Business Execution Lessons from the Kitchen

Today’s post is by Patrick Stroh, author of Business Strategy; Plan, Execute, Win! This is an archived post that was originally published in 2014.

After 20 plus years of life in corporate America, it was time for a bit of a sabbatical. Or maybe better said, it was time to knock some stuff off my bucket list. You know, that list of things that we’ve always said we’ll do someday, but “someday” gets further and further away and our life gets busier and busier and we just don’t seem to have the time, even though we know they are important endeavors. Well, enough – someday is today! I made a commitment to get a couple things knocked off my bucket list – and that is exactly what I’ve done and I think you’ll find a couple of these stories interesting and maybe applicable to you.

First, I’ve always wanted to write a book on business strategy since that is what I love to do most – conduct due diligence, take an executive leadership team through a thoughtful and worthwhile process, create a strategy including innovation, product/service evolutions, generate financial scenarios and then when we are ready, to execute the plan! The key being, to actually EXECUTE the plan and make adjustments as needed. So I finally sat down and wrote the book, but in a very approachable way which entertains while it educates. Think about learning key business strategy tips from the movies, the bible, from growing up on a farm and other eclectic venues. It’s worth a read – trust me.

A second item on my bucket list was to get some real, technical training as a chef. I had cooked my way through college years ago and have become a self-proclaimed foodie. I would take clients out to eat at high end establishments and many times think, “I could make that.” Or, “I could make that better.”   Well, now I’ve gotten my chance. When I’m not consulting or writing, I’m taking classes at Le Cordon Bleu in Minneapolis/St. Paul on classical French techniques and dishes. What a blast! And while it’s not always as easy as some chefs make it look, I love it! It’s instantly rewarding to see someone swoon over your creation and enjoy how you have transformed some basic ingredients. So, what does being a chef have to do with business strategy and what should you learn from this? Good question, let me make a simple, but oh so important correlation.

In a chef’s world, there is an important French phase that I’ve learned, “Mise En Place.” Mise En Place means to get all your ingredients, cooking tools and supplies ready to go BEFORE you begin to actually cook. Think about those cooking shows you watch, where Mario Batali or some other chef makes an incredible dish in about 20 minutes and they make it look so effortlessly. That is because he had his mise en place in order BEFORE he began to cook. Then, as he needed something, it was an arm’s reach away and ready for his use. If he needed to modify his recipe or adjust his cooking, he likely had some standby ingredients and tools at the ready as well, based on prior experience. He made the dish look effortless because:

FIRST, he PLANNED; then he EXECUTED.

Setting and executing business strategy is very similar. Remember the quote – “Strategy without execution is hallucination.”   So execution takes the hill in battle, but proper planning puts you in the right place at the right time and with the tools you need to execute. Let me suggest this – As you go into your job and work with your team today, this week, this month – think of your business’s MISE EN PLACE. Do you have at the ready, the things that you need to make your business run smoothly and execute your mission and vision? Are you focused on the execution or are you running around gathering up the parts you need to execute? What else should you plan for and prepare so that when the time comes, you’ll be able to grab it and implement? What contingencies should you plan for and what should you have by the ready to be able to make adjustments? What can you do in your business that will make your clients and customers swoon with delight as they “taste” your products and services?

Even the best chefs can “get in the weeds” during a night’s service if they haven’t planned appropriately. Same can be said for business leaders. You can’t just fly by the seat of your pants and make it all work – at least not consistently and where a team will follow you. You need to PLAN, then EXECUTE, and be prepared to make thoughtful adjustments along the way.

Patrick is principal of Mercury Business Advisors, which provides management advisory services in business strategy, innovation, product development and turnaround situations and author of Business Strategy; Plan, Execute, Win! (CLICK HERE to get your copy).

Did you enjoy this post? If so, I highly encourage you to take about 30 seconds to become a regular subscriber to this blog. It’s free, fun, practical, and only a few emails a week (I promise!). SIGN UP HERE to get the thoughtLEADERS blog conveniently delivered right to your inbox!