[listen]
[read, with an open mind]
During the 1890s, Russian physiologist Ivan Pavlov was researching salivation in dogs in response to being fed. He inserted a small test tube into the cheek of each dog to measure saliva when the dogs were fed. He predicted the dogs would salivate in response to the food placed in front of them, but he noticed that his dogs would begin to salivate whenever they heard the footsteps of his assistant who was bringing them the food.
Pavlov then focused on investigating exactly how these conditioned responses are learned or acquired. In a series of experiments, he set out to provoke a conditioned response to a previously neutral stimulus. He opted to use food as the unconditioned stimulus, or the stimulus that evokes a response naturally and automatically. The sound of a ringing bell was chosen to be the neutral stimulus. The dogs would first be exposed to the sound of the bell, and then the food was immediately presented.
After several conditioning trials, Pavlov noted that the dogs began to salivate after hearing the bell - the previously neutral stimulus (the bell) had become what is known as a conditioned stimulus that then provoked a conditioned response (salivation).
Applying this thought process to management gives us one of the most powerful motivation techniques ever discovered - unfortunately, most chefs and managers go about this in the wrong way.
Motivation vs. Inspiration
It's important to note the differences between these two words. Both are ways of "getting something done" - but there are some clear distinctions that we need to talk about.
Motivation is a pulling force - it requires a motive (a reason) to do something. Motivation is usually connected to something we don't really want to do, but know that we need to do to accomplish a certain goal. People often need motivation to exercise when their goal is weight loss, or to show up to work when their goal is simply a paycheck. Motivation is temporary, and often difficult to maintain.
Inspiration, on the other hand, is a process that unfolds internally. It is a pushing force - and much easier to work with. The word “inspiration” comes from the late Latin word “inspirare” which means “inspirit” or “divine guidance”. We often feel inspired when we hear, read, or see something that makes us realize that a dream of ours is actually possible, or when we feel like we are passionately following our life purpose. Inspiration is a shift in our perception.
Inspiration is something that you feel on the inside, while motivation is something from the outside that compels you to take action. The goal of a leader should always be to inspire their staff - after all, it's much easier to push someone than it is to pull them.
The Old Way
For decades, the standard kitchen MO (short for modus operandi - way of operating) has been fear-based. Chef wants something done, so he screams at his cooks until it's done - and then relentlessly shames them if it's not perfect. The Gordon Ramsey method of verbal abuse might work to scare someone into compliance in the short term, but it's not a sustainable solution - in the long term, it builds resentment from the staff. No one likes to be yelled at.
Resentment occurs when one party in an arrangement (work, relationship, friendship, etc) feels like they are giving more than they are getting back.
Workplaces should ideally be an equal exchange - we trade our time for money as employees, and we trade our money for help as employers. If this balance is disrupted - ie, the employee is giving 16+hrs of their time every day, but only getting paid minimum wage, with no benefits and no time outside of work to actually have/enjoy their life, resentment starts to build. On the converse, if an employer is paying a decent wage and the employee continually shows up late and fails to execute tasks in a timely manner, this will also begin to trigger resentment. Workplace harmony is a two way street - and as leaders, it is our responsibility to maintain this harmony.
Let's face it - most people who gravitate towards the professional kitchen are already on the fringes, and none of us like being told what to do. We're strong-willed and oppositional by nature - and the absolute worst way to "motivate" an oppositional person is through fear. Fear-based motivation immediately triggers what I like to call the "fuck off" response. It's incredibly disrespectful to the other person, and it quickly causes the staff to lose respect for you (you get back what you put out!) .
Yelling, screaming, bullying, shaming, and calling people out publicly does not work. Full stop. This is the old model, which produces old results.
Your staff is your mirror. They will show you what is not working. As a leader, it is up to YOU to change the things in YOURSELF that are not currently working. Are you ready and willing to rise to the challenge that's in front of you? Or are you going to continue to blame everything and everyone else for failing to meet your expectations?
Activate their reward center
If fear doesn't work, then what does?
Praise. Regular, repeated praise of the things they do correctly.
This isn't just reverse psychology, it's actual neuroscience - when we feel like we have been recognized and rewarded for doing something correctly, our brains release a shot of dopamine - the feel-good chemical. Here's a huge bomb: all addictions trigger the dopamine response (including social media/technology addiction - those likes do the same thing to our brains as a line of cocaine, a drag off a cigarette, or a shot of whiskey!).
On the converse, fear triggers the amygdala to produce glutamate, which sets off a cascade of other responses - it activates the fight/flight/freeze response, and triggers the adrenal glands to flood the body with cortisol and adrenaline. When the body lives in this state, it causes a chronic stress response and leads to aggression and burnout - and as any leader knows, an overly stressed, burnt-out staff is fairly useless. Fear based leadership is basically shooting yourself in the foot - in the long term, it actually creates the conditions you're trying to avoid.
