My Wishlist

An Unhealthy Way to Manage

Today’s blog is an angry rant. A painful, physically and mentally painful testament to why being in charge of people is an unhealthy stressor. How the constant repetition of explaining and showing how to do things is tiresome to the point of extreme exhaustion.

Reliability is at an all time low. Accountability is nonexistent. I wish making excuses and not owning up to wrongdoings was a fireable offense!

I wish employees would do their actual jobs and stop conducting their personal business while on company time.

I wish I could convey these messages and people hear them, believe in them and actually respond and do them.

I wish, because as a child we grow up fast and are taught to believe and make wishes. I’d rather be taught at a young age that failure is real and relying on others will break you!

I wish, I could stop wishing… I write because this is my release and my way to vent… I can type without being interrupted.

Confidence doesn’t exist in people anymore. Belief in oneself is a missing trait and because of that most work is incomplete or incorrect.

My final wish is to see an influx in solid, confident and skilled workers who accept accountability and put the business first before online shopping, family matters, chatting up strangers and friends and ignoring phone calls.

It’s all wishful thinking, not because I don’t think people exist out there who do the job right, but because I don’t think many people out there actually care…..

Being “Nice” Is the Most Expensive Mistake in Business

The biggest mistake you can make in business is being nice to employees.

Some people need discipline. Some people need to be fired. And pretending otherwise is how small businesses bleed out slowly.

Post-COVID didn’t just disrupt industries, it rewired work ethic. And small businesses are paying the price for government policies that rewarded not working while punishing those who kept showing up.

You can explain expectations until you’re blue in the face. You can train, retrain, document, demonstrate, and remind. And still…. people just won’t do what’s required. They’ll do the bare minimum and convince themselves that it’s “enough.”

Meanwhile, business owners are handcuffed.

• Food specials? Forget it — cooks “can’t handle” the extra.

• Drink specials? Forget it — servers don’t want to promote anything new.

• Responsibilities and accountability? Forget it — that’s suddenly “too much.”

We survived COVID. Despite shutdowns. Despite losing half our staff. Despite every attempt to pull the rug out from under us. We made it with what we had.

And now?

What we’re left with is an employee pool that’s lazy, disengaged, and painfully lackluster.

People love to say, “You can only go up from here.”

I disagree. When you’ve been stuck at the bottom long enough, sometimes the only way forward is to bail out and find a new starting point.

Between rising rent, food shortages, delivery delays, missed orders, and the added burden placed on owners because employees simply don’t care, it’s enough to make any sane person walk away.

But here I am. Circling the eddy. No paddle. Going down with the ship. Because that’s what captains do. Because we all know sanity isn’t my strong suit!

When “Not a Good Fit” Really Means “I Didn’t Want to Work”

Owning a business means hearing the same story on repeat.

“Why’d you leave your last job?”

“It wasn’t a good fit.” “The environment was toxic.” “Management wasn’t great.”

Funny how everyone worked in a nightmare… yet somehow those businesses are still open.

Meanwhile, I look around at my own place and watch my dad, my sister, and myself doing jobs that, anywhere else would be the employee’s responsibility. Cleaning. Stocking. Fixing. Resetting. Closing gaps. Picking up slack.

Not here though. Here, we just do it all.

Why? Because we bought into that dangerous little saying: “If you want it done right, do it yourself.”

We didn’t start this way. We trained. And trained again. We wrote memos. We made checklists.

We re-trained, re-explained, re-reminded. And what do we get?

A few people standing around chatting.

Scrolling phones.

Waiting to be told.

Waiting for someone else to care.

I suppose if we actually held people accountable, if we made everyone do their job, our place wouldn’t be “a good fit” either. Maybe it would suddenly become “toxic” too.

And here’s the uncomfortable truth:

This problem exists because we allow it. Not because we’re bad people. Not because we don’t care. But because somewhere along the way, we confused being understanding with being responsible for everything.

So now the real question isn’t about them. It’s this: How long can we sustain the long hours, the constant coverage, doing other people’s jobs and trying to run the business?

How long before burnout becomes the business model?

Only time will tell.

And right now… I’m not convinced it has good news.

The Importance of Taking (and Passing) the ASVAB — Even If You’re Not Joining the Military

The ASVAB, Armed Services Vocational Aptitude Battery, often gets dismissed as “that military test.” You know, the one you only take if you plan on wearing a uniform and waking up before the sun on purpose.

But let’s be honest, based on what many of us see daily in the civilian workforce, maybe more people should take it.

Because if you’ve ever watched someone struggle to determine which end of a screwdriver actually does the screwing or how to work a tv remote … this conversation is for you.

What the ASVAB Actually Measures (And Why That Matters)

Contrary to popular belief, the ASVAB isn’t asking you to memorize fighter jet schematics or identify enemy aircraft from 30,000 feet. It measures basic, functional life skills:

Arithmetic reasoning – The ability to do math without staring at the ceiling like the numbers betrayed you. Word knowledge & paragraph comprehension – Understanding written instructions. Yes, the entire sentence. Mechanical comprehension – How things work. Or at minimum, which end of the screwdriver you should be holding. General science & technical reasoning – The ability to learn new systems without needing a tutorial video… every time.

