Working on adaptability, mobilizing teams, optimizing time, increasing productivity—these are the soft skills we strive to awaken and/or strengthen through Seven workshops. In March 2020, we designed “Developing your leadership,” a training course for the teams of Léo Willefert, Operations Director of La Brigade restaurants.

Drawing on each person’s lived experience, the research of leading theorists, and our expertise in instructional design, we created three sessions for headquarters and restaurant teams. This first collaboration with La Brigade restaurants was a success, as around ten training programs were then implemented in 2020 and 2021. Below, we look back at one of the training courses delivered for La Brigade restaurants. Special thanks to Léo Willefert for his sincere and insightful feedback on the impact this training had on his day-to-day work.

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Our mission at La Brigade restaurants: Sharing key principles for project management

The initial need

During the first lockdown announced in early March 2020, production of La Brigade’s fries trays and pre-cut meats temporarily stopped. Naturally resilient and optimistic, the teams kept their motivation to prepare for the launch of their new restaurant in Lille. With more time on their hands, the idea emerged to take training courses that would allow them to broaden their soft skills and develop their relational and organizational abilities. The support offered by funding bodies (AKTO for La Brigade restaurants) quickly made it possible to turn this idea into reality.

Their need is broad: support employees across all their challenges, whether in management, leadership, project management, time optimization, communication, etc. At that moment, La Brigade restaurants and Seven met—and it was love at first bite!

Won over by the Seven method, in November 2020 we launched the “Train the Trainers” and “Project Management and Leadership” training programs for 12 of their employees.

Our proposal

To meet this request, Ian Parizot—actor, stage director, improv theater specialist, and Seven trainer—presented 6 project management and leadership tools. Specifically, the training was divided into three 3-hour sessions: the first dedicated to leadership, the second to time optimization, and the third to individual coaching. Below are the 6 workshops led during the group sessions:

• Managing change

• Being influential

• Delegating effectively

• Setting a SMART objective

• Being effective with the Eisenhower matrix

• Being efficient with time laws

Objectives of the “Project Management and Leadership” training

Four driving objectives mattered to us:

• Understanding the mechanisms used to initiate and manage change

• Teaching influence techniques to convince and engage employees

• Knowing how to arbitrate, decide, and delegate depending on context and individuals

• Knowing how to clearly define objectives before delegating a task

• Implementing effective time and priority management

Workshop 1 - Managing change

The principle

On November 10, 2020, we began the first session of the “Project Management and Leadership” training with the workshop on change. Participants experienced change during the workshop. How? We’ll let you discover that luxury if our paths cross. Team members from La Brigade restaurants were then invited to recall change situations they had already experienced personally or professionally. The memories shared served as a basis for studying and understanding the change curve tool. What phases did they go through? Which one are they currently in? How long did each phase last? These are some of the many questions we explored with participants.

The challenge

Starting with this workshop was no coincidence! It allowed us to “plant the seed of change,” necessary for implementing new project management techniques.

Actions carried out by participants

• Knowing how to recognize the different states encountered during negative change

• Identifying the phase of change they and/or their colleagues are in

• Accepting that they may experience change differently from others

Workshop 2 - Being influential

The principle

The first session continued with the 6 influence techniques mentioned by Robert Cialdini in his book Influence and Manipulation. Through several role-play scenarios, participants experimented with each principle: submission to authority, consistency in commitment, scarcity effect, reciprocity, similarity, and social proof. Then they observed to what extent these techniques aimed at convincing their audience could be applied in their professional daily life.

The challenge

Expand their ability to persuade and extend their online and offline network by applying the 6 laws of influence.

Actions carried out by participants

• Experimenting with Robert Cialdini’s 6 influence techniques

• Understanding the mechanics of influence

• Increasing impact

Workshop 3 - Delegating effectively

The principle

Our first session ended with a workshop presented as a card game, during which we let our participants—passionate about food service—create 7 cards themselves (and yes, a little hands-on exercise does no harm and helps mobilize participants’ kinesthetic intelligence). Each card then represented a delegation level. Using the Delegation Poker tool, highlighted by Jurgen Appelo, participants learned to assess how they are managed (or how they manage others) and to communicate about something they do too little: situational management.

