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August 09, 2010
Leslie Phillips, Director of Business Development & Client Relations
Each summer we have our company meeting – a couple-day gathering of our Directors, Executive Chefs, Managers to share, celebrate, problem-solve, renew. The timing is because so many of our partners are schools, and the meeting represents a kick-off of the new year.
Last week was our 2010 meeting (held in beautiful Staunton, VA). Still celebrating our 25th anniversary, our theme for this year is Culture. In Rie Godsey’s words, “Culture that fosters hospitalitarians; engages in personal and professional growth; promotes wellness; and supports a balance of all.”
Naturally, happenings of last year influence this year. Aside from the still-healing economy, and jitters all around, two things contributed to our ideas of Culture. This Spring Meriwether Godsey’s newly formed Book Club read Danny Meyer’s Setting the Table. As Danny describes, service is the technical delivery of product; hospitality is how we make someone feel. Thus, we’re focused on being “hospitalitarians.”
Prior to Setting the Table, we had Jeanne Liedtka (UVA-Darden Professor and Author of The Catalyst) join us at our Directors’ Meeting in January. Jeanne talked to us about having a “growth mindset” which she describes as a journey of learning, where you accept uncertainty; seek new experiences outside your comfort zone; see opportunities for innovation; manage risk through action; make intelligent mistakes vs. stupid ones; are able to say ‘it’s not good enough’; dream about a better tomorrow; fix problems so they won’t happen again; and never disconnect from the customer. Thus, we’re focused on personal and professional growth.
We also know that food service workers, as a group, are among the unhealthiest of all work groups. As a “family” we want to help each other take better care of ourselves. Thus, we’re focused on wellness.
Tying it all together, Rie talked about a wisdom she learned from Niki Leondakis (featured in our last blog, she is the COO of Kimpton Hotels, and we’re a huge fan). Niki asks her managers: what’s your new thing? And she says, it doesn’t have to be “big new things” – it can be a simple, little thing. But, we should always be working on something to self-improve, personally or professionally. And if you have to think about it, how hard are you really working on it?
Here’s to our New (Thing) Year!
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