Week 8

I cannot believe I am typing Week 8 already! It is unreal to think this is the last week of my management rotation. It has been a great experience during which the things I learned in the classroom have come to life and solidified themselves in a real way.

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

Week 7

It is so odd to look at my calendar and see my last day here at OU Housing and Food right around the corner. My second to last week is going to be a busy one! Business plan + in-service + training for my upcoming clinical rotation.

Monday I continued preparing for my in-service presentation and did some last-minute preparations for my business plan tomorrow. I also worked on my performance improvement project and sent out my ideas to a few key individuals for feedback.

Tuesday was the big day! The Food Allergy Awareness event at Cate went well. While we were not super busy, those who stopped by the table seemed to enjoy the samples and appreciate the allergen-free initiative. We did it! That afternoon I began planning for a National Nutrition Month event for OU's NAACP that will be held next week.

Wednesday I had a training for my next rotation in the morning and then headed back to Norman. There we continued figuring out our plans for the NAACP event - I will be doing a food demo to show some healthy snacks. 

Thursday was my in-service presentation. Everyone here at OU Housing and Food is so nice and easy to talk to that they didn't make me too nervous:) I think it went well, and they passed my pop quizzes with flying colors!

Friday was an early day to say the least:) Since I am doing a project on receiving protocol, it was a good idea for me to go into the storeroom on a delivery day and see their procedures. So I joined the storeroom guys at 4:30 a.m.! I give them a lot of credit for those early mornings. I was surprisingly awake, and as always Ronnie and his team were very helpful and involved me in the receiving process.

Week 6

I started off Week 6 at the Health Sciences Center. It felt like I hadn't been there in quite some time! Rayanna coordinated for me to meet with both Bill and Gary, the managers at two of the three operations on that campus. I also got to speak with her and learn more about her role and the operations she oversees.

On Monday I was in the Union at Beaker's with Bill. I got to see and learn about several tasks and responsibilities that he manages throughout the day, including positive discipline, helping on the line when needed, entering recipes into US Foods to find recipe costs, updating prices, and counting top inventory products. I gained wisdom from Bill as he shared the importance of being consistent, being aware of your own actions and how they are perceived, communication in forming a team, keeping morale up, being kind, and showing you care as a manager. Gary, at the Healthy Hearth, reiterated many of these same themes when I visited there on Tuesday and Wednesday. We talked a lot about managing your team and how to do it well - being a leader rather than a boss. Communication styles was a big one. Each of your employees has a different personality and responds to feedback in a different way. You have to get to know your employees and how they work best. It is also important to give off positive energy as a leader. If you are lazy or have a poor attitude, your employees are going to reflect that as well. If you come in with a positive attitude and show good work ethic yourself, your employees will too. It all starts with the manager. Gary also taught me different tactics he uses to create a team environment, such as "slide deployment." This is when one team member slides over to help another station in need. Looking for "bottlenecks" is another. Gary surveys the operation to see where back-ups are occurring during service - whether at the front or the back of the house. He then rearranges his team to eliminate the bottleneck. It was cool to see how he uses cross-training...employees are trained and ready to switch or help out another station at any point. Doing these things not only helps the team work together better but also benefits the customers. Therefore, management is not only about leading the team and doing what is best for them but also about doing what is best for customers. We also talked about controlling food costs, labor, and food safety. There is so much that goes into being a good manager, and I could go on and on about the knowledge I gained there! Even gained some techy knowledge in the process.

The pictures below will give you an idea of the experience you will have if you visit the Healthy Hearth.

(the cozy dining room of the Healthy Hearth that makes customers feel at home)

(the Nourish Bowl salad that I forgot to take a picture of before I started eating it - the original presentation was great:))

(the self-playing piano that serenades customers as they enjoy their meal)

Thursday I went with Frank to Cate to look at some new US Food products. Always love a good taste test! :) The Environmental Concerns Committee visited, and Frank showed them several spots of interest in Food Services. We started off at the Freight Farm behind Cate and showed them the beautiful lettuce that grows inside. It's a fascinating structure! (See picture below) We then went to Couch to talk about some of the eco-friendly practices used there as well as show them the digestor (liquid food composter). We finished up by showing them the community kitchen in Walker. The committee appreciated seeing what we do in Food Services, and I enjoyed experiencing yet more impressive things that OU Housing and Food Services has to offer! That afternoon I continued working on my in-service presentation for next week and nailed down most of my information.

