Gee, I hope there is no problem with the fact that the title of my thread is sort of cryptic, although anyone who has heard that saying before will have an idea of what this is going to be about...
Most of you know that up until all hell broke loose on Wall Street, I was the executive chef over at the Stock Exchange. That was about as prestigious an account as I'd ever had, and all chef positions I'd held before were just leading up to that. There were times, however...and I seriously take issue with those times...but there were times when it was pointed out to me that I was too much like a chef. I never cared for criticism, disliked anyone suggesting a better way to cook something, had nothing but disdain for people who deigned to test my soup, etc.... goddamashit, it's my kitchen, get the hell out unless you want to wash my pots! But, unless you own the joint, you're working for a client (and it sooooo used to be the other way around) and if the client wants dill in every type of chicken dish you suck it up and buy stock in the dill business. And, you spend lots of time telling your director that he has no idea how to make a decent rack of ribs and to stick to cooking the books, instead.
Ahem....I'm the director now. I had to hire a cook for my account 2 weeks ago. I didn't require the skill of a chef, but I wanted someone with as much talent as my budget could afford. I'm trying like hell not to micromanage this guy. I want him to cook how he wants to cook.....but I watch him doing things that I know a better way to do, an easire way to prep, etc.... and it's killing me!!!!! And then...and then...when I do mention something, some way I'd rather have something done I gotta worry that I'm not going to bruise the sugarplum's ego.
I get that you have to manage every employee according to that employee's strengths and weaknesses. Believe me, if I had the time, I'd cook the food for this unit...instead of cooking the books....
I feel like I have to repeat "I will not micromanage, I will not micromanage"
Most of you know that up until all hell broke loose on Wall Street, I was the executive chef over at the Stock Exchange. That was about as prestigious an account as I'd ever had, and all chef positions I'd held before were just leading up to that. There were times, however...and I seriously take issue with those times...but there were times when it was pointed out to me that I was too much like a chef. I never cared for criticism, disliked anyone suggesting a better way to cook something, had nothing but disdain for people who deigned to test my soup, etc.... goddamashit, it's my kitchen, get the hell out unless you want to wash my pots! But, unless you own the joint, you're working for a client (and it sooooo used to be the other way around) and if the client wants dill in every type of chicken dish you suck it up and buy stock in the dill business. And, you spend lots of time telling your director that he has no idea how to make a decent rack of ribs and to stick to cooking the books, instead.
Ahem....I'm the director now. I had to hire a cook for my account 2 weeks ago. I didn't require the skill of a chef, but I wanted someone with as much talent as my budget could afford. I'm trying like hell not to micromanage this guy. I want him to cook how he wants to cook.....but I watch him doing things that I know a better way to do, an easire way to prep, etc.... and it's killing me!!!!! And then...and then...when I do mention something, some way I'd rather have something done I gotta worry that I'm not going to bruise the sugarplum's ego.
I get that you have to manage every employee according to that employee's strengths and weaknesses. Believe me, if I had the time, I'd cook the food for this unit...instead of cooking the books....
I feel like I have to repeat "I will not micromanage, I will not micromanage"