You are the benchmark of excellence in culinary education. This means what you know, how you present yourself, the constant enhancement of your skills, and your desire to constantly seek answers to the questions that may not have even been asked yet, are the guiding light for others. Whether it is your peer group, your students, or those in the industry of food who need answers, they look to you as the “go to” source.

How did you get to this point or how can you get to this position? Those who are benchmarks are the ones who constantly invest in themselves. They accept there is always more to learn and never cease to improve and grow. As teachers and administrators, we are obligated to be this source – it is an expectation of the position and the only way to accomplish the goal of preparing the next generation of cooks, chefs, managers and entrepreneurs.

Individually, constant improvement leads to competence, competence leads to confidence, and confidence leads to exceptional performance. The best teachers and leaders understand the connection between effort and results and know that they and their reports must improve to stay relevant. Investment in oneself is the responsibility of both the teacher and the leader. 

There are four general ways that this investment can take place:

• Education: Take a course (credit or non-credit) on a topic you see as a weak point in your portfolio. Make a point of reading articles related to your field. Participate in webinars, attend a conference, read a book – make continuing education an integral part of your job as a professional.

• Experience: The longer we (educators) are away from the actual work that we are preparing our students for, the (potentially) less relevant our classes. We need to understand the challenges cooks, chefs, managers and entrepreneurs face today. Sign on for an occasional stage or sabbatical to stay fresh and build those connections to real-life situations. Experience will fill the suitcase with stories you can bring to the classroom or your current challenge.

• Exposure: In between those experiences make sure you stay connected through your network of other professionals. Join professional organizations, tour restaurants, farms, production facilities and those places that are the source of products and processes that are relevant to your classroom interactions.

• Environment: Bring what you know and experience to the classroom. Create realistic environments where you can share and build scenarios that serve as some of the best educational tools. Become part of environments that encourage interaction with your network of peers, mentors and other end users (chefs and entrepreneurs who will hire your students, peer educators, peer administrators). Sharing common challenges can lead to understanding and effective problem solving.

Investment in personal growth should be an organic process that is as natural as breathing or eating, exercising the physical body, or regular visits to the doctor. Learning is that important! We should not let typical obstacles get in the way: I don’t have the time, budgets will not allow this type of investment, or I doubt I will learn anything new. These excuses are diversions that signal your unwillingness to put in the effort, or somewhat misguided priorities. When times are tough, when challenges are great, when the inclination is to hunker down and ride out the wave of obstacles, this is the time when investment is most important. Invest in yourself today and every day.

If you haven’t registered for the CAFÉ Dean’s and Director’s Retreat or the Leadership Conference – do so, TODAY! It is an experience well worth the investment. I hope to see you there – let’s work together in the process of change and face our challenges head-on through sound personal investment. 

PLAN BETTER – TRAIN HARDER

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 atThis email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it..