We Not Me
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Episode 90 - Yes, Chef! Lessons from the professional kitchen
Show Notes
Kitchens – like any professional environment – need effective leadership. This means staying calm, promoting clear communication, and creating a learning environment where team members feel valued and motivated. Professional kitchens run well are the epitome of the We Not Me philosophy.
This week, Dan and Pia are joined by Simon Zatyrka, a former executive chef who’s spent most of his career in professional kitchens around the US. He’s the founder of the Culinary Mechanic, where he coaches chefs on leadership and building a positive culture in the kitchen, offering a mix of on-site and virtual consulting.
Takeaways from Dan and Pia
Three reasons to listen
- To understand the importance of team building and development in high-pressure environments
- To learn about the dynamics and leadership strategies used in professional kitchens
- To discover how to create a productive and positive culture within a team
Episode highlights
- [00:13:55] Inside a professional kitchen
- [00:23:56] Having key conversations
- [00:25:47] When communication breaks down
- [00:28:11] Just so you are aware
- [00:29:49] Simon's leadership tip
- [00:31:41] Takeaways from Pia and Dan
Links
- Connect with Simon via LinkedIn
- Unreasonable Hospitality: The Remarkable Power of Giving People More Than They Expect, by Will Guidara
- Team of Teams: New Rules of Engagement for a Complex World, by Stanley McChrystal, David Silverman, Tantum Collins and Chris Fussell
- Chef Journeys – Simon’s podcast
- Leave us a voice note
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Meet the guests
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Simon helps chefs grow their leadership so they can manage their time, product and business better.
His work focuses on using fundamental leadership skills to empower chefs to take care of themselves
and develop their teams, improving culture and profits. Along the way we throw in some technology to make life easier. Over the last 20 years Simon has had the joy and privilege of hiring, developing and promoting more than fifty chefs and sous chefs. His belief is that first and foremost restaurants are businesses. Taking care of people, good for business. Promoting self-care, good for business. Teaching chefs to manage their time and product better…GOOD FOR BUSINESS. In these days of staffing shortages and soaring product costs empowered well-trained chefs are gold. Investing in coaching for chef teams supports: ⇾ Better training
⇾ Better food cost
⇾ Improved culture
⇾ Increased creativity
⇾ Employee retention
⇾ Succession planning
⇾ Employee development
⇾ Improved food consistency
⇾ Chef and sous chef retention
⇾ The ability to attract new talent
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