Finding Our Way

These two near misses in our staffing plan can be scrutinized another day. Today we’ll review my performance as Mastermind. This month we have owned the business for a year. I bet we have reinvented the business fifteen times in the last twelve months. No kidding. Most of what we do, and will continue to do, we imagined when we bought the business. In hindsight I see that we imagined it like one imagines what the ground looks like while flying over it at 30,000 feet. The seemingly perfect view doesn’t give you a real sense of what it’s going to be like climbing over all those boulders once you’re actually on the ground.

I am reminded of that zany moment in 1981 after Ronald Reagan was shot. While Reagan lay in his hospital bed, Secretary of State Alexander Haig barged into a national news conference and declared to a stunned nation, "I'm in charge here!" Only, as every schoolchild knows, the Vice President (then George Bush the elder) was next in the chain of command. Haig was fourth in the line of succession and loaded on lithium at the time. Poor old Al was a bundle of insecurities and low self-esteem. He once complained to an associate, "I'm being undermined by weenies and second-rate hambones."

Recently, with me boldly and arduously leading the way, Janet tugged on my shirt and asked me, “Why are we climbing these boulders? Why don’t we just walk on that path over there?” I tried to explain to her that, “Mine is the Way of the Warrior! Paths are for weenies and hambones!” Shortly thereafter I collapsed in exhaustion and Janet drug me over the rocks and onto her path.

I think this will be much easier. Talent and experience are the tools Janet uses to make her way. When she is left free to simply do her work, people say ‘Yes!’ She is a chef and restaurateur. That’s who she is, that’s what she does. My main job now is to try and keep her from working herself to death. My jobs now, in order of priority are to 1) Keep the decks clear so that Janet can do her work, 2) act as your personal raconteur when you visit the restaurant and 3) pour wine. If I do well with the first job, things should get a lot easier around here. Wish me luck. Janet needs all the help she can get.