Randall Burns

6 years ago · 9 min. reading time · 0 ·

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Mentoring; A "Keystone" in the life of a Cook

Mentoring; A "Keystone" in the life of a Cook

The Mentor

  

People who grew up in difficult circumstances and yet are successful
fave one thing in common at a crucial juncture tn their
adolescence, they Rud a positrve relationship with a canng adult

Bull Clinton, Pressdent of the United States                (Kitchen @ "Viaduct Central", Auckland, New Zealand, 1999)

   The “philosophy” of Mentoring can be applied to any profession, and to life in general; we all have Mentors and by the same token we are all teaching, in one way or another. How else could we progress and advance? This is an integral aspect of kitchens; ours is a vocation that we will never stop learning about. The older I get the more I realize what I don't know. While a formal education in a classroom environment is important it must be noted that it is the years of training and mentoring in the kitchen that molds one to become a Cook. There are no shortcuts.

   Mentoring is a Karmic interaction, the energy that one puts into an action or circumstance will be the same as the energy one receives from that action or circumstance. Another aspect that I consider is all the mentors that I've had throughout my career, (and I'm still learning every day), the time and energy that they spent on me is the reason why I am where I am today. I could never have achieved what I have without my Mentors. As I Mentor others I feel like I'm paying a debt to "Karma", I'm returning some of that time and energy, that was so generously spent on me, back to "the collective pool".

   One of the most satisfying experiences that I’ve had occurred at a fine dining restaurant I was the Chef at, in the Cayman Islands. I had a Jamaican dishwasher, a younger lady, who was very keen and interested. We were very busy, all “ala minute” cooking, every dish cooked to order. In the 4 year period that I was there, 1993-1997, I got this delightful young lady to actually run “the line”.

“Let’s try it without the parachute.”

   The line coordinator or as we called them, the “expediter” was in charge of the show. Usually this role was assumed by the Chef when he was on. The Chef/expediter is comparable to the Maestro conducting his orchestra. The Maestro needs to know every instrument, how they work and sound together and how to direct them to play together so that they play beautiful music. 

   The expediter in the kitchen needs to not only understand each station, but have the ability to work each station expediently. We’re talking salad/desserts, Garde Manger/Cold apps, grill, sauté, Hot appetizers/Entremetier, and dish/pot washer, as an example, every kitchen is set up differently to a degree. Virtually every order for every station is cooked “ala minute”, then “fired” when ready to be picked up. 

   For example the grill station will have steaks, chicken, fresh fish, grilled vegetables and other garnishes. The sauté station is anything from a frying pan, Mussels, (one of my favorites that I’ve always had on my menus and no matter where in the world I am I get fresh, live P.E.I. flown in 3 times a week, these must be cooked “ala minute”, NO cooking these ahead of time, and the precious “drippings”, stock from them reduced with white wine, shallots, garlic and finished with butter and fresh herbs at the last minute before serving), pastas, stir-fry’s, various other proteins with “de-glazing” and “reductions” in each pan, 1 pan per order. At the peak of service each station may have upwards of 10 to 20 dishes pending, ready to finish, plate and serve, and within a half hour those will be all gone replaced with new orders, a constant in and out flow.

    High energy? High stress? Adrenaline rush? Yes indeed! It is the same for every station in the kitchen, including the dishwasher, (An integral and very important part of the team); every station must be “on top of their game” and work together with every other station.

      

The expediter must lead and “orchestrate” this team so that the appropriate dishes for particular tables are coming up at the appropriate times so that ALL the food is hot and fresh. (at this particular restaurant we were 80 seats with 2 and a half “turnovers” a night, 200 covers average, and we were booked out 2 weeks in advance), and including apps, desserts, entrees, etc. an average of 4 plates per person; that’s approx. 800 plates coming out of a kitchen that was about 600 sq. ft. (NO exaggeration)).

   They are also the liaison between the kitchen and dining room. Every plate going out of the kitchen, all communication going out of the kitchen, all feedback, including the orders, coming into the kitchen is all handled by the expediter.

