Lessons I Learned from Chef Gordon Ramsay

I Learned Some Great Business Lessons from Chef Gordon Ramsay

I love reality TV cooking shows. In particular, I enjoy and appreciate two shows featuring Chef Gordon Ramsay: Hell’s Kitchen and Kitchen Nightmares.

Why? Because while I’m learning new things about cooking, I also learn about achieving outstanding performance in business and in life. (Yes, I really enjoy cooking, but I’ll save that for another blog post…)

Here are some of the things I’ve observed, and what I learned about achieving outstanding performance.

People

• Chef Ramsay demands teamwork. I learned… achieving outstanding performance requires group cooperation, in addition to outstanding individual performances.
• Chef Ramsay is not trying to be popular. I learned… to do the right thing for the circumstances at hand, regardless of what people will think of me.
• Chef Ramsay calls it like he sees it. I learned… Being honest with people raises their level of performance by helping them understand what is expected of them and how they can improve.
• Chef Ramsay shows his passion and demands passion from the people he is leading. I learned… to show that same kind of passion and demand it from people on my team. We can’t just “show up” for work and expect success to happen. There needs to be a burning desire to achieve outstanding performance.
• Chef Ramsay finds the key problems is a result of key people performing poorly. I learned… a business is only as good as its people. It’s never just a problem with the product or service. There are always people issues that need to be addressed to truly fix the business for long-term success.
• Chef Ramsay rewards teams that win challenges, but often that team relaxes, lets their guard down, and messes up after a big win. I learned… rewards are good to keep people motivated, and you need to keep the creative tension high afterward.

Process

• Chef Ramsay has fun along the way. I learned… that in the midst of hard work, sweat, and focus, there can be team building and individual activities that are fun and create a better functioning organization.
• Chef Ramsay cares about the people he is working with.  I learned… that if I care about the people who work for me, I will push them to get their best to come out. I will also let them know when they need more training, when their time is up and they need to find a more suitable place to work, and especially when they have done a good job.
• Chef Ramsay makes decisions quickly, based on the information at hand. I learned… to act without perfect information, to do what I can NOW, and to make adjustments when I have new information.
• Chef Ramsay identifies problems and fixes them. I learned… that ignoring problems creates a cancer that spreads throughout a business. Fixing one critical area of a business will have a positive impact on the entire organization.
• Chef Ramsay knows everything about the restaurant business. I learned… it’s not just about producing and delivering the core product or service, it’s also about being organized, people skills, customer service, inventory control, and the million other details that it takes to run a successful, world class restaurant (business).

Product

• Chef Ramsay always uses fresh, top-quality ingredients. I learned… that to produce the best possible product or service, you cannot skimp. The customer can tell the difference.
• Chef Ramsay keeps dishes very simple and straight-forward. I learned… to deliver clients what they want and expect, and to not use gimmicks and tricks to win them over.
• Chef Ramsay knows how to use every piece of a key ingredient (i.e. a side of beef) and lets nothing go to waste. I learned… that cost control and optimization of resources need to happen from raw materials on.
• Chef Ramsay demands that everyone constantly and consistently tastes what they are cooking. I learned… that quality control is everyone’s responsibility and is a continual part of the production and delivery process.
• Chef Ramsay demands that the chefs he works with have a signature dish- one that they are known for and that people come specifically to eat. I learned... that every company should have signature products and services that are the foundation of their reputation and that they can build a business around.
• Chef Ramsay always controls “the pass” or puts the key person responsible for success or failure of the kitchen at “the pass.” (The pass is the area where the dishes are assembled and a final quality control go/no go decision is made to serve the food.) I learned… that regardless of how much you trust the people that work for you, you need to keep your hands, ears, eyes, and nose on the pulse of the business and constantly make sure that everything is running correctly.

I had already learned most of these lessons at school or in business, but watching the shows has reinforced ideas and reminds me that these lessons are for every business, large or small.

So, what do you learn about achieving outstanding performance when watching TV or going about your day-to-day activities?