None of this is military-exclusive. It’s adult-exclusive.

The Service Industry Reality Check

The service industry doesn’t need more “hard workers.”

It needs thinkers.

Because working a shift isn’t just carrying plates or pouring drinks…. it’s:

Making change without short-circuiting. Reading a ticket correctly the first time. Understanding that “medium rare” and “medium well” are not interchangeable concepts. Troubleshooting equipment without immediately declaring, “It’s broken,” five seconds in.

And yet, here we are… watching people aggressively attack the buttons on a remote control like it owes them money.

The ASVAB highlights whether someone can: Process information. Recognize patterns. Solve problems under pressure. Learn without being spoon-fed every step.

Which is wild, because those are the exact skills required to survive a Friday night rush.

Taking the Test vs. Passing the Test

Taking the ASVAB means you showed up. Passing it means you demonstrated baseline competence, the ability to learn, adapt, and function without supervision every 12 seconds.

No one’s asking for genius-level scores. We’re just trying to confirm that:

You can follow directions. You can problem-solve. You won’t attempt to fix equipment by hitting it and hoping for the best. (Although… that does work sometimes. But still.)

Why This Should Matter to Civilians

We trust civilians, especially in service industries, to: Handle money. Operate equipment. Represent businesses. Interact with the public.

Yet we act shocked when basic reasoning skills are missing.

The ASVAB doesn’t judge intelligence, it reveals readiness. And readiness is everything.

The ASVAB shouldn’t be viewed as a military gatekeeper. It’s a reality check.

If a test designed to place people in submarines, aircraft, and high-risk environments values comprehension, reasoning, and mechanical understanding… maybe civilian workplaces should stop pretending those skills are optional.

Because confidence is great…. but knowing which end of the screwdriver to use is better.

Deep in Thought, Sipping Coffee

Not all thinkers think the same.

And most problems in work, leadership, and life come from using the wrong thinking style at the wrong moment.

The goal isn’t to be one type of thinker.

The goal is to know your default and learn how to borrow from the others when it matters.

1. Creative Thinkers

Definition:

Creative thinkers generate ideas. They see possibilities where others see limits. They’re imaginative, intuitive, and often emotionally driven.

Strengths:

Big-picture vision • Innovation • Problem re-framing • Branding, storytelling, menu ideas, blog writing

Weaknesses:

Can lack follow-through • Easily bored by systems and structure • May ignore constraints (budgets, time, rules)

In the real world:

Creative thinkers start movements but don’t always finish projects.

This is me.

I’m the guy who sees what could be, not just what is.

2. Analytical Thinkers

Definition:

Analytical thinkers break things down logically. They rely on data, facts, and measurable outcomes.

Strengths:

Decision accuracy • Financial analysis • Risk assessment • Strategic planning

Weaknesses:

Can overthink • Slower decision-making • May struggle with ambiguity

In the real world:

These people keep businesses profitable, but sometimes miss the human or emotional factors behind decisions.

3. Critical Thinkers

Definition:

Critical thinkers evaluate ideas objectively. They question assumptions, identify flaws, and assess consequences.

Strengths:

Strong judgment • Problem detection • Ethical reasoning • Crisis management

Weaknesses:

Can come off as negative or cynical • May stall creativity • Risk of analysis paralysis

In the real world:

Critical thinkers prevent disasters but rarely start revolutions.

4. Conceptual vs. Literal Thinkers

Let’s split this cleanly.

Conceptual Thinkers

Definition:

They think in themes, patterns, and abstract connections.

Strengths:

Vision • Strategy • Long-term planning

Weaknesses:

May skip details • Communication gaps with literal thinkers

Literal Thinkers

Definition:

They think in concrete terms—what’s said, what’s written, what’s immediately actionable.

Strengths:

Clarity • Execution • Rule-following • Consistency

Weaknesses:

Struggle with ambiguity • Less adaptable to change

In the real world:

Conceptual thinkers design the map.

Literal thinkers drive the truck.

5. Systematic Thinkers

Definition:

Systematic thinkers build processes. They love structure, order, and repeatability.

Strengths:

Efficiency • Scalability • Training systems • SOPs

Weaknesses:

Resistance to change • Can stifle creativity • May prioritize process over people

In the real world:

These thinkers turn chaos into consistency.

So… What Type of Thinker Am I?

I’m a Creative–Conceptual Thinker with flashes of Critical Thinking when things hit the fan.

Translation:

I’m a vision guy who becomes a truth guy under pressure.

I am not a natural systematic or analytical thinker, and that’s okay. Forcing myself into those roles 24/7 would drain my soul faster than a double shift on wing night.

What’s the Best Type of Thinker for Real-World Operations?

Here’s the truth:

The best operator is a Hybrid Thinker.

Creative enough to adapt.

Analytical enough to measure.

Critical enough to avoid disasters.

Systematic enough to scale.

The unicorn isn’t one person.

