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Madeleine | Hospitality Leadership Coach

@thegoodlifecoaching

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🌟 Hello hospo people! I’m Madeleine - founder of @thegoodlifecoaching - and I thought it was a good time to properly (re)introduce myself 👋🏼

Four years ago, after six brilliant years as Head of Culture at @hawksmoorrestaurants, I decided to take the leap and set up The Good Life Coaching.

We coach leaders in the hospitality industry - giving them the tools to do their job more confidently and with less stress.

Why? Because I LOVE the industry and believe that great leadership builds happy teams, and happy teams are the heart of hospitality 💛

Since then, I’ve had the absolute joy of working with some of the best in the biz — from coaching @angelacooking and @henryharris to developing amazing managers at @ottolenghi, @jks_restaurants, @lyleslondon @elliotslondon @qualitychop @quovadissoho
to name but a few.

I am very proud of our client list - working with some of the best places to eat and work around - and would love you to be part of that.

If you’re running a restaurant team, building your hospitality dream from the ground up, or just need a bit of personal support to find your feet again I’d love to chat. Head to the link in bio to see how we could work together 💬. And in the meantime THANK YOU for following me here - my mission is to share usable, helpful tips from my coaching and make your job + life easier.

Here’s to doing hospitality the right way 🥂

#TheGoodLifeCoaching #HospitalityLeadership #PeopleFirst #HospitalityCoach #HospitalityIndustry #RestaurantLife by @thegoodlifecoaching

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2 years ago

NICE VS KIND

Our industry is about people more than food or drink.

That’s why so many of us are natural empaths. That empathy is your superpower… but it can also trip you up.

The kind vs nice distinction has been a game-changer for so many leaders I work with to channel their empathy the right way.

It’s simple, but it sticks.

💥 One to carry into the new week: be kind, not nice. And notice the impact this has. by @thegoodlifecoaching

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a year ago

🚀 Tool #1 in our series: Popcorning 🍿⁠
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Popcorning is one of the quickest ways to shift the mood in just a few seconds.⁠
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It's simple to use during a busy service and a brilliant way to keep your team feeling motivated, recognised, and valued. In less time than it takes to pour a coffee, you can break the tension, lift the energy, and bring a flagging shift back to life.⁠
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It also encourages *specific praise* —telling someone exactly what they did well and why it mattered. That's far more meaningful than a generic "well done" or "good job," and it's the kind of feedback that builds confidence, reinforces great behaviours, and creates a stronger team culture.⁠
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Have you tried Popcorning with your team? 👇 by @thegoodlifecoaching

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2 months ago

This week’s Leadership Lessons come from @sofitzk, Head Chef at @rambutan_ldn.⁠
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Sofia runs a kitchen where people come first, and she believes you get much further when your team feels respected, understood and enjoys working with you.⁠
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She talks about stepping back so you don’t need to be in the middle of everything, asking why before assuming, getting comfortable with grey areas, and not taking it all so seriously.⁠
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Sofia, thank you for your honesty and for sharing your lessons with all of us.⁠ by @thegoodlifecoaching

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21 hours ago

Most hard conversations go wrong in the first ten seconds. We go in vague, apologise too much, or wrap it up in so many compliments the point disappears.⁠
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F.F.F. gives you a structure to lean on when the nerves kick in. I use it with leaders who've been putting off the same conversation for weeks, and most of them say the same thing afterwards: That was nowhere near as bad as I thought.⁠
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Save this as your reminder next time you have to have a hard conversation. by @thegoodlifecoaching

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4 days ago

PROBATION REVIEWS ⁠
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There’s a lot we’re suddenly expected to know when we become managers. How to give feedback, have difficult conversations, run a good review… None of us are born knowing how to do this stuff.⁠
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From 1 January 2027, employees will qualify for ordinary unfair dismissal protection after six months of employment (instead of 2 years), making good probation reviews and clear, timely feedback even more important.⁠
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With less time to establish whether someone is the right fit long term, it’s even more important to set people up for success, give regular feedback and address concerns early.⁠
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At The Good Life, this is at the heart of what we do. We give hospitality leaders practical tools to lead their people with more confidence and make the tricky bits of management feel a little easier.⁠
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Because you shouldn’t have to work it all out on the job.⁠
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Save this for your next probation review. by @thegoodlifecoaching

