No English? In the kitchen, it’s no problem

Great reminder that language is not necessarily everything to success by Meeru Dhalwala of Vij’s (great Vancouver Indian restaurant):

The way it works at Vij’s, Oguz and Vikram approve any changes in overall labour costs and can forbid raises if the costs are not in line with what they should be. We have had hours-long discussions and negotiations. One of my favourite meetings was years ago when a group of my kitchen staff met with Oguz and Vikram about raises and vacation allowances. Oguz went on about the financial logic as it pertains to the overall success of the company, and Vikram eventually lost his temper when my staff kept on persisting on the benefit. Amarjeet, my manager, turned to Oguz calmly and said, “Oguz, sorry but you will have to.” And then she turned to Vikram, “There is no reason to yell. We are all in this together.”

The confidence of my kitchen staff is also rooted in a shared responsibility for the long-term. When I first opened our Seattle restaurant, I was training an Ethiopian woman on the grill. This was her first job in the United States. Her English was not strong, but she asked me questions. “How much restaurant cost to build?” “Where you get money from?” “How long lease is?”

She did not like grilling, but I bribed her, suggesting that once she got the hang of it, I would give her a raise. A few weeks later, I offered her the raise. She took my hand, “No, Meeru. First you pay bills. I need job for long time and don’t want you close restaurant. Once you can pay bills, then you give me raise. “ She is now one of my managers in Seattle.

No English? In the kitchen, it’s no problem – The Globe and Mail.