Keeping Everyone in the Loop: How We Communicate in Our Family Business

Challenges of Growing Our Family Business

When we first started, everyone on the team knew us personally, and it was easy to share our vision face-to-face. But now, with multiple Dairy Queen locations and a bustling resort, that hands-on approach just isn’t feasible. As we’ve expanded, making sure our mission is communicated clearly to every employee has become more important—and a bit more challenging.

Keeping the Conversation Going

One of the key things we've learned is that communication isn’t just about getting our message out; it’s about making sure people get it and live it every day. At our Dairy Queens, we want to be the place everyone wants to work at and eat at. We repeat this mission in manager meetings, store gatherings, and even in everyday interactions. The goal is that everyone, from the top down, not only knows the mission but embodies it in how they work.

We also love sharing success stories from happy customers. When someone raves about their experience, we make sure the whole team knows. It’s a great way to show what a five-star experience looks like and inspire everyone to aim for that.

Tech Tools for Staying Connected

Technology has been a game-changer for us in staying connected. We use Facebook Messenger groups with our Dairy Queen managers, while the resort team prefers Snapchat. These tools help us keep everyone in the loop, no matter where they are.

At the resort, we came up with a cool idea to have a weekly slideshow. This plays in our break areas and shares details like who’s on duty and any special events coming up. We even send it out through our scheduling app, so our team can check it out anytime, anywhere.

Training That Sticks

Training is another big piece of the puzzle. Both at the Dairy Queens and the Metropolis Resort, we’ve set up on-the-job training, backed up by video training. The resort team has created some of their own videos, while Dairy Queen provides official training materials.

The goal is to ensure everyone gets what we’re about, from friendly service to order accuracy and cleanliness. At the resort, weekly stand-up meetings get everyone focused and ready to deliver that five-star customer experience.

Spotting and Celebrating Successes

Monitoring how things are going is key. Shirley’s got a knack for spotting both the good and not-so-great things happening around the resort. Her insights help us fix issues fast and shine a light on what’s working well.

We’re always tweaking how we communicate and trying out new ideas to keep everyone informed and engaged. Whether it’s using new tech or updating training programs, we’re all about making sure our team gets the support they need to thrive.

Moving Forward Together

Communication is at the heart of what we do. It helps make sure our businesses not only function smoothly but that we always deliver those top-notch customer experiences. And we couldn’t do it without a team that’s informed, engaged, and ready to embody our mission every day.

Thanks for tuning in! If you’ve got any stories or strategies on communication that you’d like to share, or if there’s a topic you want us to tackle in a future episode, drop me a line at [email protected].

Also, make sure to give the full episode a listen here! Have an awesome week!