Episode 183 -The Real Problem With Your Staff

Episode 183 -The Real Problem With Your Staff

July 13, 2026 · 17 min

About this episode

Donald Burns discusses how restaurant owners often misidentify staffing issues as the root of their problems, emphasizing the importance of leadership standards.

What if your staffing problem isn’t actually a staffing problem? Every restaurant owner has experienced it. You interview someone who seems perfect. They say all the right things. They start strong. You begin imagining how much easier life is about to become. Then, a few weeks later… They lose their urgency. They create drama. They damage your culture. Or they disappear without warning. The natural reaction is to blame today’s labor market. But what if the real issue isn’t the people you’re hiring? What if it’s the standards you’re leading with? In Episode 183 of The Restaurant Coach Podcast , Donald Burns challenges one of the biggest myths in the restaurant industry: most owners don’t have a staffing problem—they have a leadership problem. This episode dives deep into the psychology behind why restaurant owners often repeat the same hiring mistakes over and over again, uncovering the hidden patterns that quietly shape every team they build. In this episode you’ll discover: Why the same hiring mistakes keep repeating themselves. The psychological concept of repetition compulsion and how it influences who you hire. The three…

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