Thomas Keller, Core Values, and the Desire for Excellence

Photo by Barbara Charalambidis

Sometimes when I read about Thomas Keller it makes my heart ache with feelings of inadequacy.   He is a chef who oversees some of the world’s greatest restaurants.   But read Grant Achatz’s account of how Mr. Keller taught him to prepare tripe, tending the item for weeks, showing up early morning when the process so dictated, creating an unlikely magical dish through knowledge and persistence, and you see that Keller also is a teacher, if not some sort of eyes-wide-open, every-leaf-in-the-forest-accounted-for Zen master.   He makes great food AND he makes people greater in the process. 

From consistency of accounts one might conclude, without having met him or tasted his food, that excellence reigns in every crevice of Mr. Keller’s world.  He does the right things, for the right reasons, in the right way.    

•  He preaches awareness, demanding that his staff understands what is going on around them, what divergent forces are impacting their processes, and what can be learned from the causes and effects witnessed;
• He is consistently great while being consistently innovative; there are things that must stay the same and things that must change, and those things must exist in tandem;
• He makes those around him better by demanding excellence – he asks that his cohorts desire to be better today than they were yesterday;
• He understands people and their reference points and what creates the timeless keepsake of a memorable experience;
• His principles rule the day; he knows which things are beyond compromise and must remain for all seasons (in the Sir Thomas More way, I mean, not the menu-rotation way);
• He is both smart and thoughtful;
• He works hard and works humbly;
• He cares about more than just himself;  he is committed to uplifting the entire dining industry, not just himself or his own business interests; and
• He is a true believer who invests his staff in organizational goals that consider all stakeholders. 

It is not hard to see why his reputation as a teacher and mentor adjuncts to his renown as a world class chef. [FN1]
 

As any great leader does, Mr. Keller has deeply held values and principles.  New employees do not simply enter a kitchen upon signing with Mr. Keller; they enter a philosophy.  Literally.  Each newbie receives a list of “core values” which are expected to be “imbued in [their] core” as they work “tirelessly and fearlessly” towards the common goals of the organization.  Through this philosophical fulcrum of character unity, consistent excellence can be achieved in all of Keller’s kitchens and enterprises while creativity remains intact.

Here at SPS, we too strive for consistent excellence, with each classroom being a separate enterprise linked to a broader, common goal and held to common expectations.  As such, we continually are in the process of redesigning the orientation/workshop for newly hired adjuncts.   Drawing from Mr. Keller’s inspiration, I think it would be advantageous if we had a list, similar to Mr. Keller’s, outlining the core values that each SPS instructor must possess and embody.   We all teach in our classrooms from our own authentic, creative selves.  But there are common denominators that make SPS instructors great and that set apart the educational experiences we provide. 

In an effort to capture those commonalities, we would like to make a list of “The 10 Core Values of an SPS Instructor” and we would like your input in the process.  You do not have to make a list of 10 things – by all means do so if you have the inclination – but it would be great to hear what each of you consider the most important core value an SPS adjunct can honor and hold.

After reviewing your feedback, we will compile a list, circulate it to all, and make it a critical piece of our new adjunct orientation.  Perhaps the best way we can orient a new instructor to SPS is to let them know with clarity and conviction those common things for which we each uncompromisingly stand.

Please reply to this post and share your preeminent core value(s). 

[FN1] Here is a clip of Mr. Keller teaching Adam Sandler how to make "The World's Greatest Sandwich" for a movie scene.  If ever the Chef's genius is in doubt, realize that he invented a sandwich combining the greatest elements of the BLT, grilled cheese, and the Fried Egg Sandwich into ONE mouth-carnival-between-two-slices-of-bread sandwich.  The recipe is included in the clip.  You are welcome. 

Ellen Boltizar wins the 2012 SPS Adjunct Excellence Award

Dr. Deirdre Letson (l), Ellen Boltizar (c) and Anthony Yacullo

Each year we ask the SPS students to nominate instructors who best use their talents and character to stimulate deep thinking and true learning. They take the task seriously and provide us with often lengthy explanations of how this adjunct inspired them to lead and that adjunct changed their lives. How this one helped them exceed expectations and that one armed them with potent, new skills.  Reading the nominations is one of the most gratifying aspects of my job. [FN1]

We are pleased to announce that Ellen Boltizar has been named the 2012 recipient of the SPS Adjunct Excellence Award.   Ellen has been part of the SPS family for over seven years, teaching Organizational Behavior, Management Information Systems, and Business Statistics.  Speaking highly of Ellen is easy.  But this is a student driven award so I will rely on their words, taken directly from the nominations, to explain why Ellen took home the prize:

