- When Kelli Valade became CEO of Denny’s, she didn’t walk in with a five-point plan—she brought a notebook. The former Red Lobster chief always starts a new gig by asking staff and diners what’s worth keeping and what needs to change. “If you ask enough times and just wait for the answers, the real stuff does come out.”
First day on the job? Don’t come in hot—just come hungry to listen. That’s, at least, according to Denny’s CEO Kelli Valade.
The 55-year-old became head of the over 1600-location strong diner chain in 2022 and her first order of business was asking her new workforce a series of particular questions. And they’re the exact same ones that she asked workers when she took top jobs at Red Lobster and Chili’s.
“(What) I always do with a new assignment is walk around with a little journal and start asking people the same questions. What’s it like around here? What do you love about it here? What would make it even better here? What’s sacred here?” Valade told Nation’s Restaurant News.
“Those same questions really get to this underpinning of what the culture’s really like. And if you ask enough times and just wait for the answers, the real stuff does come out.”
At the time of her arrival, Denny’s had a strong balance sheet, but Valade said the “hangover” of the previous lockdown-filled pandemic years emphasized an even greater need to think outside of the box and be curious—something that she’s embodied throughout her career.
“Maybe don’t color inside the lines, maybe don’t wait to be asked for something. Maybe just say, ‘I think I can help.’ What’s the worst that can happen?” she added.
Fortune reached out to Valade for comment.
Success is found on a two-way street
While asking questions is important to succeed in business, what’s just as important, Valade said, is being able to actually listen and accept feedback—even if it’s something that’s hard to swallow.
“Emotional intelligence is as strong as any other intelligence, and that has served me well,” Valade said. “If people have given me feedback—and I’ve gotten a lot and I’m a work in progress—listen to that feedback. React. Be appreciative of it. And use it to your advantage and move forward.”
This philosophy has served Valade well throughout her career as she’s climbed the ranks in the restaurant industry. Her previous stints include brand president of Chili’s and CEO of Red…
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