Exhaustion

Singing.... "I'm tired. So tired."

Those of you who have been following this blog will notice that my schedule of a post a day, has been disrupted. I have been pleasantly very very busy of late assisting our population of students competing for scholarships in two different programs. Needless to say, I have been running around helping make the experience for the students as well done and enjoyable as possible.

The end result were phenomenal, and that is all the really matters. Watching the students walk in their fate and upcoming careers, taking on their adulthood, is very important to them and us as well. I tend to look upon them as a parent should, knowing their childhood is nearly over and the adults that emerge in their place, can be a very different person altogether.

C-Cap awarded over $400k worth of scholarship assistance this year and NAACP ACT-SO is preparing for our trip to the National Convention in Cincinnati Ohio, were they will compete for National medals and scholarships. Spring is blossoming in new life and academic success.      

Squeaky Wheels

There is a saying that the squeaky wheel gets the grease. In the kitchen, as well as other aspects of life, the squeakiest is typically the messiest. I learned long ago that it is better to just get it done, or corrected, than running in and out of the office complaining. Often times, those who are always complaining, are actually trying to use a tactic of painting the others as such a bad worker or person, in an attempt to sack the other's position. Often times this can work to the complainer's favor but usually just once. Eventually, the complainer's agenda can easily be seen through like plastic wrap, and instead of a devaluation of the other's position, the complaining party can find themselves in the hot seat. A pattern develops that changes the viewpoint of management.

The last thing any chef wants to spend their time on is interpersonal issues within the staff. There is so much more going on that can stress the kitchen, late deliveries, mistakes needing fix, equipment failure, heat waves or winter storms, theft, accidents, a whole list of things that need addressing or controlled. While the list of complaints may have validity, picking your battles is the best thing to do. If the mistake is small, it maybe best to just make correction than complaint.

The squeaky wheel may need replacement instead of support. I have been a part of a crew, and middle management, and I have often been told that I don't brother my up-line or upper management unless it is something that I can't correct on my own. I have always taken my positions seriously and when the issues are mine, or under my control, I take care of the issue. The way I figure it, I am being paid to control this portion of the company and bugging my boss with the trivial, like a tattle tail sibling, is counter productive. Anyone can miss something or run out of time to get something done, etc. Instead of wasting time having a meeting or complaining in the office, I'd much rather help out or make corrections.

A manager that cannot control their staff is often viewed as ineffectual. Complaining about the smallest of things, or the easily fixed, only serve to make the noisiest of us look bad. Problems are problems, the chef life is all about solving problems for our customers and each other. If I make a mistake, just tell me, and I will make changes to eliminate the problem from reoccurring. There is never a perfect situation for everyone involved, but the customer should never be impacted by the issues that arise as they have paid us chefs to handle whatever it takes to get the job done. The last thing that a customer should ever ask themselves is "what did I pay them for?".

Chefs don't always get along, and some, for whatever reason, try and make the day harder for other workers in an attempt to get rid of them. This is not a good look to have. Being messy over this or that is just petty. I have worked with people that I wanted to run them over with my car, but I did my work and didn't complain until it was appropriate. Pick your battles wisely. Be the one that helps out the rest of the crew, instead of the one that is always snitching. Stay in your lane and watch the road ahead instead of focusing on someone else's journey before you run into a ditch.

Angry Mama Bear

Yesterday, I hear upsetting news about one of my high school students who was grievously attacked during the school day on campus. She will be missing a few days of school because of this. I will spare you the details other than she suffered a broken cheek bone.

At first, the story spurred me to be inquisitive but after hearing the details from a member of our security staff, I got upset as if the same injury had happened to my own birthed children. I can't even find the words that are adequate enough to express myself.

This population of kids already has a lot to deal with from the neighborhood, the schools, the politics of our city, the rampant stupidity and injustice that is pervasive in their lives. This incident is have a bit overwhelmed as she is a likable sort who really doesn't bother anyone. To have her face hurt like this is such a piss-off.

