Tanya Simon
Nonprofit Management & Organization
September 21, 2012
Log #1
As I read through the article on Mario Batali's kitchens, I found myself really appreciating his style of leadership. What came through in my reading was that the values of the leader, in this case Batali, truly shine through in a system. Thinking as a potential leader, I can only hope to work within a system that holds positive values, as Batali's kitchens appear to. What is clear to me is that values and morality can be seen both internally and externally, and it is in choosing those sets of values, and remaining steadfast in those beliefs, that we ultimately form the environment of our agencies.
I did find myself laughing as I reflected back on the seven years in which I worked in restaurants, while also working in the non-profit sector. I often joked to the restaurant staff that my life was a parallel, and that while in one place we called folks customers and another clients, really serving someone else has its ups and it's downs and provokes all sorts of emotions and reactions from the staff. I also often joked that walking in the kitchen, where plates were thrown and curses yelled, was not nearly as intimidating as walking into the Main office" of my day job, where the attacks could feel just as violent.
What I learned over time, and through experiencing different chefs and also in becoming part of that "main office" myself, is that the tone is set at the top. I once worked briefly for a chef like Batali, who enforced a no shouting rule, and it really did change the whole kitchen - employees were not on edge, and things seemed to run more smoothly. More notable to me was that during this tie, employees often came early and stayed late, and I viewed that as comfort forming to loyalty, which is ideal and necessary in a well functioning system. I too, ran my small staff in a very quiet manner, trying to preach and practice respect toward our clients as well as one another - and for me the resolve of tensions once there was palpable in that environment.
From reading the Children's Aid Society book, as well as the Batali article, it's clear to me that organization and power within an agency play extremely crucial roles to forming the best environment and outcomes possible. In continuing in this class, I hope to continue to develop my learning of not only how to conceptualize this respectful atmosphere, but also how to aid in implementing such conceptions, especially in already formed organizations where resistance may be developed.
Nonprofit Management & Organization
September 21, 2012
Log #1
As I read through the article on Mario Batali's kitchens, I found myself really appreciating his style of leadership. What came through in my reading was that the values of the leader, in this case Batali, truly shine through in a system. Thinking as a potential leader, I can only hope to work within a system that holds positive values, as Batali's kitchens appear to. What is clear to me is that values and morality can be seen both internally and externally, and it is in choosing those sets of values, and remaining steadfast in those beliefs, that we ultimately form the environment of our agencies.
I did find myself laughing as I reflected back on the seven years in which I worked in restaurants, while also working in the non-profit sector. I often joked to the restaurant staff that my life was a parallel, and that while in one place we called folks customers and another clients, really serving someone else has its ups and it's downs and provokes all sorts of emotions and reactions from the staff. I also often joked that walking in the kitchen, where plates were thrown and curses yelled, was not nearly as intimidating as walking into the Main office" of my day job, where the attacks could feel just as violent.
What I learned over time, and through experiencing different chefs and also in becoming part of that "main office" myself, is that the tone is set at the top. I once worked briefly for a chef like Batali, who enforced a no shouting rule, and it really did change the whole kitchen - employees were not on edge, and things seemed to run more smoothly. More notable to me was that during this tie, employees often came early and stayed late, and I viewed that as comfort forming to loyalty, which is ideal and necessary in a well functioning system. I too, ran my small staff in a very quiet manner, trying to preach and practice respect toward our clients as well as one another - and for me the resolve of tensions once there was palpable in that environment.
From reading the Children's Aid Society book, as well as the Batali article, it's clear to me that organization and power within an agency play extremely crucial roles to forming the best environment and outcomes possible. In continuing in this class, I hope to continue to develop my learning of not only how to conceptualize this respectful atmosphere, but also how to aid in implementing such conceptions, especially in already formed organizations where resistance may be developed.
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