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