Teamwork
The Great Chefs of France:
Bise, Chapel, Troisgros, Haeberlin, Bocuse, Girard, Roux, Savoy, Verge, and others, are and have been developers of future leaders by passing on the principles surrounding the way of the chef.
Through the training and development of chefs in the classic techniques and philosophy of how and why we do as we do, these great chefs of France have produced a network of leaders, entrepreneurs, hard working pride filled members of society. Reality, instructional, and entertaining shows are good, but usually miss or do not properly articulate the true art of the chef. In my opinion, that type of “Celebrity” status is not what was on Brillat Savarin’s mind when discussing gastronomes’ being acknowledged within society. Yet, there have been some movies in which the magic, wonder and philosophy of the chef have been clearly evident. Disney-Pixar’s, Ratatouille, with Chef Thomas Keller consulting, is such a movie. The film denotes the major principles of leadership: setting a vision, culture, critical thinking, change, fostering innovation, developing talent, driving results, and most important-teamwork.
The attention to detail, sheer professionalism and level of intensity of Le Gavroche has filtered through to everyone who has worked there. I recently returned to the kitchen, and all these things are still there, exactly as before - although Michel has developed his own style and made it relevant to the restaurants of today.
-Stephen Doherty MOGB
Stephen Doherty trained under, among others, Alain Chapel. It is no wonder he feels as he does about the level of commitment to teamwork and continuity. All while understanding that progress must include constant development of food, its preparation and techniques.
Leading me to conclude that the most advantageous type of behavior that could be achieved in a kitchen structure would manifest itself as teamwork. Teamwork encompasses all the leadership qualities found within organizations: diversity, communication, business ethics and change management. Of which are all visible through the culture of that organization.
Team members who aspire to become team leaders understand that risk is not all about demonstrating good judgment which has a direct impact on the reputation of the team as well as the company. Having the deeper understanding of doing what is right and projecting a consistent set of values, both in your business as at home can only be a good thing. Yet in the real world, the price of averting risk or insuring against a low percentage failure rate, lends to an artificial security in which impedes progress and innovation. “Risk loving” on the other hand is also unstable. We as chefs delve into new techniques such as molecular gastronomy we should be careful not to replace the food we eat with food additives whether natural or not.
Yet, without risk Columbus might not have discovered America and the patriots of the new world might not have fought for the ideals of a free society. The pioneering spirit is not unlike healthy competition among team members which drives results. Setting challenging goals for yourself, giving and receiving constructive criticism as well as encouraging cooperation across different work sections, expands our creativity and fosters innovation of new products and services. Promote teamwork and encourages team members to be involved with making decisions in shaping future plans that affect them (career mobility). Helping others succeed by removing obstacles or giving needed training and support, aides the individual in becoming a leader in his/her own right. Coaching and interpersonal skills are major skills needed to be not only a productive member of the team, but a good leader as well.
As a chef, team leader, manager, consistently coaching and developing associates is a must for constant improvement. The more knowledge any member of the team has, the better for the team. Team members will be able to fill the shoes of an absent member as well as expand their marketability for future, in layman's terms, “All for one and one for all.” (Three Musketeers) Basically, without the dishwashers taking pride in the job they do maintaining the kitchen equipment and keeping it clean, the cooks would not be able to work their magic. Have you ever tried cooking with a dented pan? The food burns, right? And if the oven door is loose from its hinges because the dishwashers are standing on the door to clean the hood, does the oven cook evenly?
And who would be doing the dishes if the kitchen utility were not willing participants? Everybody has their function, and it makes it that much easier to provide the outstanding product we all desire.
Moreover, the kitchen staff would be lost without the front of the house. Every day they (the dining room staff) must possess a remarkable comfort level with the clients while being able to resolve any issues. No matter what happens, their poise and graciousness needs to overcome situations to ensure exceptional service. As liaisons for the kitchen, they are the face behind the meal, and the respect between the kitchen and the front of the house should be nothing short of mutual admiration and respect for the talents each holds.
The overall operational effectiveness of any team hinges on conducting goal review sessions, tracking the progress of all employees and driving the right outcome. Identifying high potential employees through team benchmarks will assist you on being pragmatic in choosing those for promotion and mobility.
A team member building upon these concepts will aid him/her as he/she moves through their career path. Not all members will have the ability or the desire to put forth the effort to acquire these characteristics of leadership. Being so, it does not mean we should not promote development of leadership skills with all members. As one leadership success factor flows and influences the next, the effects on the individual, manager, and a company as a whole are realized. It is one thing to theorize and another to make it reality. The great variable as I see it is the human spirit. We are not all born leaders and as such, to reach this goal would be an incredible feat. That is not to say we cannot attain it.
