Most of the chefs on the 50 Best list had made their impact by focusing on innovation, on what needed to change. But as I thought about the impact I wanted to make, I focused on the one thing that wouldnât. Fads fade and cycle, but the human desire to be taken care of never goes away.
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That transformation has enhanced many aspects of our lives, but too many companies have left the human behind. Theyâve been so focused on products, theyâve forgotten about people. And while it may be impossible to quantify in financial terms the impact of making someone feel good, donât think for a second that it doesnât matter. In fact, it matters more.
In a restaurant-smart company, that phone call most likely would never have happened. And if the controller did happen to catch the mistake (if the company had a controller at all!) and reached out to the chef, theyâd likely be told to stay in their lane. But overhearing that phone call taught me that someone in corporate wielding that kind of control isnât always unwelcome. The chefâs bonus was tied to his food costs, and if his numbers were consistently below par, heâd be out of a job. That explained the relief Iâd heard in his voice when Hani told him where heâd been bleeding. Our back-office efficiency meant that guy didnât have to worry about the numbers and could go back to being a chef. We werenât stealing his creativity; we were returning him to it.
When you get too caught up in showing your prowessââLook at what we can do!ââyouâre losing focus on the only thing that matters, which is what will make your customer happy.
Itâs a clichĂ© that culture canât be taught; it has to be caught. And what better way to appreciate the exquisite nature of Danielâs food than to spend six months ferrying plates from the kitchen to the table? More important, while we were teaching people the technical points a little bit at a time, it would give them the opportunity to fully absorb the culture we were building, long before they became point person with a guest. And how we chose which people to invite onto the team became central to our success.
I wrapped up that first strategic planning meeting by telling the team, âThe moment you start to pursue service through the lens of hospitality, you understand thereâs nobility in it. We may not be saving peopleâs lives, but we do have the ability to make their lives better by creating a magical world they can escape toâand I see that not as an opportunity, but as a responsibility, and a reason for pride.