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Be a genuine leader to recognize and retain talent
Courtesy of MahadyaMehdi Zaidi believes that a healthy office environment begins with the genuine leadership of the men and women in charge
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Courtesy of Mahadya
Mehdi Zaidi believes that a healthy office environment begins with the genuine leadership of the men and women in charge.
When Mahadya F&B division COO Mehdi Zaidi wants a cup of coffee at Wingstop, the company's recently launched all-chicken wings brand, one may assume he would have to do little more than beckon to one of the waitstaff.
Instead, he gets up and orders it himself at the US franchise's flagship store at Kota Kasablanka, South Jakarta. 'That's the way we do it here,' he said. 'I'm not going to break the rules.'
It's a modest attitude that belies the Indian's impressive resume in the hospitality and retail business, including many years working in Indonesia. He was part of the team that brought Starbucks to Indonesia 12 years ago, calling the experience of opening the first 50 stores one of the most memorable of his career.
After a five-year stint abroad, including as the VP for Morgan Stanley Hong Kong's food service, hospitality and property management, he returned to his Indonesian wife's homeland in 2012 as the GM of Domino's Pizza Indonesia. Now he is steering the F&B operations for Mahadya, which is part of Tiara Marga Trakindo (TMT) Group, a major force in the heavy equipment business since 1971.
He is overseeing the repositioning of Carl's Jr, whose local license the company acquired last year and which has long been known for its risque ad campaigns in the US, to a fast casual brand to appeal to 20 and 30-somethings, as well as families. He was also kept busy opening three Wingstop stores in a period of a month earlier this year to beat the lull in business of the Ramadhan fasting month.
'There has been a fantastic response in the market that gives us the confidence to grow,' Zaidi, 41, said of the reception to Wingstop.
'It was pretty challenging but it took having the right people in the right positions to get it done.'
His belief in the vital role of human resources ' and what it takes to keep them ' is shown with a quick 'how are you?' exchange with a young waitress when he gets up for his coffee.
Retention, he notes, is the biggest challenge for every retail company, and it takes making feel employees they are valued and understanding their expectations.
'The environment you create is very important, and mine is simply to have an open door to engage employees ' no appointment needed. In today's world, you have to make a connection, because everything is about that. My challenge is to connect with my employees every day, to come to the store and ask them how they are doing, not wait to have a town hall and step up on the stage,' he said.
'That is the key, because everyone wants to be recognized.'
Recognition also extends to providing programs for employees who 'go the extra mile' ' and nurturing them through training ' apart from seeking new people with the sought-after smarts and skills.
'You always need to bring in people from outside, but you also need to balance it with the expectations and the aspirations of your internal audience. Because they are also putting in the hours and the hard work. You have to think about putting them into the next positions and taking it from there,' Zaidi said.
It is also important to recognize prospective employees as part of a long-term strategy.
'You have to hire talent who can grow. You are not hiring them for that position, but for the future ...,' he said, noting that hiring today requires an astute understanding of the particular needs and concerns of the young generation.
Swiss perfection
A graduate of prestigious La Martiniere College in his hometown of Lucknow, Zaidi continued on to study hotel management in Switzerland. The latter experience instilled in him a sense of perfectionism and the understanding that the devil really is in the details.
'Switzerland gave me that in-depth hands-on approach to doing things, whether it was picking up cigarette butts in freezing weather in the Alps, or cleaning someone's toilet,' he said.
'I really learned the basics ... and when I look back that was important for me. Because retail is detail, you have to be looking at five things at once, starting with your customer but also looking at how clean are your sofas, to the basics of hospitality and greeting someone. You want to go into a place and be recognized, not see the trash overflowing and people running around without any direction.'
He names his experiences working at Hilton hotels training in Zurich, as the F&B cost controller for Shangri-La Jakarta in the mid-1990s and with Starbucks Indonesia as his 'finishing schools' in bolstering his conviction in systems, customer service and standards.
His current position involves another startup, but he claims to thrive in pressure-filled environments.
'I like how it drives adrenaline. But it takes managing it and having balance. You cannot just be stressed out about everything, it's how you cope with it,' he said.
'I always remember what my mother said; look at people who don't have, and what you have. It's a good way of confronting those situations, and being grateful. Stressing out is not going to solve it, you must think of your plan B or C.'
When it comes to underperforming or errant employees, Zaidi said the situation cannot be swept under the carpet. A genuine leader must be forthright in confronting the realities of the situation.
'You have to explain to them earlier than later, when things get really bad, and set your expectations and that of the company with measurable key performance indicators for the employee ... And then you coach and mentor them,' he said.
'But there are lines that have to be drawn. You cannot just say, oh you made a mistake, and then you made another mistake, and another ... '
Being a genuine leader does not only mean telling employees directly instead of stabbing them in the back. He or she must be willing to apologize to subordinates when it is necessary.
'As a great leader you have to accept that you make mistakes and if I have hurt someone's feelings, I need to apologize. For me, it's not a sign of weakness but of strength to do that. I forget and forgive. If you are hurt for a long time, you cannot live your life.'
Zaidi points out he has lived longer in Indonesia than in his homeland. He is clearly a great lover of this land and particularly its people.
'Indonesians are nice by nature. I stayed because of the hospitality and natural warmth that is in the DNA of the people,' said Zaidi, who calls his wife his strongest supporter in his career.
'I am not shy to speak my broken Indonesian and have people correct me. My mantra in Indonesia is to be local, and one of my success stories is blending in with the local people. It's only when you act like an expatriate that you are treated like one.'
Mehdi Zaidi
Place & date of birth
Lucknow, India, Dec. 2, 1972
Experience
F&B
- Chief Operating Officer Period, Mahadya (November 2013 ' present);
general manager, Domino's Pizza Indonesia (December 2012-December 2013);
vice president ' head of Asia facilities and amenities, Morgan Stanley
Hong Kong (May 2008-February 2012); operations director Asia Pacific,
The Regus Group Hong Kong (March 2008-May 2008); operations manager,
Starbucks Coffee, Jakarta (July 2001-February 2007; previous positions
at Sogo Department Store, Jakarta, Shangri-La International Hotel &
Resorts, Jakarta; Abu Dhabi Hilton and Zurich Kloten Airport Hilton
Hotel.
Education
Alpina School of Hotel Management, Switzerland (1992-1994)
____________________
At Ease
Book buff: Reading is what I do when I need to detox and destress. I especially like books about history, and I also love ones about management, the works of management guru Ram Charam, and anything related to customer service and management.
Weekend plans: I try to take time every weekend to get to the gym. I love sports, especially soccer and, as an Indian, cricket, which I watch and play whenever I can.
I also spend time with my two children, aged 2 and 5. It's the best time to watch them asking their intriguing questions and that helps me relax.
