The corporate cookery planning process
11/03/2010
The first task in corporate cookery is for the group to choose the menu from the options provided. The team decides by consensus. Individual tastes and habits are balanced against the need to find common ground (The Menu) and to take the risk of the unknown. The menus offered are based on the degree of cooking experience of the group, to provide a challenging learning experience, to take the group into new territory, to stretch whatever culinary skills they may have; and to teach the fundamental truth: the team won't get through this unless it works together.
Trust and confidence in the ability of the team to accomplish the cookery class task is essential. After all, you or your colleagues will eat what your team has prepared. Concerns, uncertainties, and any questions will be shared openly and dealt with throughout the course.
The goal is for the corporate cookery group to become a team, to discover new facets and ways of working together; to establish a team in an environment where everyone starts out at zero, as equals.
The end result is a sumptuous meal for everyone's enjoyment, the fulfillment of a new and challenging task completed, and a chance to evaluate the cooking of the meal, the process and the learning that has taken place. At its best, corporate cookery classes can affect and improve the daily work of the team. However it depends on the group to take all that it can from this learning environment.