Want your staff to perform at a higher level? Find ways to trigger a dopamine response.
Consciously look for things that they are doing right - even little things, like properly minced garlic or a spotless cutting board - and point it out. Thank them when they clean something without being told, or when they take out the trash on their own. Activate the reward center of their brains. Make a positive example of your staff - this triggers massive feelings of recognition, which feels great - and makes people want to seek the next "hit." Use this to your advantage - it will create a much more harmonious kitchen environment, and your staff will respect you because they feel valued. As a bonus, feeling valued also leads to employee retention - people are far less likely to leave a positive environment than they are a negative environment.
If you have to discipline or correct your staff, use the hamburger approach:
bun - something that you appreciate about them
meat - what needs to be corrected
bun - something that they recently did correctly that validates their intelligence
An example of this could look like "Hey Timmy, I love how clean your station always is - it sets a great example for others. During prep, it seems like you struggle to stay organized - after service, let's go over your list to see how we can streamline your processes. You rocked the line last night!"
or
"Hey Tony, I really appreciate your sense of humor - it's great for morale. Your tardiness has been an issue lately - it's throwing off the flow of the kitchen, and coming across as super disrespectful. How can we transfer that same enthusiasm and focus you display on the line to actually getting here on time?"
Structuring every negative between two positives is the best approach. It softens the blow and makes people more willing to change their behavior/habits - and as a leader, triggering that willingness in your staff will ultimately make your life easier and way less stressful. It's a win-win.
We don't always get to choose our staff - often, we're directly hired into a management position and have to work with what we have, which might not always be our ideal crew. If this is the case, it's important to find your staff's individual why - why are they working there? What do they want out of the job? Do they have aspirations of moving upward, or are they content to stay in their current role? What are they good at? What do they want to learn? (pro tip: genuine curiosity is the best motivator - put people in positions they are interested in!) What are their passions? How can you re-frame tasks in a way that sounds more interesting/appealing to them (or in a way that plays on their values/motivations)?
Taking this approach is not the easy path, but it will make you a much stronger (and more memorable, respected) leader in the long run. Get to know your staff as individuals, and take an individual approach to motivation/discipline.
Respect your staff, and your staff will respect you. Praise your staff, and your staff will praise you.
Quit Micromanaging
We touched on micromanaging in our article on toxic kitchens, but to reiterate - micromanaging stems entirely from insecurity. If you do not trust your staff, you have not trained them properly. Work with them- when you notice them doing something incorrectly, ask them questions instead of verbally berating them. Find out why they are doing it "wrong" (is it ignorance, time management, contempt, or something else?).
Remember, it's not you vs. your staff - it's the entire kitchen vs. the problem. Work with them, not against them.
One of the most powerful leaders that I've ever worked under has been Grant Achatz at Alinea in Chicago. His style was so radically opposite everything I had ever experienced - observing how he acted around his staff was the most important takeaway from my time there. He does not yell or shame his staff - he observes, and when he notices something that's not quite right, he calmly asks "So, chef - can you tell me what you're doing here?"
This approach accomplishes two things: 1) it gives the cook massive anxiety, because they realize that there's something off about what they're doing, and 2) it forces the cook to think critically about what they are doing - and explain their thought processes. Often, the person being questioned gets half a sentence into their explanation before they realize what Chef was seeing; occasionally, the cook's explanation was solid, and in a huge power move, Chef would actually acknowledge and reward the validity of their thought process. This is the difference between ego and the sincere desire for excellence.
Contrary to what the industry has been telling us for decades, learning from your staff is a power move that will gain you massive amounts of respect. Pretending like you know it all is not a sign of strength - eventually, people will start to see through the cracks in your façade. Stay humble - everyone has something to teach you.
Remember, if you are a leader, you are in control. You set the tone. You teach your staff how to treat you by the way you treat them. What kind of kitchen do you want to run?
What kind of leader do you want to be known as?
To dive deeper into these ideas and further develop your communication skills, check out our article HEARD! (How to actually listen)
[absorb]
"Practice radical authenticity, surrender the outcome, and do uncomfortable work."
[grow]
Recently promoted to a leadership position and feeling a little overwhelmed? Struggling with a less-than-ideal staff? Don't despair! We offer one-on-one personal development and professional coaching to jump-start your career or re-ignite your crew. Our team is also expertly trained in consulting, hiring/firing, and workplace restructuring - check out our options at theconsciouschefs.com/improve or shoot us an email at consciouschefs@gmail.comIf you learned something or if this resonated, please consider liking, commenting, sharing with a friend or in an industry forum, or contributing a few dollars to keep the lights on. The more interaction we have from people like you, the more motivated we feel to keep producing content like this. 🙏🏻
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