It’s a team or a leader who knows when to switch modes. How to Function Better at Work Based on Your Thinking Style

1. Stay in Your Creative Lane

Vision • Branding • Culture • Messaging • Big decisions

2. Borrow Systems (Don’t Build Them Alone)

Use checklists • Delegate SOPs • Lean on people who love structure

3. Pause Before Decisions

Ask yourself:

Is this a creative moment—or an operational one?

Do I need excitement or accuracy right now?

4. Respect Other Thinkers

Your worst conflict won’t be incompetence, it’ll be different thinking styles talking past each other.

There is no “best” thinker only the right thinker for the moment.

The real growth comes when you stop trying to change who you are…

…and start learning how to think on purpose.

When Everybody’s Here But Nobody’s All In

Today, if employees show up for a shift, owners call it a win. But winning the attendance lottery isn’t the same as having a crew that actually works.

Restaurants are short-handed everywhere, and that used to mean one thing: more money for the people who showed up ready to hustle. Now? “Short-handed” too often equals “one-dimensional” employees.

Example: no dishwasher tonight. A line cook jumps in to wash dishes, great… except now they’re unavailable to run the line. The kitchen stops being a machine and becomes a series of improvisations. ONE DIMENSIONAL.

If everyone understood teamwork, really understood “get-shit-done” and helped each other, the kitchen would hum. But I’ve watched us try to teach teamwork for more than a decade. I’m past “train more.” We’ve trained. We’ve written memos. We’ve spoken one-on-one. We’ve followed up. Some of these folks have been here 11 years and came from corporate gigs where micromanaging was normal operation. This is not ignorance.

So what is it? Defiance? Laziness? A refusal to care? I don’t know. What I do know is this: I can control me. I can control expectations and consequences. I can’t control someone else’s choices … but I can decide whether those choices keep a job.

This business will survive. We’ll be short for a season, we’ll hire, and we’ll rebuild standards. But there has to be accountability. We need to implement a demerit system: three documented failures to perform essential tasks and you’re out. No drama, no opinion, just standards, enforced.

If you care about your job, show it. Restock the line. Put the next shift in a better position than you found it. Teamwork isn’t a warm, fuzzy idea, it’s the difference between a smooth service and chaos at 7 p.m.

We can keep doing the same thing and expect different results. I’m not that hopeful, or insane. I’m that done. Time for consequences.

Service Industry Woes

Where do I start? Ever since covid, the entire service industry took an giant hit! Workers did not go back, jobs were cut, some businesses did not survive. The businesses that did survive did so on bare minimum man power and or extremely hard work by a few workers to keep their heads above water.

Every business is short staffed. Go visit a restaurant, the help wanted signs are plastered everywhere. I own a restaurant and we are short staffed! The employees we have do a great job, but were are all spread a bit thin. My father, about to turn 75, is the back bone of this business, he works circles around everyone, including me! Without him, we would struggle to keep open. I am forced to cover shits and cook on the line. Literally no days off! It is very hard to manage and keep up with my own responsibilities all while having to be another employee of the business. This however, is not the reason for this post!

Businesses are short handed and I understand that as well as the next guy! My issue is with the companies who hire people that absolutely can not do their job. For starters, the food industry, has been a nightmare. Out of stock, no stock, or inability to make deliveries has been an ongoing issue ever since the covid outbreak. The food distributors have nothing on the beer distributors though.

The delivery drivers don’t even know what product their companies carry. It’s a constant argument with what kegs are supposed to be returned or not returned, and an even bigger issue with invoices and orders being fulfilled. A $1000 invoice for product ordered, the deliver driver will bring in $600 dollars of product and still charge for the entire order. Seriously, is it that hard to pay attention to what is going on? I can not be there 24/7. Plus, I have a job and many responsibilities to tend to, I can not nor want to do another companies job as well. I get it, we’re all struggling to find employees, but the ones you have, you need to do a better job training them. As an employee, you should want to learn as much as possible about your job. Possible raise or advancement could be a goal, or maybe this new generation of lazy people is the way we all have to start getting used to.

It’s tiring constantly having to do the math, check the invoices, explain what is and isn’t their product. Don’t take the job is you don’t want to be good at it.

Just the other day I brought a large amount of fives and ones from the restaurant to the bank. The teller rolled their eyes and very curtly said, they have to count all that! Why work at a bank if you don’t want to count money? Isn’t that the entire bases of bank tellers?

My advice to anyone out there holding down a job, DO BETTER! BE BETTER! This world is struggling and we don’t need more help making it worse. Sharpen up, learn as much as you can and get the job done….. If you’re going to be anything in live, BE EFFICIENT!!

Be Something

I heard it on a Tv show. It stuck and has become one of my many practices to follow for all things in my life. It has also become my biggest pet peeve when observing others.

BE EFFICIENT!

Be efficient, if you gotta be something, be efficient. Achieving maximum productivity with minimum wasted effort or expense.

TEAM WORK: BE A TEAM PLAYER

Work as a team. Most jobs have several different duties. Do your job and your duties. Don’t get caught up in trying to do everyone’s job at one time. Back to being efficient. We can’t achieve maximum productivity, if we’re all tripping over each other’s responsibilities.

So, whatever it is you do in life, you don’t have to be the best, you just have to be efficient.