• Ellen Possesses characteristics that show she genuinely cares about the material and the students;
• She has a desire to ensure everyone understands and learns;
• She is patient, positive, genuine and VERY intelligent;
• She was present with us every step of the way;
• She gave feedback that was very helpful;
• I found myself referencing our class sessions almost daily; we still reference things we learned in her class today;
• She works hard and genuinely cares;
• Her organization and prompt responses made the class a CHALLENGING DELIGHT;
• I never witnessed an instructor so passionate with their lectures;
• She made each activity interesting and some even fun;
• I knew Ellen’s lecture would be a great “pick me up” and looked forward to attending her lectures;
• I can take her lectures and always utilize them, whether in class, at work, or socially;
• She interacted with all classmates and made you feel part of a GROUP not just a class she was teaching; and
• Her mix of passion, life experience, patience, and positive attitude are the perfect mix for excellence.

On nights she teaches, Ellen comes in early with her bag of teaching tricks in tow, black bags on wheels filled with unique incentives, handouts, activities, and who knows what else (I only catch occasional glimpses of them at the copier!). Seeing Ellen on those occasions I can count on receiving at least three things:  a smile, some constructive feedback, and several good ideas.  If having her in class is “a challenging delight” then having her on staff is our unending good fortune.

Congratulations Ellen and thank you for all that you do.

[FN1]  After all student nominations were received, I convened a panel consisting of myself and four other SPS staff members to review the nominations and ascertain, using the student feedback, which instructor most closely fulfilled the criteria of the award.

Buck Showalter's "Sixth Tool" - Measuring Heart

Allow me a brief baseball interlude during this October playoff season (for relevance sake, I will tie this into teaching, with only limited intellectual acrobatics, by the endpoint). 

The Baltimore Orioles were supposed to stink this year.  On paper, they looked terrible. Statistically speaking?  Terrible.  In the eyes of the experts?  Terrible.  A last place team waiting to happen.  Some predicted they would lose about 100 games.  Yet a funny thing happened on the way to cellar – the Orioles became….good.  Not good in the sense of setting your expectations to curb level, jumping onto the sidewalk, and celebrating exceeded expectation.  They are Yankee good.  That’s right, I said it:  Yankee good.   They are in the playoffs, a black and orange David, hurling change ups and curveballs at the bloated “Yankee, Inc.” Goliath.

How did this happen?  In baseball, players traditionally are measured on five different tools – power, batting average, throwing arm, fielding ability, and speed.  Prognosticators assessed too many Orioles lacking too many of these tools.  In the era of Big Data and Sabermetrics, nonplussed statisticians kept predicting an Oriole demise that never came.  Now, this is a logical point where this post could morph into a “Dear Buck Showalter, I am your biggest fan” valentine to the Orioles’ manager. [FN1]  I will resist, knowing that the greatness of Buck’s attention to every winning detail is documented elsewhere. [FN2]

I'll just say that for Buck and the Orioles, it must have been exhausting, politely answering the same question for six months, a million poorly disguised iterations of “why don’t you stink as much as we think you should?” [FN3] There are two constants in their year-long responses.  One is the reliance on setting high expectations.  We covered that last post.  Buck knows pygmalion.   The second is a reference to the cryptic “sixth tool”.   Here are two illustrative quotes from Buck:

“People kind of shake their heads about us statistically and how's this happened. But people who evaluate that sixth tool know what's going on. Put that on a pie chart.”

-and-

 “It’s hard to put a number on somebody’s heart and gut.  It’s the sixth tool.” 

The point:  looking beyond impressive credentials and good technique, character and courage matter, too.

All of this has relevance to teaching, too, I suspect.  

First, we can ask ourselves “what are the instructional equivalents of baseball’s five tools, the measurable abilities that lead to teaching success?”  Perhaps it is actually “seven tools,” as per Arthur Chickering's Seven Principles of Good Practice in Undergraduate Education? [FN4]

Secondly, what might be the teacher equivalent of Buck’s intangible “sixth tool”, the elements of character that fuel good teaching?  

Do “heart” and “gut” apply in the classroom as they do in baseball?  Or is that concept too sportsy and combat-ish?  Is there a different intangible that eludes the adjunct’s resume but can greatly impact learning?  Maybe passion? Passion for people?  Passion for the subject matter?  Passion for life?  Or maybe courage?  How about authenticity?

