Strive to include soft skills
I agree wholeheartedly with the message put forth in this unit that soft skills are the difference between mere competency and the ability to advance. Therefore, it becomes more and more important to couple a practical competency with a soft skill competency. I will try to do this, for example, by paring a cooking exercise with a purchase requisition or a recipe with a cost analysis.
Real world is a must to keep them from getting blown to bits in thier 1st real kitchen.
Soft skills are also important in the automotive field. Being able to communicate properly and being a team player can make the difference between employment and non-employment even though you might be the most knowlegeable technician or service manager.
Hi Alexander - Welcome to ED 103! I wish more instructors had your attitude because we really can learn so much from our students. Best wishes for continued success in your teaching career! Susan
I think the trick is to quit thinking of yourself as an "old dog". You never stop learning, especially in this business. There are times that I feel like I learn as much from the students as they do from me. I have heard it said that the best way to learn how to do something is to teach it someone else. How true that has become!
Hi Bryant - Thanks for your post - it brings up a good question - Is it possible to be a Leader without possessing a mastery of soft skills? I think not. An effective leader must be able to communicate, be empathetic, be supportive etc. Otherwise they are really just a manager. A leader inspires people to follow him/her and they can only do this by utilizing soft skills. Of course they will not even be in the position unless they possess the technical/business skills required. Susan
Soft skills are very important, but I must be honest, these skills were actually learned when I became an instructor. In the culinary field, these skills are not always on display by chefs and other leaders; therefore, when these chefs leave the field and begin to teach, there is a huge learning curve in teaching them those soft skills for the classroom. Any ideas on how to teach an old dog new tricks.
Absolutely, soft skills are crucial. Although some students don't like being held to strict standards of conduct, others virtually insist on it. I've found that the more mature the student, the more he or she realizes that there's a lot more to getting and keeping a job than being good at something or knowing certain facts. The human element, and professionalism in particular, are hard to overemphasize.
Yes, those programs are our double edged sword in the world of culinary education. They are great as far as generating leads for prospective new students. However, they don't always paint a realistic picture of what being a cook/chef means, so students arrive with clouded ideas of what to expect. I always try to make the kitchen classroom as "real world" as possible, and it usually ends up shocking students!
Hi Kathleen - Have you noticed that the "Top Chef" type TV shows are including challenges that involve working in teams?
Even beyond Purchasing or Cost Control issues (which are probably covered by other courses in your curriculum) I think that emphasizing professionalism and teamwork are of utmost importance in the culinary classroom. Teamwork is essential in the kitchen and too often students try to go it alone. With more and more restaurants having "open" kitchens, professionalism is a must. Gone are the days of the foul-mouthed ogre in the kitchen!
Hi Jack - I really like your ideas about adding some business/interpersonal skills to your culinary classes - what an advantage your students will have in the job market! ( Make sure they remember to emphasize that in their resumes! ;-)
