“Good is the enemy of great. And that is one of the key reasons why we have so little that becomes great. We don't have many great schools, principally because we have good schools.”
– James Collins, author of “Good to Great”

In a rapidly changing world, it is paramount any business endeavor stays ahead of the game. The typical life cycle of any product or service is defined by the impact of its early presence, growth during various levels of adoption, peak of acceptance and popularity, and eventually decline. This consistently holds true in every walk of life. Those businesses or entire industries that continue to thrive, or at the very least – survive, are those that determine what they are good at and then constantly work at becoming world-class.

Where do you want your program positioned in the next 20 years? What will it look like? How will it be perceived by the marketplace? The answer lies in your willingness to embrace change and aspire to greatness.

The steps toward greatness are numerous, but two things stand out as the most significant: a desire to be great and a willingness to change along the way. Without desire and willingness, all efforts to become world-class will be a struggle filled with passive and sometimes aggressive resistance. So, assuming those two foundational elements are in place – here are some of the steps we should consider essential in culinary education:

Clear objectives
What do you expect to achieve during the process of moving from good to great? How will every stakeholder be affected? What is the process that must be followed to get to greatness? Have factual data to support your reason for change and the need to pursue greatness.

In other words – do your homework and build your storyline based on real data and market sensitivities.

Unite advocates
Your vision for achieving greatness cannot be a solo act. Build a Greatness Team early on to support the efforts. Avoid simply enrolling those who feel it is politically correct to support you – you want members who challenge your thinking but believe in the general concept of striving for greatness.

Know your antagonists
Antagonists are not necessarily those who are contrary to change. They may all have valid concerns but feel their only way to have a voice is to resist. Find out what their concerns are and address them BEFORE they become insurmountable. Give them a voice and respect their concerns.

Feedback
Moving from good to great will involve some bumps and bruises along the way. Make sure you keep everyone aware of the objectives and progress being made. Seek their feedback – don’t expect they will come forward without letting them know you truly want to hear their thoughts. Do this with internal and external stakeholders. Include students in this process as well – engage everyone you can.

Communication
Use every method of communication at your disposal: newsletters, email updates, a social media page, bulletin boards, meetings, town hall sessions, etc. When asked, “What is the most significant problem in your organization?” one of the glaring responses in any business is lack of communication.

Knowing what great looks like
Sometimes individuals are perfectly content with the way things are unless there are benchmarks referenced that emulate greatness. Give them something to aspire to. Don’t simply say, as an example, “We need to improve professionalism in our kitchens.” Show them pictures or video clips of kitchens presenting what you are referencing. Don’t say to be great we must improve how we present material in a class – have them view a select few online Master Classes, or TED Talks that bring home the idea of greatness and then provide the vehicles for helping everyone reach that skill level.

A learning organization
Most importantly, moving to greatness is not a directive, it is an evolutionary process that requires ongoing training and teaching. Greatness is a result of methodical work at constant improvement, measurement against benchmarks, celebration of progress, and feedback from internal and external stakeholders.

A learning organization builds ways of providing and encouraging growth and awareness. Bring in individuals who have successfully implemented change to share the process with your team, provide reference materials that will expand their base of knowledge, support attendance at conferences and workshops, link them with webinars that build on their skills and foundational knowledge, and provide ample opportunities for the team to interact and debate. Make learning an everyday thing.

Courage
Finally, show your team, by example, you are willing to take on the sacred cows, push the bureaucracy to listen and keep an open mind, and face resistance head-on while finding ways of coming to consensus. If you exhibit the courage to become great, then they will as well.

“Good goes to work every day. Great seeks its highest purpose every day. Good gets the job done. Great makes a difference. Good makes it through the day. Great can’t wait for tomorrow.”
– Joey Havens (Leadership Mentor and CPA)

Greatness is never a directive. It is a process of building a culture where excellence is the normal method of operation. Greatness is pervasive and touches every aspect of your program from appearances, to how each person is treated, a commitment to learning, and excitement over sweating the details. The good may survive (and they may not) but the great will thrive.

“Good is the enemy of great. And that is one of the key reasons why we have so little that becomes great. We don't have many great schools, principally because we have good schools.”
– James Collins, author of “Good to Great”

Make your own list: we don’t have many great restaurants because it’s comfortable to have good restaurants. We don’t have many great grocery stores because it’s too easy to be good. The examples go on and on and on.

Are you willing to commit to being world-class?

PLAN BETTER – TRAIN HARDER – STRIVE FOR EXCELLENCE

Paul Sorgule, MS, AAC, president of Harvest America Ventures, a mobile restaurant incubator based in Saranac Lake, N.Y., is the former vice president of New England Culinary Institute and a former dean at Paul Smith’s College. Contact him at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it..