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   Hopefully some of you layman are getting an inkling as to what goes on in a professional kitchen, those of you in the business know what I’m talking about and you’re going to smile and laugh when you hear what I have to say next.... I absolutely LOVE running the show. Am I a control freak? Probably, but most Chefs are, one of the most difficult aspects of being a Chef and managing the kitchen is to be able to take charge of the kitchen and LEAD it ruthlessly and impeccably, (note that I didn’t use the word “manage”), it is absolutely imperative that you’re a Leader, and that you Lead. There is no doubt that the adrenaline rush is extreme...Working a dinner service “Full tilt” starting at 5 and finishing between 10 and 11 at night, usually there is a short break for a few minutes around 7:30 or 8:00 between the “seatings”, comparable to sailing into the eye of a hurricane; all hell is breaking loose then suddenly dead calm, you’re in the “eye”, no waves, no wind, not a stir. (That is IF, and a very BIG IF, you are on top of the “service”, ahead of the game, all your “mise en place” in proper order. IF you have but one hiccup it can put you in “the shit”, behind for the rest of the night, never able to catch up, the stress gets multiplied and makes for a very long and unpleasant evening). Anyway, if you’re on top of your “game” and you reach that “lull” midway through the night, you catch your breath, have just enough time to suck down half a cigarette and then you’re back in the maelstrom again for another few hours, organizing the tables, helping the saucier with plates, yelling at the appetizer station to move their ass, calming down a distressed server, making that special meal that’s NOT on the menu for Mrs. “so and so” a regular, etc. Before you know it 11:00 has rolled around, you’re sending out the final desserts, possibly a few late plates for some stragglers that have rushed in last minute, and you’re enjoying that first ice cold beer of the evening.

Sorry, got a little carried away there; the adrenaline started flowing through me just writing about it.

097e6b1e.jpg   

   I would like to point out that this is not even the main thrust of our work day. Our day is spent with “mise en place”, we are preparing everything in order to carry out “the service”. This is everything from cutting veg, making stocks, sauces, garnishes of an infinite variety, butchering the meat and fresh fish, making breads, desserts, etc.; As the Chef there is the administrative aspects as well; payroll, scheduling, ordering, menu changes, inventory control and staff management including disciplining, and Mentoring. Absolutely EVERYTHING that has to be done to run the business has to be done outside of the “service time” because once the doors are open at 5 there is ONLY service to the customer that is sitting in front of us, that is our whole universe and there is no room for anything else. Without the right “Mise en Place” we would be unable to serve our customers.

   My point is I’m sure that you can understand the satisfaction of successfully running a dinner service, where the team works smoothly, like a well-oiled machine, where there is no hiccups between the “back of the house”, (BOH), and front, (FOH), and most importantly you have a dining room full of satisfied and happy clients who are not even aware of the effort it took to have their meals magically appear on the table in front of them, nor should they be aware; to a customer/client their experience should be seamless, painless and flawless. Take that one step further and imagine doing this day in and day out consistently. Now imagine taking someone else and training them to be able to do the same thing, taking months and years to do so. By mentoring this person, helping them to reach a higher potential in themselves as well as to perform professionally at a very high industry standard is an extreme gratification in its own right.

   Going back to my original point; there is NO way that I could ever accomplish this feat, or anyone else for that matter, without years of training and Mentoring.

   This is something that you just can't learn from reading a book.

   (Millicent, the subject of the example I gave here, continued working in a couple of other kitchens for a few more years, then attended culinary school in the States and is now successfully running her own restaurant in the Cayman Islands.)

   Mentoring is a lifelong process, particularly in the kitchen, never-ending. Let's look at the example I just talked about, basically a 4 year "snapshot" of bringing someone up through the ranks to a level that they could lead a dinner service. Is that person now a Chef? Definitely not but they are on their way to becoming a decent cook. They have an understanding of a few basics, a limited repertoire which will take many more years to expand but most importantly the mental foundation has been set to continue development. The correct frame of mind is one of the most important and hardest aspects to teach in the kitchen.

ba723c47.jpg

     Here's a quote from another article;

      " I Love mentoring and training,

    Mentoring is a springboard to help others attain heights greater than you will ever reach

   What Mentor doesn’t want to see their protégés excel and even exceed their own accomplishments? That in itself is one of the most gratifying accomplishments that I get from my “job”. Kitchen work is definitely “on the job” training, the extensive knowledge and skills cannot be learned from reading a book. I didn’t get to where I am today without the dedication of all the Mentors throughout my career teaching, coaching, mentoring me and                                                                                                                                                       even kicking my ass when needed."

