Boomeranging

My first week of Management, I found myself feeling a bit uninspired by most of our discussions in class. As someone who was affectionately referred to as ‘kid’ on extern, I find it hard to believe that I will some day manage a kitchen. I find it even harder to believe that that day may come sooner than I realize. The first topic discussed in class that sparked an intense interest in me was the ideal of a boomerang manager. I found this so curious not because I firmly believe in avoiding this behavior, but because I disagree to a certain extent. I completely understand the importance in embracing the role of a manager and realize how tricky it can be to make that transition. However, I think it is equally important to occasionally revisit the role which one once played.

I was fortunate enough to work with someone on my externship that inspired me on a daily basis. I immediately felt from my sous that there was no reason why I couldn’t do any one thing that I was asked to. He had complete faith in me, and over my eighteen weeks, demanded that I also have faith in myself. My boss was is an excellent role model in all respects, but the most impressive thing he ever did was pick up a broom.

The first time my sous swept the floor of the basement prep kitchen, I swear my stomach dropped into my butt. That was definitely something he should have asked me to do, or rather that was something I should have known to do without asking. Wearing the guilt on my face, my boss responded, “That’s one thing I haven’t learned yet kid; I’m still such a mess.” He would sweep up after himself a few more times, snatch prep work from me simply because he wanted to, and say or do other small things that made him wonderfully relatable. In this case I found that occasionally boomeranging gained my sous immense levels of respect and even adoration. Because he otherwise strongly maintained his role as a supervisor, his visits to the world of an extern were never taken for granted and certainly always appreciated. From my sous, I learned the importance of embracing the role as ‘boss’, but also never forgetting what it means to be a ‘kid’.