Is the gap between “good on paper GM” and actually running a shift getting wider?
Looking for perspective from the 3+ location crowd (or anyone who just made the jump from 1 to 5.)
Why do so many new GMs hit a wall at 90 days? Looks great on paper, interviews well, you spend two weeks with them on the floor, you're feeling good. Second you stop breathing down their neck, the wheels fall off. Labor blown out, culture turns toxic, weird calls on food waste that eat the month's profit. They know the rules but maybe they don't have the judgment yet.
Two questions:
What does it actually cost you when a new GM doesn't work out? I hear $20K+ once you count lost profit and turnover. in my experience it's higher when you add three months of you going back in to fix the store.
If you could run someone through the 10 worst shifts they'll face before they ever take the keys - a flight sim for new GMs if you will - would you actually use it? Or is there no substitute for letting them screw up in real time?
Trying to figure out if we're all just living with this as a cost of doing business, or if anyone's cracked it. Horror stories and wins both welcome.