   (https://www.bebee.com/producer/@randall-burns/choose-a-job-that-you-love-and-you-ll-never-work-a-day-in-your-life-confucius )

   The point is to teach someone a recipe, as an example, is relatively easy; there's a step by step procedure that can be taught, demonstrated and easily communicated, in a short period of time. Mentoring is the "art" of training someone to achieve higher levels of performance, the ability to train them to deal/cope with more responsibility and expectations while teaching a wide range of knowledge, not just recipes. As you can see from the example I relayed here it wasn't just teaching my protégé each particular station in the kitchen, but how they all worked together, and not just to be able to orchestrate one table of food to come up together, but to maintain the service for the duration of the evening. One of the biggest aspects of mentoring is enlightening the protégé to the fact that they have so much more potential than they think they do, and to help them to realize and achieve that potential. This is also one of the biggest hurdles to overcome as people don't believe that they have that potential and are unaware what they're capable of.   

   You put anyone into an alien circumstance and expect them to perform the first thing that they’re going to say is, “I can’t do that, it’s impossible”. The first step is convincing them that yes, they can do it.

   “The only way to determine the boundaries of the possible is to go beyond them into the realm of the impossible”

   Another perspective of the same sentiment,

   “Argue for your limitations and they will be your’s”

   Part of the first step is breaking down those “boundaries”, or more correctly perceived boundaries. On some occasions, in my younger days, I had to be dragged kicking and screaming, fighting tooth and nail across the boundary to the realm of “the impossible”, figuratively speaking of course, but once there I realized that it really wasn’t impossible. Sometimes breaking down those boundaries can be difficult, and painful. It boils down to a matter of perspective.

   What is it with us people? Why do we make things so difficult for ourselves? Human nature?

Are we content to stay put in our “comfort zone”? Again that’s a matter of perspective. Recently I came across an inspirational quote;

   “If we’re growing, we’re always going to be out of our comfort zone”

                                                                                              John Maxwell

   I do understand the gist of the quote and it’s not a bad message but a question immediately rose inside me which I did leave on the comment section of the blog. I asked;

   “What if “growing” is my comfort zone?”

   Again this is all a matter of perspective and understanding this, as a Mentor, enables you to use it as a “hinge” to help you open the doors of enlightenment for your protégés. Keep in mind this is much easier said than done, LMAO!!! It’s still a lot of hard work but appreciate the journey for what it is.

cfc79e5b.jpg   A brilliantly poignant example of this came up yesterday here on beBee. In the ensuing discussion following Harvey Lloyd

   (excellent read discussing Leadership/Management),   

    Harvey freely admits to me, and to the world,


   “…I am sure it is practice but unfortunately I do not work well in high production multi tasking high volume human environments…”

   To be brutally honest with you Harvey; I don’t believe you. 

    (Sorry to be using you as the Guinea Pig here Harvey but this is the perfect opportunity and example :-) ). You strike me as quite intelligent, capable and accomplished. You seem to be the type of person that doesn’t back down from a challenge and if a job needs to get done then you seem to be one of those that will get down and just do it.

   Don’t sell yourself short Harvey, contrary to what your perspective is I’m of the opinion that with the right training, practice and experience you would not only excel and succeed in “high production multi tasking high volume human environments” but I would go so far as to say that you would thrive on it. Admittedly this is pure conjecture on my part, “gut feelings” are involved… I may be wrong…

   But…

   I might be right…

   Just some food for thought…


8f74db8b.jpg

    Ultimately it all comes down to perspectives, “Energy flows where attention goes”, if you think you can’t do something, well then you can’t. If someone is telling you, “Yes! You can do it!” Why argue with them? (This is one of the more frequent questions I ask my protégés, LMAO!)

   Is Mentoring easy? Of course not; are there struggles and sometimes tears? Absolutely! (Although in the example I used in this article there were no tears from my side). It is hard work but what's wrong with that? The results are well worth it; for both the mentor and mentee. It truly is a mutually beneficial interaction.

   Mentoring is one of the aspects that differentiates a”Manager” from a “Leader”.

   Here's a thought to keep in mind the next time you have a "newbie" walk through your kitchen door, (or any business for that matter), looking for a job and your first thought is, (and yes I admit it, my first thought as well), "Oh No, here we go again...", chances are they won't be the next Escoffier, (although you never know...), (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Auguste_Escoffier ), but there is the possibility that after a few years of hard work, struggle, tears and also joy, laughs and "time in the trenches" together that they may be able to run a dinner service for you in your absence and no one would know that you're not there. That is an incredible achievement; for the both of you.


   (This article is an edited, updated and improved version of an original that was published on LinkedIn, Oct. 2014,

   https://www.linkedin.com/pulse/20141012104627-50309658-mentoring-a-keystone-in-the-life-of-a-cook/ ).


