Some systems work better in chaos.

This fast food manager was managing a high-performing team of teenagers who work well unstructured.

But the area manager wanted them to stick to a checklist, so their well-oiled team turned into a disaster.

Read more below for the full story.

Do you want us to work or follow procedure?

Years ago, I managed a fast food franchise with a staff of teenagers. They were great kids and between all the horsing around and romantic subplots, the work got done.

I ran things fairly loosely, and we had a good arrangement where I’d pretend not to notice they were having a water fight out the back, but when I did go out to check, all the dishes would be done.

As long as nobody’s parents called to complain about the sopping wet teenager that arrived home, everything was fine.

Other managers ran things in a more traditional way, with rules and time clocks. Also, a valid management strategy.

This fast food manager’s boss asked his crew to follow a checklist.

My area manager would stop by at random. He was a fair guy that liked his checklists. Do x task at x o’clock.

My crew were trained in all the checklists and all necessary food and safety stuff (and I did watch that pretty closely.)

But they knew each other and their jobs so he’d show up and things would be in what I called “predictable disarray”. This would annoy him.

I got word that he was coming (for once) and he was bringing along someone who was buying one of the franchises – using us as sort of a demo store. I was specifically asked to have my crew at their best, adhering to company checklists.

I asked, ok which do you want, my crew at their best or for us to follow your checklists?

“Both.”

But his crew was already working well unstructured.

My crew did their best work vaguely supervised with awful music piped in through an unauthorized mp3 player and a manager on hand in case a Karen showed up.

Water fights and crude insults on the fridge door were common and they’d routinely lock each other in the walk-in freezer.

I was fine with all this, because when a bus of hungry football fans showed up 20mins to closing and ordered a feast, my crew hustled, and we still got out on time. They knew their job and did it their way.

My cashiers would trade based on their needs, so everyone got a moment to have a drink or pee without interrupting service.

My line cook would run all three stations from his station, ensuring perfect coordination and hot fresh food.

I only interfered when it was necessary and was able to be backup for everyone.

But stick to the company issued checklists? Okay.

They did what was asked but the result was pandemonium.

I pulled everyone off the line individually and revised the appropriate checklists with them to make sure everyone knew what they were supposed to be doing. I passed on the order that today’s shift was to be run using the checklists, and everyone should do the best they could.

It was chaos.

Dinner rush hit, and bought a slew of just-off-duty paramedics from the nearby hospital. Fresh off shift, tired from a training session, and HUNGRY.

But my checklist planning had only allowed for a Tuesday night dinner rush of people on their way home picking up dinner.

I had reserves, but without a crew who worked in sync, each taking the spot they were best suited to, I was stuck with bodies in slots doing the best they could.

I had my newest crew member in the drive-through being shouted at by customers sick of waiting, my best line cook standing miserably by the fryer and the bubbly pair that usually handled front counter, having alternate nervous breakdowns in the drinks fridge.

No cleaning got done, I had nobody free to prep more food, customers were pissed at the lengthy waits and we completely ran out of some products.

Instead of the usual finish time my crew got two hours overtime before I sent them home.

His boss immediately knew he messed up.

I took a photo of the remaining devastation to send to the area manager, who was already regretting his instructions.

The new franchise owner had been disappointed at the staff’s “lack of initiative” dealing with an unexpectedly busy shift, and felt it was a lack of effective training.

He was also uncomfortable at the amount of running around shouting a manager has to do when things turn to absolute chaos.

I got a coffee the next morning, and something that could have been an apology if you squinted.

My crew got a round of frozen cokes, and “are you following the checklist?” became the new way to say someone had screwed up.

Orderly process or positive results? Choose one.

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Order is not synonymous to performance.