In respect to Employee Appreciation Day on March 1st- I want to share with you a high of my career, Teamwork. I began my professional life working in kitchens. At first, I washed dishes, then worked as a prep cook, continued my learning through varied kitchen experiences and Culinary School. I got my chance to earn my leadership stripes as a Chef. It has been many years since I have been called by that title. One of the experiences that stays with me today from that job is the incredible results a well- trained, committed team can produce. The team of 40 or so professionals that worked with me at the Hilton Spinnaker, a high-quality seafood restaurant, were exactly that.
They contributed greatly to those magical Saturday nights when we would crank out 400- 500 meals with few miscues. The adrenaline rush I felt on those nights is hard to replace. I would imagine many of you have experienced that same “high” feeling from team efforts. Personal achievements don’t seem to have the same affect on me as team accomplishments. There are others who have dissimilar reactions in those scenarios. One is not better than the other, people are just different.
I am not competitive and view leadership as a servant’s role. I am built for that type of role and situation. I struggle with highly competitive sales situations, ever-changing environments, and teams lacking trust. I know this and can still be successful in those scenarios if called upon. But I also know it will eventually wear me down. I will have a hard time sustaining the levels of productivity that make me feel good about my contributions. People are different - and cookie cutter hiring procedures, roles, evaluation processes, incentives, etc. are easy and quick. They are also less effective ways to say, “I care about your individual success”.
In the kitchens, I managed we hired people with the right attitude for our environment and then asked them about their strengths and what they would like to achieve during their journey with our team. Then a specific plan was created, support and training were assigned, and we measured actual results versus plan. I learned later to allow my team to produce their own goals and strategies for an even higher commitment.
When you are hiring someone, delegating work, or assigning projects, be sure to check in with the individuals’ preferences. You will get a deeper commitment to reaching your goals. You may even feel that rush again.
Photo Credits: ID 68257557 © Wavebreakmedia Ltd | Dreamstime.com
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