I spent a lot of time updating my answer to a very common industry question this week: when do you go from "cook" to "chef"?
It felt worth doing because I've been increasingly covering an update to my mental model here in coaching calls with you folks.
See, I've found that it doesn't serve most of us to think about being "just a cook" for 2, 5, 9, 15 years, and withholding the "chef" title with the aim of bestowing it upon ourselves "once I have my own thing".
My argument is that it's actually cook to chef to entrepreneur, and the entire industry benefits from this shift.
Cooks see a clear line in the sand and a path towards progress.
Chefs are able to benefit from more/better professional opportunities and give up the gatekeeping.
Entrepreneurs get the recognition and support they deserve, while acknowledging the shift that actually happens at that point in one's career.
(these got covered on the pod, subscribe here to get the story + opinion on these!)
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The "Restaurant of the Year" with 18% Profit Margins
Along with a $70k/year dishwasher and a $90k/year line cook - we broke down the menu, pricing, strategy, and vision behind John's Food and Wine, a Chicago newcomer who seems to be doing it all.
At least in 2 days when Ben & Lynn's (named after his parents) opens. The fried chicken spot builds on trends we've been tracking, but still left us with open questions...
This is a new section we're experimenting with, so I'm going to include this explainer section for the next 1-2 emails!
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How Skill Exercises work - it's pretty simple:
1. We share a skill you can discover/improve/work on, either from a Repertoire program or from another valuable source
2. Should you decide to give it a try at work this week, follow the research-backed process of deliberate practice. We use a framework along these lines in TSD of Prepare (where you set a goal, form a hypothesis, measure your baseline), Perform (where you do the reps, with sufficient volume), and Problem-Solve (where you check, adjust, and respond to feedback). β
Bonus: Ensure your mindset is in the right place to develop this skill. Aim for curiosity, habit-forming long-term thinking, and an optimistic, opportunistic frame where you're stacking the deck in your favor. β We'll provide examples for these in each week's Skill Exercise to get you started, but certainly feel free to customize to get you to take action.
This skill is from Total Station Domination, and it's a reasonably good approximation of your ability to manage Projects. We call it the 60-Second Status Statement.
Chances are, you've been there: a co-worker, your boss, or even a guest asks about the status of something you're working on (or responsible for).
"How long on lamb followed by maitake?"
"What's left on your list for today?"
"Excuse me, I'm still waiting on my tortellini, any update?"
There's an anatomy to what you communicate that tends to drive much more positive and productive outcomes, and it breaks down into 3 steps:
What's already been done
What's now happening currently
What's coming up next, including any issues or obstacles
For the list question, this might sound like:
"I've got the beets in the oven and my wine reducing, I'm getting tuile batter made now, and I'm going into crispy shallots next."
We emphasize the 60-second time limit for two reasons:
It prevents you from unnecessary ramblings, avoiding reality, or wasting people's time
Gathering the information to communicate shouldn't take long, especially if you're using our prep list templateβ
[Prepare]
How long does it take me to deliver a Status Statement?
Give it a try with all 3 elements next time you're asked, and before you start communicating, take a peek at your watch or a nearby clock on the wall.
[Perform]
Start Proactively
If you're already tracking your tasks well, you can try asking individuals if you can give them an update. This way you remove the pressure of a question out-of-the-blue, and you can get practice in with less stress.
[Problem-Solve]
Notice Responses
Identify areas where you're adding "fluff" to your Statement, not being complete, or being misunderstood. The aim here is to achieve alignment with the person you're communicating with and let them know where you're at.
From You Folks:
We discussed the Michelin expansion into the Southwest and Utah's first Michelin restaurant...
βTotal Station Domination: Get the proven program for how to prepare, perform and problem solve in professional kitchens. It's lessons from Michelin training, emulsified with habits and skills you can use ASAP on your station. Get your Station Score to see where you could improve!
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