Coaching without Track Suits

My first reaction when I hear coaching is some person in a tracksuit, on a golf cart with a whistle around their neck. This whistle’s job is to encourage or demand excellent performance with little or no effort coming from the coach. If you cannot already tell, I am not a fan of coaching or whistles.

Kitchen or on-the-job coaching seems to be more hands on; this makes it more likely to produce good performance. The book says that coaching is a “two-part process” in which the employer observes tasks the employee performs and either corrects or commends the quality of the finished product. This kind of coaching, I am a huge fan of. I think it is so important to get feedback from a chef or supervisor. It is our only way of knowing if we meet their standards.

I had a Demi-Chef at the Inn on Biltmore Estate; I enjoyed her style of coaching. She would give me a task, I would accomplish it and she would give me feedback. If it did not meet the “Vanderbilt/Biltmore Standard” it would not be served. Her coaching style was not to hold my hand but to give me opportunities to learn from small mistakes. I began to think ahead and carefully plan my methods of achieving daily tasks. This resulted in fewer mistakes and better products.

Her coaching style suited me perfectly, others did not respond with the same fervor. My roommate, a fellow baking extern (from a different school), had trouble adjusting to the Inn’s kitchen and bakeshop. She needed more coaching with encouragement to be comfortable and successful in the bakeshop. My Demi-Chef did not have the time and patience to coach or handhold with her externs. This is a good reminder that each employee is different. They may demand more time and effort compared to other staff members. As a supervisor or manager we must take into account that everyone has a different learning style, just like we have our own different leadership styles.

Proper coaching can lead to a healthy work environment. It also leads satisfied and successful employees. It also promotes better product and happy customers (our main goal I the hospitality industry). So maybe coaches aren’t so bad when they are properly correcting and motivating their employees. I’m fine, as long as they are in whites and don’t have a whistle. :)