5 Reasons Why Our TDMs are Magic
No wands, pixie dust, or spells required.
At CDL, we’re dedicated to breaking down silos and promoting transparency across teams. It’s been shown that understanding leads to appreciation, which is key to necessities such as productivity, morale, and engagement in the workplace.
Our teams are full of passionate high performers and people regularly send virtual shout-outs to thank each other for their hard work, and it’s great to see. To add to the good vibes — and make up for the hallway high fives we’re all missing — we’d like to give props to an entire team who are wizards at what they do.
Without further ado, here are five reasons why our Technology Delivery Managers (TDMs) are magic:
#1: They’re Super Supportive
“One of the best things about the TDM team is that we’re all on each other’s side…we can accomplish amazing things because we stick together.” Diane Nazar, a TDM Team Lead, explains. If someone on the team needs a hand, there’s somebody there ready to make sure that they get the assistance they need and the job gets done.
Diane continues, “The thing is, if they don’t succeed, we don’t succeed — and vice versa. Because as far as Operations is concerned, we are all CDL.” What matters is the bottom line, and that’s ensuring that our Operators are able to create extraordinary digital hospitality experiences. Having a common goal, and each others’ backs, is major.
#2: They Help People Embrace Our Tech
For a lot of TDMs, the most important part of successfully bringing new technology into a unit is the human element.
Frankie Miguel, TDM, explains: “I don’t want Operators sitting there frustrated with technology because we did a bad job on our end delivering it. Then they’re frustrated on a day-to-day basis trying to figure out their menus when they just want to cook and provide great customer service.” There are different comfort levels with technology, and it’s simply not practical to expect everyone to be an expert out of the gate. He continues:
“You have to prepare people ahead of time; let them know what we could run into. We may run into some obstacles. We may have some difficulties. We’ll work through them. Just take your time. Be patient. Everything can be adjusted. Everything can be fixed. So don’t worry about making a mistake.”
Cat Bonser, TDM, elaborates that working with the natural flow of a kitchen environment can help showcase why adding technology can be beneficial:
“There are little bits of information that we have to pull together, and we’re trying not to be too disruptive to the normal craziness of operations. We want to show operations how tech can make their job easier and create excitement. It then becomes the trickledown effect, they are excited, and staff get excited. The staff chat it up to guests and are eager to show guests how to use it. You want to make sure everyone’s accustomed to the technology, because the technology we’ve got is fantastic.”
#3: They’re Unstoppable
Roadblocks are guaranteed to pop up from time to time, and the TDMs are well prepared to deal with them. Sometimes, an install is happening at a high-security building, and knowing who has all the keys and can grant entrance into the room with the router will prevent a massive headache-inducing delay.
Other times, the team is dealing with hurdles that are a little more unique. Michael Cesar, TDM, had to work around a particularly popular local event when the parcel service insisted they wouldn’t be able to deliver a package (because of said event):
“I drove out there and I remember driving down the freeway and seeing the Boston Marathon on the bridge, people running in the rain. I got that switch and we got hooked up and we went live on time, but that was just doing whatever it takes to make it happen!”
Then there’s Shel Lewis, TDM, who worked side by side with an installer, using her own tools from her well-stocked backpack, to ensure that a deadline could be met — due to the category 4 hurricane that was slowly making its way over. No biggie!
#4: They Combine their Superpowers
The TDMs come from a variety of professional backgrounds, which serves them extremely well when it comes to achieving their goals. Both Diane and Cat have worked on the Operations side, and that experience provides them with invaluable insights into how to elevate the units they’re working with; Frankie’s work in counseling allows him to put himself in other’s shoes as he’s explaining new tech.
And there’s plenty more where that came from. The team is always ready to find new ways to ensure that the job gets done and that it gets done well, and a lot of that mindset comes from a place of enjoying technology and loving good food. There’s a powerful motivation throughout the team to ensure that any time spent with a Compass cafe is a great digital hospitality experience.
Shel sums it up perfectly: “It’s always feasible because we’re magic.”
#5: We Couldn’t do What We do Without Them
It’s clear that, when it comes to being a TDM, relationship management and people skills are equally important to more technical skill sets. Not to mention, being able to adapt to unforeseen circumstances — the team, which frequently works on-site, has confidently adapted to navigating around regularly changing safety guidelines.
The team’s hard work has not gone unnoticed, either. They have an incredibly important role to play in bringing client sites into the digital future; everything they bring has an exponential effect on every end-user that benefits from the product. By empowering Operators to use tech that may be new to them, the TDMs create new digital experts every day.
The work can be challenging, and incredibly rewarding. As Rose Dhillon, TDM, describes it, “I think that’s why I love this job so much. I get to meet some really great people and learn some really great information. When we go on-site, and we’re helping clients…it’s a nice feeling and for example, say a cashier is a bit scared and nervous that they’re learning a new tool, you can say to them, ‘Hey, we’re here, we understand, and we’re here to support.’ It’s a really good feeling.”