Friday was an office day that I used to solidified my material for my in-service presentation. I also continued working on my performance improvement project and made good headway! Every Friday Dot sends out an email to students with self-identified food allergies. It includes what foods will be on the menu and what allergens are present in those foods. This helps students a lot when they are planning what they can eat for the week. Dot really stresses the importance of planning. If you want to run a successful operation, it is absolutely necessary to plan ahead! This helps you forecast what is coming, make the appropriate preparations, and anticipate any problems that may occur and how those will be addressed. Dot also works a lot with sustainability. I have really enjoyed learning about the sustainability efforts that are being made on this campus and the value placed on local food. So many neat things happening here!

Week 5

Monday I spent the day at Union Market. I love their salad bar! (Pretty much all the salad bars on campus are pretty great.)

Tuesday was an interesting day - I started off at Starbucks where Chris showed me how to make French press coffee (delicious!) and really took time to talk with me about management. It was really helpful, especially seeing how you have to balance and delegate well if you're going to manage well. I enjoyed my half day there until the campus closed for inclement weather at 12:45! So I helped Starbucks close up shop and headed back over to Walker to prep for my business plan on Thursday. It was a bummer that my Starbucks day got cut short but I learned a lot during the time I was there!

(delicious French press coffee...may have to invest in one of these!)

Wednesday and Thursday we were out due to freezing rain. Eeeek!

Friday I got to work with Jen from the Flying Cow. We were testing out some Blue Apron recipes, as they are contemplating a meal service similar to Blue Apron/Hello Fresh for the new Cross buildings. I made a Greek Burger with roasted carrots. Yumm! I also got to learn about the plans for Cross from Bobbie and all the new concepts they will be incorporating. Some new concepts include the meal service just mentioned, a marketplace, a flex station featuring a local vendor, an area for top 8 allergen free foods, and even a station with homemade pasta! It's going to be different than anywhere on campus and will be a creative new addition to Housing and Food Services!

It is crazy to think I only have 3 more weeks here!

Week 4

Monday I printed materials for my business plan display and continued gathering ideas for my in-service presentation. I also made recipe cards for Dot's recipes that she will be using for her Food Allergy Awareness event on Thursday.

Tuesday I was over at the Res Colleges. I got to talk with Chase and ask him all kinds of management questions. He had a lot of great advice and said that the biggest part of management is how you handle your employees. During lunch they were short-handed on the salad station, and so I filled in there. They have a really neat Cool Greens concept for their salad line. I also learned how to roll out pizza dough from Russel. Rolling dough is a good workout and somewhat tricky. I only mastered one round pizza crust - the rest were not so round! Thankfully they like them to look homemade instead of store-bought:)

(salad line)

(note the misshapen crusts...those were mine!)

Wednesday I put together my display for my Food Allergy Awareness Event, which is next week! I am glad Dot's is tomorrow so I can see how she does things. I then continued to work on my in-service presentation.

Thursday was a big day! Dot, Sam, and I transported wagons, carts, and a warmer to the union to hold a Food Allergy Awareness event. We served Pho, Malaysian Dahl, and Nian Gao (a Chinese New Year cake). From the moment we started until we packed up we were busy! The students seemed to really enjoy it, and several mentioned that they were vegan or gluten free (all of our dishes were vegan, GF, and top 8 free). It was a success, but Dot and I were definitely relieved to sit down at our desks and enjoy our lunch at 3pm:) Onto my recipes next week!

(Sam and I serving up some Malaysian Dahl)

Friday was an exciting day at Couch. I got to help with their Lunar New Year special - Bibimbap. It has mushrooms, bean sprouts, spinach, meat, carrots, sauce, and a fried egg on top. I helped on the stir fry line and had a great time! That afternoon I watched Dot teach a food allergy class to student employees.

After today, I am half-way through my management rotation.  It is going so fast!

Week 3

Week 3 already!

Monday I shadowed Kevin and learned from him as he performed a sanitation and safety inspection at Couch. It was great to see the high standards that are implemented during these inspections. He was very thorough and explained to me each step of the way what he was doing and why he was doing it. He also pointed out critical and non-critical points. Some issues may increase the risk of people getting sick, but some may not. Regardless of the issue, he was sure to provide correctional instruction and let the managers know. The fact that even the small issues were addressed again pointed to the high standards to which OU's operations are held.

