Recipes for Success in 2012

Those who know me know I like to create, and cooking is a fantastic hobby I’ve picked up. There’s always something new to learn. It’s art. It’s expression. And best of all, you can eat it.

But like all things, if you do it, do it right. Cook like you mean it. Go big or go home. And recently I’ve learned that the culinary arts, or at least the kitchen responsibilities involved therein, have a lot in common with the engineering industry. It was this wonderful article on a chef’s blog that really punched it home to me: sous chefs are engineers, but not all engineers are sous chefs.

Being a sous chef has little to do with the title and all to do with what you make of it…

Cook your ass off. Organize your station better than I would. Stop whining. Turn problems into solutions. Take challenges and ride them one handed. The bull threw you? Get up and get back on. Ask for help when you need it. Rally support that’s available to you. Work cleaner every day. Create systems and implement them. Learn stations you’ve never known.

Get out of your comfort zone.

Manager or not, if an engineering office was a kitchen, everyone should strive to be a sous chef.

Think about it as you set your goals for the new year. Be the sous chef. Leave egos at home, get your hands dirty, and get cooking.

Happy Holidays everyone!

Block quote comes from the following article. Make sure you give it a read: Shuna Fish Lydon, Eggbeater Blog

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