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, but the book is so helpful, it mandates two reviews! Leaders and managers, especially, will find dozens of practical management nuggets, a short course in core values and measurable results—all packaged around a stunning focus on the customer.
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You would certainly agree that any book reviewer worth his salt should do extensive research, right?
And so it was mandatory that I visit my local In-N-Out Burger multiple times—purely for research, OK? (And speaking of salt—not too much on my fries, please. And per their “not-so-secret” menu, I’d like my fries extra crispy, aka “well-done.”
Hmmmm. So good!)
If you live in Arizona, California, Colorado, Nevada, Oregon, Texas, and Utah, you may be close to an
In-N-Out Burger location. With 391 stores in 279 cities, this 75-year-old company is still privately owned and continues to innovate in remarkable ways.
In my first review, I promised a second review noting In-N-Out Burger’s alignment with the 20 core competencies in my
Management Buckets filing system.
Here goes:OUR CAUSE#1. The Results Bucket. In-N-Out Burger’s team members are masters in
hoopla! and results (that’s a winning combination!). Stores compete in 11 categories and they measure: burger volume increase, lowest associate turnover, excellence in food safety, and best trainer. The latter category measures
“highest performing managers in training and development of their teams.”#2. The Customer Bucket. While this entire In-N-Out Burger book is customer-centric, you’ll find numerous insights and practical ways to prioritize your customer. Example: “…printed on the signature line on every check we issue, it says,
‘This check was made possible by the customer.’”#3. The Strategy Bucket. How do you scale from one store in 1948 to almost 400 In-N-Out Burger locations today? Here’s a clue. They build a regional warehouse first to ensure freshness. Next stop: New Mexico. The company also has growth plans in the east with a warehouse and store in
Middle Tennessee. For more on strategy, read
Scaling Up, my 2018 book-of-the-year.
#4. The Drucker Bucket. Package Peter Drucker’s long-acclaimed management wisdom with the spunk of Lynsi Synder’s grandmother—and you’ll begin to understand the success of In-N-Out Burger. Must-read: the
Wall Street Journal obituary of Esther Snyder. “After the death of her second son in 1999, Mrs. Snyder herself became president, though she was then 79 and in poor health." She died in 2006 at age 85.
I can only imagine the conversations now between Esther Snyder (a person of strong faith) and Peter Drucker! (Bonus:
enjoy reading this mention of In-N-Out when business gurus honored Drucker at what would have been his 100th birthday.)
#5. The Book Bucket. As a child, Lynsi Snyder discovered that “playing office” at the corporate office was one of her favorite games.
Her Uncle Rich’s office had “shelves upon shelves of books. Rich was a big reader.” (Note: Snyder’s book is very, very transparent—and she plans to write another book on life lessons learned from failed marriages and becoming president in 2010 at age 27.)
#6. The Program Bucket. Who names products, programs, and services in your organization?
LOL! Read how “Animal Style” burgers and fries got their names.
OUR COMMUNITY#7. The People Bucket. Wait. What? This corporate president has time to be in a rock and roll band (and race cars?). Taught by her husband to play the bass, Lynsi Snyder has added other team members to the
In-N-Out band, “.48 Special”—an homage to the year the company began. “Each year we produce a big concert called Rock2Freedom to raise funds for our Slave2Nothing foundation.” As you read the book, try to affix one of the four social styles (
see Book #7 in second article) to each Snyder family member: Harry (grandfather/co-founder), Esther (grandmother/co-founder), Uncle Rich (who became president), Guy (Lynsi’s dad and vice president), and Lynsi (now president).
#8. The Culture Bucket. “One thing I’m particularly proud of,” writes Lynsi Snyder, “is that I believe
we’ve mastered what we call a ‘culture of yes.’” The author also notes she transformed their workplace from a “top-down” culture to an environment of servant leadership.
#9. The Team Bucket. Employees were originally called “helpers,” but when Rich (Lynsi’s uncle) became president in 1976, he upgraded the title to “associates” and a year later, established the training department.
Are the job titles for your team members intentional or outdated?#10. The Hoopla! Bucket. Not surprising, In-N-Out Burger’s team members are masters in
hoopla! In addition to the “friendly competition” between stores in 11 categories, each store also completes against other stores in softball, golf, volleyball, a trivia “Burger Bowl,” and more. Plus, one of many “Fun Facts” throughout the book notes this “insider tip” that
kids under 12 enjoy free hot cocoa on rainy days!#11. The Donor Bucket. Generosity is a central theme. In-N-Out Burger Foundation and Slave 2 Nothing Foundation help communities “become stronger, safer and better places to live.”
Read more.
#12. The Volunteer Bucket. At just age 10, Lynsi Snyder was drafted into volunteer service for In-N-Out Burger. Uncle Rich valued her opinion and gave her business cards that read,
“Lynsi Snyder, Children’s Affairs.”#13. The Crisis Bucket. Oh, my. Eighteen months after Rich Snyder became president, a devastating fire ravaged the Baldwin Park, Calif., warehouse and corporate office space. Amazingly, with the help of faithful vendors, they kept every store supplied and open. Sadly, another crisis slammed the team in 1993. President Rich Snyder, two pilots, and another company executive, plus a fifth person,
Jack Sims, lost their lives in a private plane crash. (I had connected several times with Jack. In 1986, he led a national convention seminar for
CCCA, the association I led at the time.)
Do you have a Crisis Bucket contingency plan? OUR CORPORATION#14. The Board Bucket. In-N-Out Burger is privately owned and has no franchisees. But when I think of the Board Bucket, I’d suggest that if your organization holds board meetings in any of the states where In-N-Out has
Cookout Trucks, you should certainly ask them to cater your next board dinner or event.
“You plan the event. We’ll cook the burgers. Whether it’s a corporate picnic, birthday or wedding, our Cookout Trucks are a great way for your guests to enjoy a hamburger, cheeseburger or Double-Double® without leaving the party.” More info.#15. The Budget Bucket. On opening day, Oct. 22, 1948, prices at the first store featured 25-cent hamburgers, 30-cent cheeseburgers, and 10-cent bottles of pop. They sold 57 hamburgers that day. Now in 2023, many stores easily sell 2,000 or more burgers per day!
#16. The Delegation Bucket. You can’t micro-manage almost 400 stores from the corporate offices,
so In-N-Out invests in training store managers who, in turn, train team members. Somehow, their company philosophy, mission statement, and “Cornerstones” have remained firm for 75 years.
Did you know that they include chapter and verse references from the Bible on In-N-Out packaging? • Milkshake Cups (
Proverbs 3:5)
• Beverage Cups (
John 3:16)
• Holiday Beverage Cups (
Isaiah 9:6)
• Hamburger Bag (
Revelation 3:20)
• Fry Boat (
Proverbs 24:16)
#17. The Operations Bucket. Oh, my. This book is an MBA course in operations. You’ll underline dozens of insights in every chapter.
Fun Fact: In-N-Out pioneered the drive-thru speaker concept in 1949. The concept was so new that “…Harry had to introduce his customers to it and explain how to use it, or else they might get out of their car and start messing with the switches.” So Lynsi’s grandfather posted a sign in red letters that read:
, by Lynsi Snyder. Listen on
(6 hours, 52 minutes). And thanks to the publisher, Thomas Nelson, for sending me a review copy.
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