On Tuesday I visited with Fran to see how she performs nutrient analyses on the dining hall recipes. Currently nutritionals are not available in the dining halls, and she is working to make these available. I had never used Food Processor before and so wanted to see how it worked. It can be very difficult to do these analyses because ingredient information is not always given or clear. There are a lot of recipes to work through, and it takes time! That evening I headed over to the stadium building with Fran to talk to student athletes about our profession at a career fair.

Wednesday I worked on my business plan. I needed to calculate the cost of all my materials and recipes to come up with an operating budget. I also created recipe cards for the recipes I will be serving. The nutritional information for some of the ingredients were not in CBORD, so yesterday I had to fix the cost analysis and nutrition information for one of the recipes. Today I had to figure out new Daily Values based on the new nutrition information. I discovered through Rachel and Fran what guidelines CBORD uses to generate Daily Values. I also spent some time looking through the materials Lauren (TOD) sent me to better understand Housing and Food Services as well as the inventory numbers Marcia gave me in order to make sure I knew how to read them. Frank took me on a tour of about half the campus in the afternoon - it was awesome! So much history to this campus...and not to mention how beautiful it is! Here are a few spots I especially liked:

 Memorial Union courtyard

Residential Colleges (great architectural features...almost identical but slightly different in the two colleges)

Thursday I continued working through inventory numbers and finalized my business plan materials and recipes for Dot to look over. I also began thinking through my in-service presentation to the managers. It will cover how to keep up with their employees on food allergy training. Later that day I attended the managers meeting and got to try several different kinds of veggie burgers (pea, carrot, beet, and an everything one...yummy!!) and hear about some positive press for Housing and Food Services. Afterward I met with Marcia and Sam to talk about Couch's inventory. I still have more to learn, as I did not interpret the numbers correctly as I was doing calculations on my own, which brings me to Friday....

More inventory! I am determined to get these numbers straight and report to Sam and Marcia a more accurate cost of goods sold and inventory turnover rate. I think I finally got the hang of it and am understanding what the numbers mean and how they work. This afternoon I will head over to Couch to make Soy Free Soy Sauce that will be needed for our Food Allergy Awareness recipes.

I cannot believe it is already Friday of week 3!

Week 2

Week 2! This week flew by.

Monday I worked on my business plan. This mainly consisted of planning and scaling the recipes I chose to use (Sweet and Sour Cauliflower and Chocolate Avocado Mousse). I had to scale up the original recipes to make them serve 25. After that I needed to come up with an ingredient list to send over to Chef Gary to include all the ingredients I would need to make each recipe twice (the original version and the scaled-up version). Later that afternoon I headed over to Couch to watch the "premier" of the Power Knot LFC (liquid food composter), Couch's new food "digestor." This is a large machine that digests food scraps and produces gray water to be used for other things. It contains enzymes that have to be activated with a brown rice, sugar mixture (the green sludge pictured below) in order to process the food. So interesting!

Tuesday I got to see Wagner Dining Hall where only athletes are served. It is a small facility with a close-knit staff. I spoke with Curtis (the manager), John (receiving and storage), and James and Mark (supervisors). I got to jump in and help on the pizza line at lunch, and John even gave me a crash course on CBORD.

Wednesday I continued working on my business plan and attended TOD's new employee orientation. I also got to explore CBORD and its different features on my own and discovered that it can make nutrition labels!

Thursday I got good reviews from the kitchen staff after testing out my recipes for our Food Allergy Awareness event this month. I tested Sweet and Sour Cauliflower as well as Chocolate Avocado Mousse. I was pleased that both turned out really well. Dianne even gave me an "A+" on the mousse!

This morning (Friday) we had a taste-testing party in the office to try out Dot's recipes and mine for our Food Allergy Awareness events. They were delicious! I will head back over to Couch this afternoon to make the scaled-up versions of my recipes and have more people try them out. After that I can finalize my ingredients and directions for my Food Allergy Awareness event in a few weeks. I can also conduct nutrient and cost analyses for my recipe development project.

It's been another great week! I am learning a lot and enjoying this experience:)