Emerging Chef is leading as a mentor

ISLAMORADA, Fla. - Sept. 7, 2023 - PRLog -- Chef Alan Wilkinson is initiating a professional status congenital culture and an influential presence at Pierre's in the Florida Key. The Florida Keys are known for many things, but rarely are known for a well-done, Top-Chef flight of steaks. His idea was to do something unseen on the islands for a long time.

"Tell me and I forget, teach me and I may remember, involve me and I learn." ~ Benjamin Franklin

True culinary education does not endure merely from acquiring an assembled set of stored facts, recipes, and cookery techniques, but it has to include in the reasoning of each step.

"Leader"' is defined as any person who leads a group of others. In terms of excellence, one who goes first, and is the one who becomes the leader in a certain discipline.

"Mentor" is defined as a knowledgeable person who is open to sharing his or her life experiences to advance the professional growth of another person.

• Realize that You can mentor anyone all day!

Every time you talk with a staff member is an opportunity to mentor.

• Always model consistent and outstanding behaviors.

From a crisp uniform to speaking with the best judgment, and manners when you undertake business tasks inside your restaurant. Your crew is looking to you for emotional cues on how they too should react in your kitchen. Demonstrate what highly developed professionalism is with quips of wisdom, day-long patience, and bountiful amounts of grace.

• Be emotionally wise.

Success for you and your mentee is better when you are honest and discreet. Share your stories of struggles and successes.

Invite them to participate in the business decision-making process, because when their ideas have been used to solve an issue, they are going to be 100% on board making those solutions work. It's a way of sharing the responsibility and managing an operation with a committed staff who will undoubtedly commit to their part mimicking what you have displayed.

• Talk less, listen.

Asking open-ended questions allows someone else to contribute their ideas to you. Be the decision maker but invite others as stakeholders to the conversation, this builds camaraderie.

Inevitably, all Culinarians remember the stories of the chefs who led them, but they'll more often only tell the tale of that one true mentoring chef.

Mentors always share with others…

Which story do you want your Culinarians to tell about you after they have moved on?

Chef always says, "Repetition builds, flawless skill and speed."