Monday I completed the last of my projects! I finished up my performance improvement project and sent it to key personnel for their information. This project generated some good conversations, and it was interesting to take a current process, research and experience it, and come up with an improvement plan. I continued preparing for the NAACP food demo and also helped set up for a catering event that night.
Tuesday I went over to the National Weather Center to shadow Kristin at the Flying Cow. It was a close-knit staff, and I enjoyed working with them! Kristin is very encouraging and makes it a positive environment. She taught me how to input sales and purchases into CBORD and the WOR and allowed me to do several of them. We also helped on the line and closed up shop, which included not only cleaning but counting drawers and inputting deposits.
Wednesday several of us from Food Services helped at the Union's Latino Flavor event. All kinds of delicious-looking Latin American dishes were prepared by catering for students and staff to sample. The event also included dance performances and music. I helped out on the dessert table and wanted to try it all! By far the most popular dessert was the flan. Unfortunately I did not have my phone on me to take a picture, but the picture below is a News OK picture from a past year's event. That evening we held the NAACP event. Dr. K spoke about health concerns in the African American community and ways to live a healthier lifestyle from a nutrition standpoint in order to prevent things like obesity. After he spoke I did my demo and made Dot's Guiltless Guacamole, Baked Chips, and Fruit and Yogurt Parfaits. I talked about what a snack is and isn't (not a full-out meal), portion sizes, and components of a nutritious snack as well as the benefits of the demoed recipes.
(http://newsok.com/article/5399827)
Thursday Dot and I talked about the NAACP event. We had some challenges to face, whether it was ingredients, attendance, or the kitchen, but we figured it out and still had a successful event - success not in how many people showed up but in the information given and potential for impact. Dot was really a great example and showed me how to take charge to make sure we had all we needed. It is so important to plan in time to double check your ingredients, your space, and your equipment and allow for time to correct any issues. Plan, plan, plan is a lesson that I will definitely take away from this experience. Even when it comes down to the utensils and equipment you bring - bring extras because you never know what you're going to need or how your plans may change! And Sam was a great sport and ran up to the office to grab things I missed:)
Dot and I also discussed the controversies surrounding GMOs and how it will be important as a dietitian to be prepared for people with different opinions on the subject. I learned about monocultures, the seed vault, and other interesting information that I never knew before related to this subject.
Today, Friday, is my last day. I cannot believe this is the end of my time here at OU Housing and Food and my first rotation. It has been a truly positive experience. I have gotten to learn from many managers who oversee very different operations on campus. While all the same in some respects, all operations have their own unique challenges, and it was interesting to see how each one was different. I have greatly appreciated everyone who made my time here a success - from Dot to the other managers, to the directors, to the kitchen staffs, to my office buddy Sam - everyone has been so helpful, supportive, and willing to teach me. So to everyone here at OU Housing and Food - THANK YOU!
As I end my rotation here, I'd like to take some time to reflect on what I have learned. While there is so much more than I could type here, here are some of the highlights:
- Plan, plan, PLAN! It takes organization and planning ahead to run a successful operation.
- Be over-prepared. Even if you think you have all the equipment and supplies you need for event, pack some extras. You never know what you might be walking into or changes you may have to make!
- Food allergies are serious and should be treated with utmost care. All areas of a food operation affect how food allergies are handled, and all employees have a responsibility to do their part.
- There is a difference between sanitizing and cleaning, and both require different cloths. Sanitizing gets rid of bacteria and requires a special cloth that turns blue when ready to use. Cleaning gets rid of food proteins and can be done with a cotton towel. This is very important to remember when getting rid of an allergen from a surface - clean AND sanitize!
- Food costs and labor are two important things to monitor and control for the financial health of your operation.
- Managing your employees is just as important as running your operation. If you do not manage your employees well, they will be unhappy, and your operation will not function well.
- You must come in with a positive attitude. Your attitude affects the attitude of your employees and the overall atmosphere of the operation. If you are upbeat, so will your employees be.
- In order to be a good manager, you have to be a good leader. There is a great difference between leader and boss. A leader is willing to jump in right beside his or her employees and get their hands dirty. They never ask their employees to do anything they wouldn't do themselves.
- It takes a lot of team members to run an operation successfully, and good communication is key.
- Managing well also translates to happy customers. If your team is supported, they will be more likely to do good work and produce quality products and satisfied customers.
- Food services requires hard work. You must be willing to help, have a positive attitude, work with integrity, communicate well, and care for the good of those you are serving in order to truly be successful in it.
Thank you OU Housing and Food for a great experience!
Cady
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