Anyone Can Cook

This weekend I watched the new Disney/Pixar animated movie “Ratatouille” (pronounced rat-a-too-ee), the improbable story of a rat named Remy who ends up in Paris and discovers that he can cook. As you can imagine, the reaction he receives from family and friends is anything but supportive, yet Remy persists in his dream to be a famous chef by cooking vicariously through a bumbling “garbage boy” in the kitchen of a famous gourmet restaurant. He is driven in his work by the simple idea that “Anyone can cook”, advice he received from a cookbook written by the famous chef who founded the restaurant where the rat now works incognito.

The passion and excitement that Remy brings to his craft is in sharp contrast to the sentiments of a bumper sticker that reads “Many people quit looking for work when they find a job”. There are likely thousands of persons who aren’t energized by their work and that should be a concern for every organizational leader. When work is just a job those who perform even the simplest tasks will lack the attention to quality, service, and innovation that makes organizations great.

So how do leaders recapture or reenergize a workforce that lacks passion? It begins with having an engaging vision for the company, a compelling picture of where the organization is headed and how each employee can contribute to achieving this vision. The focus of the vision must be bigger than anything that might be attempted or accomplished alone and should be simple and easy to remember.

Next, leaders should work hard to match employees and their talents with the work that is being done. One reason so many persons are disillusioned with their job is because their talents don’t fit the requirements for their position. When a person can use their strengths in any endeavor the energy they bring to their work and their ability to perform the tasks will be enhanced many times over.

Finally, our workplaces must be transformed into sanctuaries where trust, authenticity, love, forgiveness, and caring receive as much attention as production and profits. How we treat each other matters. The leader who ignores the needs of employees in order to maintain control or achieve short-term material gains will only create more reasons for people to “quit looking for work”. If you want your employees to believe that “anyone can cook” then create a safe place for them to prove themselves and support their efforts with solid training, coaching and effective management.

I can identify with the passion and joy that Remy brings to his work. Early in my career leaders whom I respected and trusted encouraged me to try new things and learn from the inevitable mistakes I would make. They convinced me that “I could do anything” just as Remy believed he could cook. Today I find myself offering this same advice to readers of this blog, to leaders that I coach, and to dozens of managers who attend my training sessions.

Where do you find yourself in this conversation? Is your work just a job or is it a place where you feel joy and satisfaction? What is the passion that is stirring in your heart? Could this be your next career? Remember, “Anyone can cook”.