1. Cut out drama
Sometimes staff need a reminder that the front of house, back of house and management are all on the same team, especially when something goes wrong, Levine says. Those reminders can be as simple as word choice. “We use the word ‘we’ much more often than ‘I’ or ‘you,’” he says.
Although Levine says drinks after work can help build on-the-job friendships, he cautions that it can also create a toxic environment, where everyone complains about work. “Ultimately what matters is that coworkers respect and genuinely care for one another,” he says. “The most essential element of our staff being a positive and cohesive unit is the fact that we always have one another's back,” he says.