“Yes, Chef” isn’t going to work in your organization.
At least, not the way you’re hoping.
I hear some version of this more than you’d think:
“I just want someone to ‘Yes, Chef’ me occasionally.”
And I totally get it.
The overexplaining.
The pushing to move things forward.
The wish that you could say what needs to happen and it would just happen.
But “Yes, Chef” isn’t about obedience.
(Not that I’m an expert on kitchen brigades.)
It works because the kitchen did the clarifying work long before dinner service started.
Everyone knows their station.
Everyone knows the standard.
Everyone knows the next step.
Most of our organizations don’t run that way.
So if you’re tired of overexplaining, it might be worth asking:
Does my team know what we’re actually trying to do?
Do they know who owns what?
Do they know what “done” looks like?
That’s where “Yes, Chef” starts.
Happy Halloween from Chef Archie!