   Here's a few Mentor related buzzes;

   https://www.bebee.com/producer/@randall-burns/the-paddle-incident

   https://www.bebee.com/producer/@randall-burns/the-truffle-incident

   https://www.bebee.com/producer/@randall-burns/a-little-cornstarch-between-the-legs-helps-cure-the-wolf

   https://www.bebee.com/producer/@randall-burns/a-stranger-in-a-strange-land


     Happy Cooking Everyone!



Comments

don kerr

6 years ago #17

Randall Burns one of the best pieces I have enjoyed on this platform. Exceedingly well done Chef!

Ali Anani

6 years ago #16

"Mentoring is a lifelong process, particularly in the kitchen, never-ending". Absolutely and zI may add that creativity in the kitchen is endless and has led to many great discoveries. Now the metaphor is extended beautifully to mentoring with great examples. A must read buzz

Randall Burns

6 years ago #15

#15
Absolutely Harvey Lloyd

Randall Burns

6 years ago #14

#14
Cheers! Ken Boddie I appreciate that.

Harvey Lloyd

6 years ago #13

Some funny parallels of life and the crazy kitchen

Ken Boddie

6 years ago #12

Only one thing’s better than taking pride in our work, Randy, and that’s taking pride in mentoring the next generation. I love your work, Randy, but I love your mentoring better. 🤗

Randall Burns

6 years ago #11

#12
Thank You Gert Scholtz Always great to hear from you

Gert Scholtz

6 years ago #10

Randall Burns A super article Randall with an inside look into operations of a restaurant kitchen, I never knew about. I think you summarised it perfectly with: "Mentoring is the "art" of training someone to achieve higher levels of performance, the ability to train them to deal/cope with more responsibility and expectations while teaching a wide range of knowledge."

Randall Burns

6 years ago #9

#7
#8 #9 Thank You Ian Weinberg for visiting and commenting. I always appreciate it. :-)

Randall Burns

6 years ago #8

#6
HaHa! Thanks for that Harvey Lloyd I'm just glad I didn't offend you. :-) I'm very familiar with the industrial shutdowns you are referring to as I'm presently working at a Lodge in the Alberta Oilsands where the major producers here have shutdowns regularly and yes it is BIG money. That is high stress and adrenaline in it's own right.

Lisa Gallagher

6 years ago #7

Very descriptive Randall Burns and thank goodness for great mentors like yourself. The mussels, Mmmm... can you send me some on dry ice please? ;-) I can't imagine how crazy it must get in the kitchen, very high energy job!

Ian Weinberg

6 years ago #6

A real high energy value contribution Randall Burns Jam-packed with gems, too many to mention. But a microcosm of the best of human endeavor. Bravo!

Harvey Lloyd

6 years ago #5

I dont work well with others in those environments is probably better stated. Randall Burns Mine was not kitchens but large industrial shutdowns where you had 72 hours to complete two weeks worth of work. Coordinating, setting up and keeping shifts moving smoothly was my game. I was not well liked but we got lots of work because we met schedule. Which each hour shutdown is worth hundreds of thousands. In my youth i enjoyed myopic focus on schedule, people and equipment but glad that stage of life is over. Doing it every night would be crazy. My hat is off to you and those that make a kitchen work. Thanks for the opportunity to participate at the guinea pig level and the mention and link.

Irene 🐝 Rodriesco

6 years ago #4

High energy? High stress? Adrenaline rush? Yes indeed! It is the same for every station in the kitchen, including the dishwasher, (An integral and very important part of the team); every station must be “on top of their game” and work together with every other station. Absolutly. I always say that the work in a restaurant is the best school of customer service. If you can overcome that stress. It is a team work always, kitchen is nothing more than waiter or that cleaning, waiter is nothing more than cleaning or cooking, the worst thing is to see how they fight and you as cleaning is not appreciated. I have always liked the kitchen, the waitress work too, I like customer service, although I have almost always been dedicated to cleanliness. There is no one else, we work to serve the clientele and the three areas should be as one (I continue reading ...)

Randall Burns

6 years ago #3

#2
Oh and Yes! "Mentee" is a word

Randall Burns

6 years ago #2

Nice! Paul \ Awesome story, yes the kitchen seems to draw the "misfits" but they are the ones that become stars...it is a funny business and not for everyone... Thanks for stopping by Buddy!

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