The other day a reader asked me to explain what a Take Five meeting is. I realized that even though I always encourage people to use the Take Five, it's been too long since I've actually described what it is.
The Take Five meeting is a tool I began using in my days as a Sharper Image store manager. Back then I called it the morning huddle. For a while I called it the Five to Thrive meetings, but finally changed it to Take Five to align with what many of our readers are calling it.
Take Five is a DAILY meeting between the owner or manager and his/her team before the employee begins the day. It can be done as a group or one-on-one. I recommend you do at least one one-on-one Take Five every week with each staff member.
To use the Take Five to its fullest you need to use it with every employee at every shift. Not just when the doors are opened, not just when the team is together, but every single time someone starts his/her workday. Put the responsibility on the employee to find the manager/owner for the Take Five Meeting before they start their shift.
In your Take Five meeting you want to review all of the crucial information the team needs to have a successful day, and you want to make sure they are focused, motivated, and ready to go. The Take Five is not just for in-store use; it's also useful for internal support and field management teams.
In the store, you can use the Daily Take Five Meeting to review things like sales results, daily goals, and other key information the staff will need. That can include everything from the lunch and dinner schedule, specials, contests, and floor coverage.
It is vital that every meeting also include giving feedback, praise, and coaching. Too many meetings are just a download of information when they should be about improving everyone present. Take the time to share some observations of what you've seen employees do well and what they can still do better.
Challenge people on what area they're going to improve in that day. I've always said if an employee can't answer what they're trying to improve in then you're not truly developing your staff. If you have the time do some quick roleplaying. Okay so it becomes a Take Ten or a Take Fifteen Meeting, but that's better than just standing around after they start their shift. It also becomes some of the most productive time in the day that pays the highest return on investment.
Always end the meeting on a positive note. I remember attending one meeting that ended on such a down note I wondered why the staff even bothered to open the door for the day. The team needs to feel energized and ready to succeed at the end of the Take Five.
We're in the people business. That's where our opportunities are, that where our focus needs to be, and to maximize those opportunities and that focus we need to start every day with a Take Five.
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