Some will say, if I cannot measure it, I will not invest in it.  My response is:  then let’s figure out the best ways to measure passion and courage and invest in them as much as we can.

Let’s go Orioles.

 [FN1] I recently found a letter in my basement, a draft letter to the Yankees written when I was eight. Adult life often is a search for clues about where in childhood the train left the tracks.  This letter does not explain all of the derailments but provides, perhaps, some insight to current vices: “I watch every game.  I bet my father and always take your team”.  The letter was proofed by my Mom and that line remained in the final letter to George Steinbrenner, et. al.

[FN2] Buck sets detailed organizational expectations that serve as a measuring stick for each member; either you are or are not the type of person who can play for the Orioles.  I like to think of you, the SPS adjunct, as being part of a likewise honorable select.  As part of the SPS family you are the type of person who can inspire adult students.

[FN3] I wonder if people sometimes underestimate adjunct instructors in the same fashion.  By focusing on the wrong credentials a good adjunct might be undervalued a la a Moneyball market inefficiency.  Give us a good person of sound character, someone with diverse knowledge and relevant experience, someone who possesses a desire to teach for the right reasons, and we can equip them with all the rest.

[FN4] Chickering’s Seven Principles of Good Practice are as follows:  (1) encourages contact between students and faculty, (2) develops reciprocity and cooperation among students, (3) encourages active learning, (4) gives prompt feedback, (5) emphasizes time on task, (6) communicates high expectations, and (7) respects diverse talents and ways of learning.   

The Power of Setting High Student Expectations - by Dr. Deirdre Letson

Audrey Hepburn as Eliza Doolittle

The correlation between setting high student expectations and student success has been established though research over the past number of years. Studies have shown that students achieve more when teachers expect more.  One study, conducted by Rosenthal and Jacobson (1968), posits that student success is largely a response to faculty expectations and their belief in success. Positive expectations influence performance positively, and negative expectations influence performance negatively. Rosenthal and Jacobson originally described the phenomenon as the Pygmalion Effect (a reference to the 1912 George Bernard Shaw play "Pygmalion") .  We might best let Shaw's dialogue explain the effect.  In a brief exchange between Eliza Doolittle and Colonel Pickering, Eliza says to the Colonel:

 “I shall always be a flower girl to Professor Higgins, because he always treats me as a flower girl, and always will; but I know I can be a lady to you, because you always treat me as a lady, and always will."

This exchange highlights the idea that a teacher’s belief in student success marked by the setting and communication of high expectations will, in fact, yield positive results. In part the Pygmalion effect is similar to a self-fulfilling prophecy where a person’s behavior is affected by an expectation, negative or positive, about a certain situation and where that expectation becomes fulfilled.

So you may be wondering how, as an instructor, do I set high expectations that motivate students to be successful in meeting the challenges of a rigorous curriculum. Below are but a few ideas.

•  Keep a positive attitude and promote enthusiasm. Promoting a “can do” environment will have a positive effect on student success.

•  Communicate your expectations clearly and concisely prior to the first night of class.  You can do this in your welcome message.  Let the students know that the work will be challenging and at times hard but that this is manageable and achievable with the right amount of effort.  

• Review with your students the course expectations set forth in the syllabus. Discuss grading, the amount of time you expect the student to dedicate to their studies, participation, attendance, content mastery, and skill development.  Let your students know what it takes to be successful.

• Provide continual and frequent feedback that is connected to the course goals. Let them know what they are doing well, what needs improvement, and what you expect.  It is easy to give positive feedback and avoid giving feedback that seeks improvement, but if delivered well, this type of feedback will help the student improve their performance.

• Set high expectations for yourself.  Raise the bar on your own teaching standards and set milestones to meet these standards.  Be prepared, provide meaningful, frequent feedback, and never underestimate the influence you can have on a student.

In conclusion, setting high student expectations is a fundamental part of the learning environment, and how we communicate these expectations cannot be underestimated. As we know, students will rise to meet the challenges we set forth, and it is our job to assist our students in doing so.

Robert Frost describes in his poem The Road Not Taken how he came to two diverging roads and selected the one less traveled. He states, “I took the one less traveled by, and that has made all the difference.” Perhaps the road less traveled was more challenging, but by taking it, Frost becomes a better person for having done so.

Dr. Deirdre Letson is the Dean of Centenary College's School of Professional Studies.  She holds an Ed.D. in Organizational Leadership - Higher Education and a M.A. in Administration & Supervision of Adult Education.