🌱How to Stop Confusing Your Team with Unclear Leadership Roles
A 2 min read (and explicit language)
Your managers are getting mixed messages from multiple owners. Your team doesn't know who to report to. And everyone's frustrated because nobody knows who's actually in charge of what.
Sound familiar?
Here's the truth: unclear roles don't just frustrate your team... they destroy your culture and kill your profits.
When your managers don't know who they answer to, decisions get delayed. When owners contradict each other, trust erodes. When responsibilities overlap without clear boundaries, nothing gets done well.
I work with restaurant owners to build systems that eliminate confusion and create accountability at every level.
Step 1: Map Your Essential Leadership Roles
Start with these core positions and define exactly what each one owns:
General Manager/Operations Manager: Overall restaurant performance, P&L responsibility, final decision-making authority for daily operations.
Kitchen Manager/Chef: Food quality, kitchen operations, BOH staff development, inventory management.
Front of House Manager: Guest experience, FOH staff scheduling and training, service standards.
Assistant Manager: Specific operational areas (you define which ones), manager development, covering shifts.
Don't create roles just because you think you should. Create them because your business needs them.
Step 2: Define Clear Expectations for Each Role
For every leadership position, document:
Primary responsibilities (what they own completely)
Secondary responsibilities (what they support)
Decision-making authority (what they can decide without approval)
Reporting structure (who they report to and who reports to them)
Key performance indicators (how you'll measure their success)
The goal isn't to micromanage. It's to create clarity so your leaders can actually lead.
Step 3: Address the Owner Problem
If you have multiple owners, you need to get your shit together before you can expect your team to function.
Decide who has final authority on:
Daily operations decisions
Staff hiring and firing
Menu changes
Policy updates
Performance management
Your team should never hear conflicting directions from different owners. Ever.
Step 4: Roll It Out to Your Entire Team
Once you've defined roles and aligned ownership, communicate it clearly:
Hold an all-hands meeting to introduce the new structure
Create a simple org chart that shows who reports to whom
Post role summaries where everyone can see them
Train your leaders on their new responsibilities before expecting them to execute
Set up regular check-ins to ensure the new structure is working
Step 5: Hold Everyone Accountable
The best organizational chart in the world means nothing if you don't enforce it.
When someone steps outside their role, address it immediately. When leaders aren't meeting their responsibilities, have the conversation. When owners contradict each other, fix it behind closed doors.
Your team will only respect the structure if you do.
Clear roles aren't about creating bureaucracy. They're about creating clarity so your people can do their best work without constantly guessing what's expected of them.
Stop making your team navigate mixed messages and unclear expectations. They deserve better leadership than that.
P.S. Here are 3 additional ways I can support you:
One-on-one coaching to help you design and implement a leadership structure that actually works for your restaurant - christinmarvin.com/contact
Group coaching for your leadership team to align everyone on their roles and responsibilities - christinmarvin.com/groupcoaching
Leadership development workshops to train your managers on how to lead effectively within their defined roles - christinmarvin.com/contact
