January/February 2022 - 9

breakfast cook on new plays and personal
growth and skill development? Examples
are registering them for a garnishing
workshop, training them in leadership
skills, or even purchasing new aprons that
give them a sense of being appreciated on
the job. Work with HR to understand the
time and financial commitments of your
drafting process, and make it your goal to
reduce spending in this area by keeping
turnover low. Keeping the current starting
lineup happy makes financial sense.
The Locker Room
Your department might have a literal or
figurative locker room. The key is that
players have a space to prepare, mentally
and physically, for their practice or game.
This is a space where you have team
huddles and post information/plays that
are relevant to their day. Employees also
need to refresh during a time-out or
intermission. Even if it isn't on game day,
recapping losses (bad days when things
didn't go as planned) and celebrating wins
is important in the locker room. Do you
have a space in your department where
the team can accomplish these tasks? If
not, thinking outside the box might be
necessary. For example, having a wall
with motivational quotes, a whiteboard to
write the play of the day or to recognize
the MVP is simple and inexpensive to
create. Other ideas might be painting a
picnic table for outdoor breaks, adopting
a table in the dining room when residents
are not dining, or reserving a facility
RESOURCES
* Grant, Adam. adamgrant.net Adam Grant - Books, Podcast, TED Talks, Newsletter, Articles
* Partnership for Prevention. Leading by Example: CEOs on the business case for worksite health promotion. Washington, DC: 2005
* Stewart WF, Ricci JA, Chee E, Morganstein D. Lost productive work time costs from health conditions in the United States: results from the
American productivity audit. J Occup Environ Med. 2003;45(12):1234-1246
NUTRITION & FOODSERVICE EDGE | January-February 2022 9
conference room for team huddles or
white-board talks (training). The " locker
room " can bring the team together as a
family for meaningful activities. Adam
Grant, an organizational psychologist
and professor at Wharton says, " I saw
that happen in multiple organizations
where people said, 'You know what's
really meaningful to me about my job is
helping other people to learn. But I don't
get to do that very often, and if I could
gather a group of people who all wanted
to learn together, I would feel like I'm
contributing something to their lives,' "
says Grant.
The Merchandise (aka " The
Merch " )
Creating, posting, and wearing team
logos creates a fun, loyal atmosphere.
Perhaps you can have a logo or theme
design contest and order t-shirts with the
winning design, or have an annual motto
that all training and change efforts build
around. When players wear the same logo
(uniform) as their teammates, they feel
like they are part of the overall success of
the team.
The Competition
Successful teams focus on their
competitive spirit and drive to win!
Creating competitions to track
temperatures, dummy trays, or trim
service times can motivate players and
improve outcomes. Players should work
hard to win, but also celebrate the
success of other positions. This positive,
competitive atmosphere comes from
leadership and should build up, rather
than push down, each individual.
The Trophy
Ask yourself what winning means to
your team. A few trophies in food service
include:
* Perfect sanitation reviews/scores
* A tag-free inspection
* Excellent customer satisfaction surveys
* Low turnover rates
* Full-time equivalents (FTEs) on goal
* Spending on budget or P&Ls to be
proud of
* Perfect meeting and training
attendance
* Increased sales
* Improved employee satisfaction
measures
Whatever " win big " means to your
team, it is the role of the CDM, CFPP
to draft, train, and coach that winning
team. Use your support staff, skills of the
players, and a smart playbook to get you
there. Each small effort you make will
lead to a more successful team, which
in turn can trickle into your facility
and even community. In the words of
Vince Lombardi, former NFL player and
legendary coach, " Individual commitment
to a group effort: That is what makes a
team work, a company work, a society
work, a civilization work. " E

http://www.adamgrant.net

Nutrition & Foodservice Edge Magazine - January/February 2022

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