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5 days ago

The biggest changes to UK employment law in years are arriving over the next few months. Here's what they mean for hospitality.⁠
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Harassment: you're responsible for what happens on the floor.⁠
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From 30 October, you have to take all reasonable steps to prevent sexual harassment, and you can't let guests harass your team. Look at your policy, train your managers, and make sure staff know they'll be backed up if they report something, even when the guest is a regular.⁠
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Probation has to mean something.⁠
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From 1 January, staff gain unfair dismissal protection after six months. If your probations get quietly extended and nobody ever reviews them, that has to change. Set clear expectations from day one, hold a proper review at three months, and make your decision before six.⁠
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Write things down.⁠
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Staff now have six months to bring a tribunal claim, up from three. Dates, conversations and agreed actions all need to be on record, written at the time they happen.⁠
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Get your tips and rotas in order.⁠
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The tipping rules are being tightened by the end of 2026, and zero-hours workers gain new rights in 2027. If you can't clearly explain how your tips are shared out or how you build your rota, start now.⁠
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Most of this is what good leaders already do. The law is making it compulsory to keep on top of things.⁠
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⚠️ The government has already shifted a few of these timelines, so check GOV.UK for the latest dates:⁠
gov.uk/government/publications/implementing-the-plan-to-make-work-pay-and-employment-rights-act⁠
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Save this and share it with your management team. by @thegoodlifecoaching

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6 days ago

We’ve loved running a leadership programme with the manager team at @grangerandco for another year 👏

Working with the Support team, Front of House and Kitchen, we’ve delivered the same message at every level of managers from the MD to some young rising stars.

Coach your team - step back to let them grow.
Delegate to develop people.
Give kind, clear feedback.

A few of the biggest takeaways from our most recent group:

“I feel more confident delegating tasks.”
“ I’m giving lots more positive feedback”
“I can step back and give my team a bit more space.”
“Planning my day only takes a few minutes.”
“I’ve learned to prioritise.”
“I’m sharing the workload more.”
“I’m setting my team challenges to stretch them.”

And for us the most important one of all:

“I realise I’m not alone.”

We all face similar challenges as leaders.

Having the space to step away from the day-to-day, learn together, share how we handle things has been brilliant.

A reminder that sometimes the best development happens when you simply get people in a room together and ask the right questions. by @thegoodlifecoaching

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8 days ago

“Just be more confident.” I’ve heard it said in many times in feedback, and it’s never once worked.⁠
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Most of the people I coach already have the skills. What’s missing is proof to themselves that they can handle it, and you don’t get that by waiting until you feel ready.⁠
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That’s what Monday’s newsletter is about. I’m sharing the micro-challenge approach I use with clients: one small, slightly uncomfortable thing you do this week, and how to get your team doing the same.

It’s in your inbox Monday

Link in bio to get it.
⁠ by @thegoodlifecoaching

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10 days ago

Not getting on with a colleague is one of the most common workplace scaries, and in hospitality there's nowhere to hide from it. You share a pass, a rota and a twelve-hour shift with them, and the tension ends up in the service.⁠
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You don't have to be friends. You do have to work well together, and your team will notice if you don't. Here's how I'd handle it. by @thegoodlifecoaching

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11 days ago

In honour of spooky season, this month we're serving up the scaries: the difficult conversations, awkward moments and workplace taboos most leaders would rather avoid 👻⁠
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We're starting with the one everyone recognises. The person who's always late. The mistake that keeps happening. The attitude nobody's addressed.⁠
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Putting these conversations off can feel like the nice thing to do. But the longer it goes unsaid, the harder it gets for everyone, and especially for them. Done well, a hard conversation is one of the most generous things a leader can offer.⁠
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Keep an eye out this month for the frameworks, the language and the real stories that make these conversations easier to have. And send us a DM if there a taboo topic you'd like us cover. by @thegoodlifecoaching

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12 days ago

Dear Maddy: and this week, it’s time to discuss social media. We know how uncomfortable it makes many of you feel, when you’re having a bad day, especially.

We’ve also included a large part of Madeleine’s response here for you too. The advice in full is still featured on our substack. Link to sign up is in our bio.

Thank you, as always to the really very brilliant @thegoodlifecoaching for your balanced and constructive approach to dealing with these issues 🫶🫶🫶 by @thegoodlifecoaching

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13 days ago