Productivity insights can come from many different places and careers. To start the series, our first set of tips will come from the culinary world. Chefs work long hours in hot environments to create amazing edible art. However getting it all out to hungry customers can be a challenge.
Tip 1. Mise En Place
Escoffier writes that this phrase means getting everything in its place and ready to go. Long before a pan hits the stove and begins warming up chefs are getting all the ingredients chopped, proteins sliced nicely, and reviewing the recipe. That way when the pan is warmed up, there’s no leaving to chop more onions, and ending up with burnt chicken.
So how does that apply to productivity?
How often have you started a project only to have to stop and find a tool or open a different database? When we start with all the information and tools available to us there’s no task swapping. Simply focused progress!
Tip 2. Stop cross contamination.
Cross contamination in the kitchen occurs when uncooked proteins of different kinds mix. This can cause food borne illness. Chef’s are very careful to prevent these illnesses and stop any contamination.
Have you ever heard of scope creep? The Project Management Institute talks about scope creep where extra tasks and costs are added into a project from other needs. This can lead a task into being over budget, over time, full of frustration, and feeling never ending. Instead focus on clearly defining the task so you know what targets to hit.
Tip 3. Make recipes.
A dish can be incredibly delicious and elegant, but if the recipe isn’t written down its not repeatable. Effort in dish development is wasted, and returning guests are disappointed.
What important tasks can be written down and turned into a “recipe”? Business automation (like AI) rely on these recipes, and these steps can help if we begin delegating tasks.
