Harvest America CUES BLOG

We all remember them from high school days – those cliques of conformity based on a desire to “fit in” – right? The cool people with whom you would do or say anything just to be accepted. Be mean, hurtful, condescending, inappropriate, harsh, insubordinate, tasteless, or gross just to be a member of something even when you knew it was wrong. It’s called groupism:

“the tendency to conform to the cultural pattern of a group at the expense of individualism.” – Webster’s Dictionary

Of course, you remember. You were either part of this or feeling left out because you weren’t. In fact, you were probably on the receiving end of this group behavior, sometimes referred to as bullying.

Well, we’re not in high school anymore. Actually, for all intents and purposes we might even be called “adults”. At this point, groupism should be something in the past, something none of us are proud of, something we grew to reflect on, shake our heads, and wish we could “refire” and start fresh. Or maybe not.

Kitchens thrive or crash on the ability to come together with common purpose. When individuals support each other, complement each other’s weaknesses, and rally behind their strengths while maintaining and individual voice. It’s like the Three Musketeers: “All for One and One for All.” When this is not in place then kitchens can be caldrons of tasteless humor, condescending remarks, harsh language, inappropriate inuendo, and even hateful speech – groupism just like that clique in high school; group behavior out of the need to “fit in” even when people know the behavior is wrong.

Anyone who has been hired as a new employee knows the feeling of being on the outside of groupism. Some studies have shown that the highest attrition in many kitchens happens within the first two weeks of employment. Can you tough it out? We even boast an informal initiation period where new employees are given conflicting directions, inaccurate details on the work to be done, or even sent on wild goose-chases just to embarrass them and see if they can take it. “Go down to maintenance and get a bucket of steam.” Or “See if you can find the cooler expander, we have a larger order coming in.” Right out of middle or high school groupism. We know it’s foolish and wrong, but what the hell – the group gets a laugh.

What kitchens should seek is a coming together with that common purpose without sacrificing what one believes as an individual. With a sense of team – the dynamics of support, understanding, sharing, and unity. What teams seek to find is leadership in this regard and not the subservient desire to be led. group’s function contrary to common purpose except to add oxygen to their group-serving purpose of discord and animal gratification. On the other hand, teams are the lifeblood of accomplishment. Their unified work, and deep understanding that support individual and team “stakes in the ground” is the fuel in their engines – what pulls them together and drives them forward.

There are plenty of examples of real teams in sports, business, music, the military, law enforcement, medicine, and those kitchens where success is a given. Success happens because of the sense of team and the leadership that sets the stage for this to occur.

The restaurant industry has plenty of scars and too many examples of groupism behavior, but my sense is that this is still the exception and not the rule. Unfortunately, the exception is what permeates our culture of sensationalism and bad behavior highlighted in social media groupism. It is up to those of us who believe in the ideal of “team” and an environment of support, learning, and professionalism to tell and live the good story.

The restaurant business is part of a wonderful industry of hospitality filled with great people doing extraordinary work as a team. Let’s work together to heal the wounds and do the collaborative, creative, and honest work of the cook and server.

*PICTURE: The well led kitchen team of the Balsams Resort in its heyday.

PLAN BETTER – TRAIN HARDER – TEAMS RULE

Harvest America Ventures, LLC

Restaurant Consulting

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