Tag Archives: managing

August 2, 2013 · 8:45 am

Management And Mussels

Foodie Friday!  We were out to dinner last weekend and two of us split a plate of mussels as an appetizer.

Mussels at Trouville fish market

(Photo credit: Wikipedia)

They were delicious but they also got me thinking.  As you’re probably aware, mussels are part of the clam family.  There are lots of different varieties and you can prepare them in any of several ways.  You can grill them, fry them, smoke them or boil them.  Most of the time, they’re steamed in wine and/or water with different herbs and garlic.

Unlike other types of shellfish, I’m not aware of many places serving mussels on the half shell uncooked.  I’m not sure why that is although I’d speculate that it’s because their shell seems more fragile to me – sort of like steamer clams which aren’t really suitable to be served on the half shell.  It would be hard to get them open without breaking the shells and disturbing the meat inside.  You can tell if they’re alive before you cook them (and the MUST be) because they’ll shut down a bit when you disturb them.

Isn’t it interesting how working productively to supervise other folks can be just like cooking mussels?  The method of doing so usually involves the application of slow, gentle heat to coax the best out of them.  You can’t just apply that heat, to people, however intensely, and expect them to turn out great results.  Screaming at staff doesn’t work, nor do threats.  Explanations of goals and desired outcomes as a conversation (not a lecture) work wonders.  You’re in charge – you need to add the things that will enhance what your folks are bringing to the table – herbs and spices to the mussels; clear direction, and timing for your staff.

The expressions “clam up” applies both to shellfish and people.  Make them feel unsafe and they shut down, drawing shells tight around them.  It’s critical to notice if people DON’T react to events going on around them.  Those may be the ones that have lost their spark completely and, like dead shellfish, need to be dealt with before they spoil the dish (they can make you sick too!).

Managing as if you’re cooking mussels isn’t a bad thought in my book.  Yours?

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July 26, 2013 · 8:46 am

You’re Making Me Hot

Foodie Friday, and while I apologize for the link bait title, the topic this week is heat.  More specifically, high heat and why it terrifies some people.  If you’re going to be a serious cook at all, you must learn to harness the power of high heat.  My cooktop puts out more BTU‘s than does my furnace, and I had to relearn to cook on it.  Having done so, I can tell you that using the blazing hot setting is a revelation.  Turns out it has business implications too!

Ever had something fried that’s just greasy and awful?  Of course you have.  That probably happened because the cook  dunked it in oil that was not hot enough and the food just soaked up  the oil instead of getting a crust.  You need high heat – well, the PROPER high heat – when you’re frying (if it’s too hot for the oil you’re using, you get a fireball right out of Apocalypse Now but that’s another story).

It’s that way in business too.  Some projects need to be nurtured along, using the medium heat setting, just as most foods do better when you use medium to medium-high heat.  In the kitchen and in the office,  the lower the heat, the more control you have over the process. Lower heat tends to cook food more evenly – all parts of the item are even in temperature at consistent, even rates.

That’s how most projects get done too. But I love using high heat at times in business and while cooking.  The reality is that there are only a few specific  tasks or foods that ever require hellish levels of intense  heat. They end to be the real high-end stuff:  pan-seared steaks like T-bone and New York strip or brilliant, temperamental clients.  You want to flash-fry certain sides like zucchini or stir fries.  You need to blast through great ideas and test them via intense high heat to see if they can stand up.  One caution:  you have to worry about burning down the house or the office if you don’t pay attention and leave a high intensity effort unattended.

Be judicious about using it.  You wouldn’t fry an egg  this way.  Cooked over high heat the egg becomes  crunchy at the edge while too runny in the center, and a chicken breast (putting aside those that are pounded or butterflied and can be cooked in 2 minutes) tossed into a scorching hot pan seizes up and has a stringy texture.  Some clients or consumers or partners react badly to intense heat as well and it’s something you need to asses before you ruin the relationship just as you might scorch a sugary marinade in a too-hot pan.  Speaking of pans, you must have the right tools – pans that can hold up and a team that can hold up too, but once you know how to use it, it’s intoxicating.

Me?  I prefer it hot.  I like that I have to pay a lot of attention.  I can stand the heat.  Can you?

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July 10, 2013 · 10:09 am

Think Like A Reporter

One unit I used to teach way back when was on journalism.  Even though it was a long time ago and everyone’s access to information has changed significantly, the basic principles haven’t.  The reason I mention this is that it’s also a critical factor in being a good executive and managing your business.  So first some general points and then an example.

Old News - canon rebel t2i

(Photo credit: @Doug88888)

I used to tell the students to doubt everything.  If they hear a “fact” it was their job to find another source to confirm it.  If it came out of research, look into who did the research and why for signs of inherent bias.  It they heard or read it from an individual, ask questions – how do you know this, where did you learn it, do you have proof it’s true.  I’d remind them of something that I think is even more true now:  reporters are supposed to be “fair.”    There is supposed to be some objectivity in what they do and critical thinking – separating fact from fiction – is key.

We used to spend time on news vs. opinion and discuss how news informs while opinion persuades.  News presents all the facts; opinion presents only those that support the position taken.  One is objective; the other subjective.  As an aside, this is probably the biggest difference with almost all “news” today.

Example:  the plane crash in SF last weekend.  Within minutes, social media was filled with photos, witness reports, and statements by people allegedly on the flight.  I assume that the folks at the news networks follow Twitter and other sources yet nothing was said by any of them for 15-20 minutes.  Is that a failure?  Not in my eyes.  Clearly SOMETHING was going on but what?  Was it a crash or a training exercise or a movie shoot?  Saying “there’s a lot of activity on social media about something going on at SFO” is factually correct but says nothing.  So they waited to verify the information and then acted.

All of the above is critical when you’re in business.  I’m sure you see dozens of “facts” every day, whether they’re memoranda, data, presentations, or just conversations.  Acting on any of that information without thinking like a reporter can be fatal.  We need to make informed decisions and having the wrong information will make those decisions suffer.  You agree?

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