See No Evil, Hear No Evil, Speak No Evil

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Chef a go go has recently, as Matthew suggested, become “chef a gone gone”

Life has been fast paced here over “low season” in idyllic South Thailand, and I have been busy in the spirit of the ancient saying “in the midst of a storm, a fisherman stays at home mending his nets”

This brings me to the topic of old sayings and their relevance in this modern age. (And specifically in the kitchen, and as an expat – after all, this IS a chef’s forum, and I AM the go go man)

Each morning, and each evening I am fortunate enough to walk to and from a breathtakingly beautiful five star resort over what is referred to as “the monkey trail”. As you may imagine, it is populated by a tribe of cheeky yet nonchalant primates who swing through the trees, garnish stair posts, and harass walkers for food. Three of these cute macaques sat solidly on the railings a few weeks back, and it reminded me of the old saying – See no evil, hear no evil, speak no evil.

It is a valid point – and also a double edged sword as a foreigner trying to implement or maintain standards in the hospitality industry. Positivity, leading by example, speaking and acting inspirationally – these is all admirable traits and reflects the essence of the old Japanese maxim. Looking into it more deeply, focusing on and seeing the good things, choosing to hear and respond to worthwhile and valid issues, and speaking of things to teach, motivate and enhance are ways in which to establish a culture of greatness.

The mirror image of this is the downfall of many. In essence, not wanting to be involved in any issues or activities, and being oblivious to the real issues – and to the poor, shoddy, lazy or inefficient work practices that you may find entrenched. So what am I actually talking about?

Coming into a new environment, it is important not to be gung ho, and ‘do what you have always done” Building rapport and understanding amongst your team is very important, as is knowing how things are done in the local culture. It is important not to fall into niche groups, cliques, and negative attitudes. Basically, keep out of politics, and try to avoid favouritism and dropping your own standards because “it is different here”.

Being a good leader, changing a work culture – showing, implementing and demonstrating best practice at all times is very important. But even more important is to balance this with changing a culture of secrecy and convenience. Many choose to turn a blind eye to evil. Many speak it, and go tribal, blaming others – or ‘the system’ or “this bloody place” for the ‘way things are’.

And hear no evil? Come on! It is all around s, and we MUST hear it. We MUST see it, and we MUST speak – against it. We are not helpless. A proactive approach to attacking negative influences, poor work culture, corruption, laziness and lack of guest focus is essential, so I am sharing a learning curve here. Try to be the good guy (or girl). Set things up right. Motivate, develop, and gain the respect and trust of your team.

But also consider the other stakeholders. The guests, the owners, the suppliers – and the INDUSTRY. We are actually not in JOBS. We are in an industry. By staying tucked away in a kitchen and acting alone, succumbing to ‘the way things are’ we are being reactive and losing skills and relevance. We are a negative influence on our trade, and we become leeches.

By thinking of ourselves as ambassadors of a trade – and a property, we lift the standards of our own kitchen and food product – we inspire and lead and develop our staff. We impact positively on our trade – and most of all we increase our own value and our own self respect and skill set. Breaking the culture of silence is hard.

Moving from lethargy and ‘don’t care’ to best practice is even harder. But we are better than monkeys. We have the power to reason, and to grow and change. Three wise chefs can lead a team of sixty silly lazy cooks to heights, opportunities and salaries previously unimagined.

So – don’t be evil, don’t speak it and don’t promote it.

But you MUST see it, hear it and speak up against it if you want to make an impact and get the best out of your overseas posting.

Comments and experiences from you will be eagerly read. We have all been there and done that. What’s YOUR story?

Regards

Chef Shane – The Culinary Globe Trotter

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