”You Know Chef, You Have Inspired Me!” I Had What? I Was Shocked What I Just Heard!

Mike was one of my young chefs working in the
cold kitchen many years back. I was not happy with his performance and so were
his co-workers. He did not seem to care. He was late many times, he did not
complete the tasks which were given to him and he almost never cleaned up his
station before shift ended. His colleagues were fed up with him. I needed to
take action.

My plan was to transfer Mike to another kitchen,
our vegetable kitchen. This kitchen was located remotely. Barely anybody worked
there. I wanted to separate Mike from the rest of the team. If I take this
rotten apple out of the basket then it will not spoil the other fresh ones
anymore, I thought. Was it a form of punishment? Maybe. Nevertheless, the job
in the vegetable kitchen needed to be done and someone had to do the job
anyway.

A few weeks later I was running short on staff in
the cold kitchen. People called in sick and some were on annual leave. I had no
other choice but to transfer Mike back from the vegetable kitchen to the cold
kitchen. The guys there needed help. I was amazed how hard Mike suddenly
worked. I thought I was dreaming. He even reported duty 10 minutes before the
start of shift. He was helpful, attentive and always giving a hand. I noticed
that he was creative too. For our club lounge menu he prepared fruit carvings
and many creatively decorated canapes. What had happened to Mike? I did not
know but I was surprised and kept monitoring him.

2 weeks later his performance appraisal was due.
I called Mike into my office to give him my evaluation. I mentioned his sudden
change in attitude and output at work. I thanked him and showed him my
appreciation. 

“Mike, what happened to you? You have changed,
you are so different know.” I asked him.

“You know chef,” Mike replied, “You have inspired
me.”

I had what? I was shocked!

“Wow, that’s great to hear. Tell me how I
inspired you?” I asked Mike. I really wanted to know because I was completely
caught by surprise. Nobody ever told me something like this before. These were
big words.

Mike continued, “Remember chef a few weeks ago,
when we had our daily briefing in the cold kitchen? You were talking about
discipline and teamwork. You said that everybody in the team is important. You
also said that the cold kitchen team has improved a lot and that the team work
is much better than before. You praised us for our hard work. You mentioned
that if we keep going like this, if we would keep our positive attitude, then
we will become even more successful.”

“Yes, I remember this meeting Mike.” I said.

“See chef, your speech triggered something
in me. It made total sense what you said. I also wanted to be part of this team
again. I know I could be if I only showed my teammates that I am serious about
it. I started to change my attitude, because you inspired me. I suddenly began
to see what was possible for me here in this kitchen and with this team.” Mike
explained.

I was surprised and happy to hear what he just
told me. That was great news for me and us.

The biggest thing for me personally is when someone says, “Chef, you have inspired me!” It did not happen often but it happened a few times during the past years. It always meant a lot to me. It is the greatest gift I can imagine receiving from one of my chefs, colleagues or anybody else.

Everything in life is about inspiration. For
example, I got inspired to write this book too.

There is one thing I learned about inspiration:
it has to come from inside yourself. What do I mean by that? In everyday
language we normally say that someone inspired us or we inspired someone.
Actually nobody can force inspiration to happen if you are not open minded to
it and ready. I you have a closed mind, nothing will work. You put up a barrier
around yourself. 

If you have an open mind and are curious then the
spark might leap over and creates inspiration and enthusiasm. This is my
experience. We all need inspiration and enthusiasm because it is the fuel we
need to propel forward. It is the energy which helps us to stay motivated.

I don’t know how many people were inspired by me
and my actions. I know about a handful only. These were the boys and girls who
shared it with me. I can tell you that all these boys and girls had an open
mind, a fantastic attitude and great work ethic. This is no coincidence. I can
only speak for them. I would hire all of them immediately again wherever I may
go next if I have the opportunity. 

Well, I don’t have a secret recipe how
inspiration works. I guess many parts play together. Is there one decisive
moment, a critical point when it happens? I don’t know.

Being a role model is important, for sure. Be an
example for your team members. Talk to them, communicate with them. Tell
stories, share your experience and wisdom. Be transparent to show your team that
you are just a normal human being with feelings and emotions like anybody else.

There is research out saying that inspired
employees are more than twice as productive as satisfied employees. The most inspirational
leaders ignite a spark within their employees and followers that move them to
action. They don’t require motivation to act because they’ve been inspired.

How to inspire others? That is such a great and
also challenging question. I believe first and foremost you want to be a person
of integrity, someone who follows up on what he or she promises to do.
Your audio must match your video. Both need to run synchronously. If you are
someone with clear goals and a vision then you will definitely
attract people to you. Chances are higher that you will inspire one or the
other.

Share stories with your team. Tell them
what happened to you in the past, what mistakes you have made and how you
learned from them. If you do that then you are transparent. Transparency is
super important. When you are capable of showing your emotions and sharing your
feelings then this goes a long way with your staff. You show them that you are
human. You will relate to each other much more quickly and deeply. Listen to
your employees, show care and interest. Appreciate them. Respect them.
If you use all these ingredients than you have created an environment for
inspiration. It is not a guarantee but odds are high.

Are you now inspired to read more about my life in the kitchen??

Then check out my new book “Slamming It Out! How I got shit done in 5* kitchens” at: https://amzn.to/2MB8NZc

In this book I share with you my
story how I became an expatriate chef. This book is not about celebrity chefs.

My book is about the normal
“Every-Day-Chef”. I’ll show you what the kitchen life really is about.

Look behind the scenes into
professional kitchens, something you have never seen before!

You will learn about the ups and
downs. I share my realizations and wisdom which I have gained in over 26 years
in the world wide kitchens.

I unveil the secrets and will tell
you what TV chefs never would!

Now available as eBook and paperback version!

P.S. Check out my website www.marcelriemer.co for more great
content!

I am happy to announce that I am currently producing my online course “Leadership
in the Kitchen.”

This course is scheduled to be released by end of this year on Udemy,
the world’s largest online learning platform.

Thanks for reading!

Marcel

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