The challenge

With Delegation Poker, the challenge is above all to generate a high level of team engagement, depending on context, mission, relationships among colleagues, and their skills.

Actions carried out by participants

• Distinguishing the 7 possible levels of delegation

• Recognizing which one applies depending on the task performed

• Choosing the right level of delegation according to context

Workshop 4 - Setting a SMART objective

The principle

We then began the second session with a workshop that is extremely useful for defining a clear objective. Because of the sometimes unattainable goals we set ourselves, a sense of disappointment can arise when the deadline arrives and no action has been taken. To increase the chances of success, SMART objectives can be effective. Thanks to a mnemonic device highlighting 5 indicators, participants relied on an effective goal-setting method. “By the end of 2021, I want to have increased the turnover of my Place de la République restaurant by 12%”—that could have been the ambition set by La Brigade restaurant teams.

The challenge

Approach challenges calmly and lighten the workload of their teams by setting clear, precise, and measurable objectives.

Actions carried out by participants

• Absorbing the 5 criteria of the SMART method: Specific, Measurable, Achievable, Realistic, Time-bound

• Learning to set objectives for themselves and their teams

• Measuring the achievement of their missions

Workshop 5 - Being effective with the Eisenhower matrix

The principle

“I need the specifications document written ASAP.”, “We’re out of bread stock for this lunchtime service.” These are two examples of issues that La Brigade restaurant teams may potentially face. What is the degree of importance and urgency of each situation? What is the deadline for “ASAP”? Tonight, in 2 days, by the end of the month? Who takes charge of meeting these needs? Depending on the nature and priority of the task, it will be possible to identify corrective actions. Because priority management and the pursuit of efficiency are universal and especially necessary in food service, it seemed essential to share our expertise based on the Eisenhower matrix.

The challenge

Focus on high value-added tasks and consequently be able to delegate.

Actions carried out by participants

• Identifying “polluting” activities linked to past experiences

• Determining concrete corrective actions based on their daily work

Workshop 6 - Being efficient with time laws

The principle

Because everyone is different, we offer several methods and perspectives to gain efficiency. Through fun activities, La Brigade restaurant teams were able to discover the different time laws and ways to use them to positively impact their organization and productivity.

The challenge

Use time laws to optimize productivity and organization.

Actions carried out by participants

• Experimenting with the 7 time laws

• Finding concrete examples based on common situations and food-service-specific situations

• Identifying corrective actions to counter the influence of time laws

After the training?

For Léo Willefert, Operations Director of the La Brigade restaurants group and participant in the “Project Management and Leadership” training, the lessons learned had a considerable impact on his professional life. We asked him to cite three theories that particularly struck him, and the first was without hesitation the Eisenhower matrix: “I am now able to prioritize my tasks, categorize them as important and/or urgent, and finally decide which actions to implement. It was actually this matrix that taught me to delegate, something I wasn’t doing before,” Léo told us.

Two time laws then impacted his daily routine. Following the training, he decided to work staggered hours. “Since I’m particularly productive in the morning and often interrupted by colleagues in open space, I changed my schedule to start my day at 6 a.m. Since I started working early, I can fully focus between 6 and 9 a.m. without outside interruptions.” This is how he applies Carlson’s law, a principle that encourages continuous work over a long period. Léo also explained that he completes 80% of his work between 6 and 9 a.m., while he dedicates the remaining 20% to minor topics between 9 a.m. and 4 p.m. A great example of the Pareto law!

Soon, you’ll discover Léo Willefert’s interview, in which he tells us even more!

Finally, if you would like support in developing your leadership and/or optimizing your projects, the Project Management and Leadership training may be right for you. We would be delighted to talk with you. Depending on your needs, we will adapt our workshop proposals and refine our content to match your expectations as closely as possible.