Great post, KK! The mentors who do the most for us very often are not the ones we "like" or think of as our friends. As a chef I try to develop and mentor my staff as best I can but my main priority is to insure that the restaurant makes money. That's my bottom line. If I coddle the cooks and let them do whatever they might be happy but when the place goes down the drain they'll be out on the bricks looking for work. I really try to set a good example by letting them know that I work harder than they do. It's a balancing act to be sure. Typically the best use of my time is not cleaning the grease trap. But at the same time I did spend a couple hours pounding it out in the dishroom Sunday night. I think it's important to let people know that no one is "too good" for any job, and that includes me.
Next to demonstrating work ethic I think it's important to be fair to the guys and gals you lead. It's expected that you'll like some of them more than others on a personal level but the staff has to know that you will treat everyone the same.
Not everyone will always like you but if you treat people with respect and dignity and keep your word when you give it, it will go a long way towards keeping the team all working with you instead of against you.
