Management Styles

During my externship at Bouchon Bakery in California I experienced many different management styles. I wouldn’t say they were bad, but it just meant that I was going to have to learn what each of them wanted out of me and then do that plus more. When I first started I was scheduled to do the 4pm-midnight shift, which gave me an opportunity to work one on one with my pastry chef. She would always jump at an opportunity to help or teach someone something new; which I loved because that meant I got to do a lot of new things. My pastry chef had a lot of experience especially with working within the company, and she had done almost everything there was to do, so if you had a question or needed advice she was the person to talk too.
A couple months into my externship she moved to Beverly Hills to help open another Bouchon Bakery, which also would be closer to home for her. This meant that my sous pastry chef, also my supervisor, became the new pastry chef, and then they hired out of the company for another sous pastry chef. At first, I was really dreading the change because my hours changed, which meant that I’d be working with the new pastry chef. It’s not that I didn’t like her but just knew I wouldn’t be able to do as much with her or I would just be watching most of the time.
A few weeks later I began to understand her and realize that she was really helping me in the long run. Before I was allowed to do a lot of projects with my old pastry chef but now my new on was my making me work for it. I know really look up to my new pastry chef because she was honest, gave back helpful constructive criticism, and only rewarded you when she felt you were working hard and improving at something; she never lied about how she felt something was being done. She pushed me to want to work harder and to learn and ask more questions. At the end of my externship I walked away with winning the dough boy award, her personal email address, and a place for myself in the company if I ever wanted to come back. The first achievement not so big, just a nice pat on the back, but receiving the last two meant that I had proved myself, even if it was just as an extern.