Summary Management Reflective Statement

During my food service rotation I was able to participate in a wide range of day-today kitchen operations as well as gain an understanding of the range of the kitchen managers position. From working on the tray line to sitting in on interviews for a new supervisor I was exposed to the ins and outs of the kitchen operation. I also experienced how unpredictable managing a large work force can be from a staffing perspective as well as from a human resource perspective. Hospital food and by association the kitchen staff and management receive an undue amount of criticism. I observed the manager be coach and cheerleader to his staff to help them weather comments from patients, families and other hospital employees. Through this I learned the importance of recognizing the efforts of staff on a regular basis and the positive impact this recognition has on performance and morale. An important lesson learned during the management rotation was the necessity of making decisions quickly. The nature of food service often requires action to be taken immediately. If a cook calls in sick or a food delivery is incomplete there is only a small time frame for the manager to weigh the options, settle on a path forward and communicate the changes to the myriad of kitchen affected. I walk away from this rotation with functional knowledge of how a large-scale kitchen operates along with first hand experience of the scope of a food service managers position.