Say Good-Bye to "Yes Chef"

“Yes chef” has become the most limiting phrase in the modern professional kitchen.

“Yes Chef” is more than an affirmative response to your boss. Over the years It has become a culture, an OG identity, and a badge of honor for those who came up in a system that was both militaristic in its method and hierarchical in its model. “Yes chef” is an outdated archetype that no longer serves the people who it was meant to help: chefs.

While it started out as a way to maintain order and demonstrate respect, the “yes chef” culture has become one where there is only one right answer. Where the chef is in charge and no one else can offer an opinion or insight. Where the leader is bullet-proof and will live or die by his or her decisions. Where anyone who disturbs or questions this will come under fire and is considered cocky, arrogant or just plain stupid. Even when what they offer may be helpful or well-intentioned.

At the heart of this old-school method of order-giving is fear. A fear of relinquishing control and a fear of change. This fear, in turn, promotes isolation, helplessness and inertia. Three of the worst options on a leaders plate. When the chef stays alone at the top of the heap, he or she becomes untouched, unquestioned, and isolated from the people they are there to lead. This isolation prevents collaboration between the chef and the team, which limits the growth of everyone involved. Isolation also prevents the chef from learning or adopting new methods of leadership that will help him or her evolve, while it hinders the team from growing and developing the new skills that will help them improve.

For many chefs - and FOH managers - raised in the “yes chef” culture, they have been made to fear a loss of control in their kitchens. However, this refusal to relinquish control creates helplessness: the team never gets a chance to learn new things, or to try, stumble, and learn from mistakes. It’s the basis of micromanaging and it prevents growth and evolution for the members of the team. Combined, all of these things equal stagnation. For the chef, and the entire team, it can lead to a complete standstill of the business, taking valuable time away from learning, growing, and evolving your skills and identity as a leader.

So how can one move past this if their kitchen - or entire company culture - is mired in this outdated model? I’ve coached a number of hospitality leaders who came up in the “yes chef” culture who simply don’t have a model for doing things another way. The good news is that it comes down to two additions to your leadership toolkit: feedback and delegation. These two pieces are essential to helping your team build new skills which helps you expand your skillset and evolve in your role. When beginning to integrate a culture of feedback into your business, you will learn a lot about your operation, your individual team members, and the impact you are making on them (read my article Secrets to Successful Feedback to learn more). When you add delegation to your leadership strategy, you will empower your team members to make decisions, build accountability, and consider the big picture (use my 5 Point Method for effectively delegating to your team.). All skills that are essential to leadership and professional excellence.

While it might feel scary to go against what you grew up doing, remember that this is the first step toward increased self-awareness, growth and improvement. As you begin to build new leadership habits, keep an eye on what you will be gaining: a more empowered team, time to work on your goals and vision, and space to evolve your professional identity. An identity that you can be proud of for years to come.