Leading by example is the way forward

Thorley Taverns boss Phil Thorley, who runs 25 pubs in Kent, offered his top tips on how to run a business to delegates at the recent MA250 business club in Chipping Norton:

1. Get your people right​

There's no rocket science there. Take a long time to hire and if you get it wrong, fire them quick.

I talk to the pub managers in meetings and say: "You turn up to the pub on a Monday morning with all your team and the pub is burnt to the ground. Gone. Smoking. However, across the road, there is a brand spanking new pub. Somebody says to the manager, 'Here's the keys, over you go. And you can take with you whoever you want, and you can leave whoever you want in the car park'."

Who would you leave in the car park? And the managers say, "Oh, I'd leave Fred; I'd leave Mary." Well why are they working for us now?

So if you've got people you would leave in the car park, leave them there now.

2. Motivating meetings​

We have monthly team meetings that all the managers attend, with a 10am start and 4pm finish. The first part of the morning is a sales meeting: how did we do in the past month, last year? And this month, last year? How did we do against target? How did you perform?

I go round the table and everybody has to state their figures. They have all got a story behind the figures. We then go around the table again. What did we take in July last year? What are we going to take in July this year? And how are you going to do that?

And then they set their own targets under peer pressure, which is a wonderful thing because we have a lot of fun doing it. And do you know what? I don't have to do anything because the guys sort it out between them. We have a lot of fun, we communicate, we inform and we make sure they all know the direction of the company. We can answer any questions about what's gone on and we're brutally honest with them about what's happening.

However, we also have that unique opportunity to inspire people, and face-to-face inspiration in a room is a wonderful, wonderful tool.

3.Play win-win or don't play at all​

We are hugely loyal with our people and with our suppliers, and we've had one bank in 43 years: NatWest.

We've had one brewery in effect, which went from Trumans to its current umbrella of Heineken; we've had three spirits companies, and have been with Waverley for about 15 years. We believe that working with suppliers, and working through issues, is so much better than being disposable and jacking it in for somebody else. Work through it.

4. Create a positive culture​

I believe in being positive and ensuring positive outcomes so that we can solve the issues within the company. Give them a number of solutions they can use — don't give them one, give them a number, let them use their own solutions. But always create a positive outcome.

I believe in going the extra mile for our team. If anyone in my team — I don't care who it is — phones me and says, "Phillip, I need to talk to you", they can speak to me today, and if I'm nearby, I will go and see them face to face. If they need to speak to me, that's important. It's important to them, it's important to me — and when I need them to do something for me, unquestionably, they do it.

If you go the extra mile for people, I promise you they'll go the extra mile for you.

5.Take the time, take the trouble​

I'm a big note-sender. I'm a big 'thank you' person. Saying thank you is a very, very small thing. And if you do it in public, in front of a lot of people, people really like it.

I write birthday cards to all the managers, all our head chefs and all the important people in our team. When I write to them I say, "Thank you very much for what you've done in the past year", or write something personal to them.

But guess what? I remember their birthday and their partner doesn't.

It's not rocket science. I get a connection with people. I'm in a people business. And I need my people to say thank you to the customers.

I want them to say thank you to the other members of staff they're working with, so it's really important.

6.Sharpen your pencil​

Keep up to date. Go back to the ALMR (Association of Licensed Multiple Retailers), and make sure you're current with all your legislation.

But it's also about going to things like this (the MA250 conference), going to listen to different speakers, going to different events.

Recently, I went to an event and saw one of the top speakers in the world — (self-help author) Tony Robbins. He was absolutely awesome. I came back and used some of that stuff in the business.

7. Create energy in your company​

Make sure you're enthused about what you're doing. Make sure your team is enthused. You have to do this every day because it's up to you.

8. Walk and talk​

Always listen. Walk around your business, talk to people who wash up, talk to the glass collectors, talk to barstaff. And while you're doing it, help out. Get your hands dirty. Those people love you if you do what they do. It's not hard, but just spending a little bit of time, collecting a few glasses, helping them out, doing stuff, really, really helps.

9. Have rules and be prepared to break them​

I love rules, but don't let them hang you. Have some common sense. Where people are concerned, always go with your gut feel. We deal with cash: we turn over about £15m worth of cash. And when I get a bad feeling about a barman, a barmaid, an assistant manager or a manager, I'm not very often wrong, so it's worth trusting that. It's a sixth sense. You've already been doing what you've been doing for a long time, so trust your sixth sense.

10.Walk the walk​

If you want your team to work hard, work hard yourself. If you want your team to smile, you've got to smile too. If you want your team to be nice to the customers, make sure that in front of your team, you're nice to the customers too. This is not rocket science.

However, I have [done this] and I do believe in it because I really want my managers to go out and walk the walk. If they're going to lead and inspire their team, then they've got to do the same thing.

11. Do you want to be managed by you?​

What are you like with your own team? Do you inspire? Do you lead? Or do you push?

Do you want to be managed by you? I think that is a fantastic question.

• Click here​ for PMA editor The PMA Team's take on Phil Thorley's presentation.​