What Anthony Bourdain Teaches Us About Work

I read Anthony Bourdain's book, Kitchen Confidential, quite a few years back, so when it became available on Spotify premium for free, I pressed play for a refresher on his great content. To hear him say that he's grateful just to be alive every day was heart wrenching. But to spend time familiarizing myself with his voice and his learnings was inspiring.

Bourdain provides his top tips for someone looking to work in a restaurant. As I listened to his tips, I found myself pausing the audio to record the tips on my phone to share with all of you. This advice applies to any job in any industry!

Always be on time.

Yes! Be on time. Everyone's time is valuable so be respectful of others by being on time. If you are meeting someone who is always late, you should still be on time. Stop playing their game and stick to your values. You will inspires others to do the same.

Never make excuses or blame others.

I had a direct report tell me she was late for work because the F train is always late on Monday. So she was late (see lesson above) and making excuses. I told her that if the F train is always late on Monday, she should always leave early on Mondays. Learning from our mistakes is harder than throwing someone or something under the bus. Making a mistake is a learning opportunity and is not the end of the world!

Lazy, sloppy and slow are bad. Enterprising, crafty and interactive are good.

This advice seems so on point in our now hybrid work world that we live. Be present. Be creative. Be collaborative. Like they say at Eleven Madison Park - make it nice!

Read.

Bourdain recommends cookbooks and trade magazines for aspiring restaurant workers. Find a book about your trade. Read a memoir by an inspiring leader (like I just did). Or, geez, just read a newspaper so you know what is going on in the world!

Some awareness of the history of your business is useful.

This advice could apply to your industry or even just your company. Knowing how your company got to where it was today should give you guidance on how you can impact the company's future.

Inspiration and learning opportunities are all around us. Stop and listen every now and then. You never know what you will take away.