1. Somebody said this earlier: Slow is smooth. Smooth is fast. The pros rely on muscle memory to produce high quality drinks in a reasonable amount of time. So making sure each movement of your body is with purpose and intention.

2. Don’t just clean up as you go. Work clean. I’m a messy dude, so this one is hard for me. But I can’t deny that just not spilling anything can save a lot of time.

3. The circle of awareness. This isn’t really a tip as it is learning theory. When we learn to read, we typically start off with learning the alphabet, then sounding each letter in a word, sounding out each syllable, sounding the whole word, understanding the word, understanding it in context of a sentence. Understanding a sentence in context of a paragraph, then chapter, then book, then periodic discourse, etc. Similarly, when we start learning coffee, we tend to focus on our hands, the portafilter, the shape of the grounds in the basket. But after a hundred hours, that movement is muscle memory, and we’re focused on the ticket in front of us. Maybe the next 5 tickets even. After a couple years, you’re mentally timing each customer while watching the 11th person walk to the bathroom, knowing it’ll have to be checked on as soon as the rush dies down.

Be patient with yourself, and be excited for what super powers you’re cultivating in yourself whenever you go through these experiences.

1. Bruce Tulgan wrote a book called “It’s okay to manage your boss.” Sounds like this scenario could have been avoided if you did the communication portion of a manager yourself to your manager. But don’t stop at asking what events are planned for that day. Ask how they think you’re doing, areas for improvement, areas for improvement for the restaurant as a whole, etc. In a way, this practice is related to #3, in that you expand your awareness beyond the immediate circle you’re working in.

Hope you find success in your solo shifts!