Vacation is a word that is usually met with excitement and joy. Not so much when you have responsibility for a kitchen! Vacation from the kitchen means potentially missed deadlines, extra work, and extra preparation that exceeds many jobs.
I recently went on a vacation to California — my first in 5 years — and it meant all of those things.
Vacations and time away are essential to healthy living.
The trip was spur-of-the-moment but that didn’t change the amount of work to be done. I had to do a week’s worth of work in two days to make sure my team was set up for success. It was a hectic two days of soup making, prepping, and insuring all bases were covered. It was exhausting and of course things were missed. It seemed like a lot of work for a 3-day vacation.
Would I do it again? Of course!
Vacations and time away are essential to healthy living. I’ve learned the hard way that burning out and stressing about work only leads to more mistakes, fights over nothing, and a general disgust for the job. To get away is the best thing a person can do for themselves and their employers. You can’t lead if you can’t get out of bed.
I learned that my team is amazing and although I was missed they carried on and did an awesome job!
Although the work and preparation before a vacation are exhausting and seemingly unending, the benefits are immeasurable. I came back with a renewed work ethic, a new sense of purpose not to mention a slight tan — kitchen people often don’t do well in the sun!
I also learned that my team is amazing and although I was missed they carried on and did an awesome job! As a manager, it’s a great feeling as well as a good measure of your effectiveness to know that your team can handle themselves and have the confidence to do it on their own.
