Dewey’s Pizza Blog
Pizza on Purpose
Author: Joe Schlotman, Director of Organizational Development
“A restaurant without a soul just isn’t a cool place to be.”
– Joe S.
Many of our guests ask, “How do you get your team working so cohesively with one another? What’s your strategy? What’s your secret?” The answer is that we recognize how a company’s culture can eat its strategy for breakfast, so our strategy is to double down on our culture.
Purpose & Values
For us, it all starts with our purpose, which is what we do, alongside our values, which guide how we do it. Our purpose and values are fully integrated into all aspects of our business. They are present as we interview, train, develop, and evolve as individuals and as a team, every day in every role.
What makes our purpose and values special is that they were designed and developed by our team, rather than from the top of the company down. Members from all areas of the company were asked to help put into words what we already knew to be true. More than 30 team members from various areas of our business were part of the team. We met for days, working together to define our purpose and values. The outcome of the team’s efforts has become increasingly important as we grow because a restaurant without a soul just isn’t a cool place to be.
Life Skills: Served Here
If there is a bit of magic that supports us, it’s our Conscious Communication tools. These tools guide the way we communicate, collaborate, and resolve conflict. They let us integrate our purpose and values into our work. The shared framework gives us instant connections, even with team members who may be meeting or working together for the first time.
My favorite thing about our purpose, values, and conscious communication tools is that they are resources that serve us as much, if not more, in real life than they do in our restaurants. We have so many people working with us, many of whom are working for the first time. I am honored that we can play a role in preparing people to get their needs met, be great leaders and contribute to something bigger than themselves.
Pretty cool for a pizza shop if you ask me.