Lights Out

It's a blistering hot July evening on Block Island. I'm working at my externship site in the kitchen – and the power goes out in the middle of service. Low boys and refrigerators were down, all the lights are out as the sun is setting so it's getting dark quickly, and most importantly the hoods were off which meant the kitchen quickly jumped up to about 140 – 150 degrees. This is the moment when a leader really shows their decision making. Our executive chef instantly starting gathering buckets of ice water and rags to have us apply to the back of our necks to keep us from passing out in the kitchen. He also grabbed flashlights and delegated for the dishwashers and bartender to keep the light on us so we could finish plating and also reminded us to drink water so we were hydrated. The situation instantly had become hectic and serious but our chef stayed calm while aiding to his staff and still getting dishes out of the kitchen. Whenever there was a slight lull in tickets he forced us to run outside and drink water. His problem solving was intuitive and rational in keeping his employees safe. In this line of business a supervisor always needs to be ready for the unexpected and has to be able to make decisions as soon as any problem arises.