I am going to leave this here before I upset again.....  

Leadership without Loyalty

Can you be a leader without inspiring loyalty in others? A chef is much more than most people know, not only must a chef be a great cook, they also must be an artist, understand some engineering, run a business with P&L and ROI responsibilities, order supplies, and handle the HR issues. It is the chef that can make or break a food business.

Many executive chefs do very little cooking due to all the additional responsibilities that comes with running a kitchen or a business. It is a bad day for the whole crew of chefs when the head man in charge must come out of the office and get on the line, as it signals that the symphony is out of tune. The executive chef is the conductor of the orchestra, and must also be able to play, write, and read music.

Leading a kitchen brigade into culinary battle isn't easily done. There's a lot of trust that needs to be built up before you will be a strong leader. All chefs have strong personalities, and some even are egomaniacs, and yielding to another chef can be hard-fought. The best of us know their strength and their weaknesses. Some chefs are fabulous on a bench but are not well suited for paperwork and running the business. Some chefs are not adapt at customer service and should limit their customer contact. No matter what gifts you have been given, do not abandon them for the sake of something else.

I have met chefs who could make the most incredible artistic works but as their business grew, they got a bit of a limelight and stopped working as a chef in order to bask in the glory of ownership. These ill-equip people stop doing what gave them notoriety. They take on the role as the face of the business and end up doing customer service and paperwork without a skilled hand.

The question still remains as to loyalty. Teamwork begins with skill and strength but can end rapidly with over-inflated egos and lack of communication. To get other chefs to follow your lead isn't easy because it isn't easy to get them to trust you. They must know you, and know you well, and understand that you will not walk away when everyone is in the weeds. Leave no man behind. And somehow along the way, you have to show them that your decision making is sound. Every order must be understood and wise because even a slight misstep will have the brigade lose faith in your leadership.

Skilled chefs can be a hard bunch to tangle with and if you are taking too much time to enforce the rules, expectations, and goals to a chef, you will not have any time left to answer customers requests. Understanding yourself, were you work best, how to make the biggest positive impact for the organization, can change your life and your career.

Kitchen leadership comes from a magical place where your skills, personality, authority, confidence, respect for your co-workers, knowledge, and respect for teamwork, all comes together. As a team leader, often times you have to protect the team from the obstacles in their path. If a customer needs something from the chefs and you are the leader, it is your job to keep the customer out of the team's hair, and handle the customers needs, which makes the day run smoother for everybody. If the product order comes in, it is your job to make sure that the team has everything that is needed to perform. If someone takes a sick day, as a leader, you will be expected to put the team in the best possible place by calling in a replacement or by filling in yourself. The leader has to wear all the hats they can and make the day run smoothly for everyone involved. Without this type of effort, the team will run you down and take total control away from you because it will be declared that you can't handle the responsibility. If you become sick and don't show respect to your crew by way of calling ahead, asking someone to cover for you, or leave them with an impossibly hard day, you maybe forgiven once or twice, but they will stop trusting you if this becomes a pattern with you.

There are so many variables involved that I am having a hard time trying to define what is leadership in a professional kitchen. It is something that naturally surfaces with unanimous physic vote of the whole. I have been a crew member, but not a leader, and something would happen and the whole crew will turn and look to me to solve it all of a sudden. Can you take information and discern how to assign work to the best team member possible to get the job done? Can you jump in and help in every position there? Can you brake down a job into smaller pieces so the burden is shared by the team instead of leaving the whole weight on one or two team members? Can you communicate with customers and put them at ease that their issues will be handled correctly? Can you communicate with the waitstaff or beverage department or any other department within the organization successfully? Does your presence bring with it a sigh of relief from your team instead of negative feelings and them wishing it was your day off?

Loyalty is something given, and not given easily. You can give someone or something your loyalty but you cannot demand it from others and most of the time expecting it from others can leave you disappointed. Loyalty cannot be built up without honesty and responsibility.


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