It’s easy to understand why so many people like to stay in their comfort zones. It’s safe and predictable. It’s easier to control. But it’s also very limiting—when you stick with the same routines or take the same approaches to problems, you might feel comfortable, but you’re not going to have the chance to learn and grow the way you need to. Trying something new is crucial to growth and innovation, whether that means taking on a new position or just serving something new on the breakfast menu you’ve never served before. By stepping up and stepping out of one’s comfort zone, you’ll not only discover better professional opportunities for yourself as somebody within the school foodservice field, but you’ll also have more opportunities to appeal to the students you serve every day. Find all this valuable insight in our July/August issue highlighting these topics:
- Best Foot Forward: Introducing Shannon Gleave: Shannon Gleave, SNA’s new President, followed an unusual path to reach her career in the school nutrition field. Who would’ve thought that a healthy life change like quitting smoking would lead her to a Nutrition 100 class in community college, and eventually inspire her to pursue a degree in dietetics? It’s one of the reasons Gleave sees her presidency as an opportunity to help other SNA members realize their own potential and get outside the comfort zone they’ve always known.
- A Continual Learning Curve: Some school foodservice directors have been in their positions for several years and are still making new discoveries about the job every single day. It’s not the kind of job a person figures out after a few weeks. Here’s what a few foodservice workers had to say about what’s they’ve learned over the years, what surprised them and what challenges they continue to face.
- What’s Your Communication Style? Everyone’s communication style is a little different, and when you understand yours, it helps you create something of a user manual for a stronger team—what you don’t have patience for, what you value, how you receive feedback, and so forth. By determining these factors, you can reduce friction within your team and create synergy so everyone is their most productive.
- Food Focus: Good Morning, World! When you think of breakfast, you might think of typical fare like eggs, waffles and bacon, but when you expand your perspective on what’s often considered “the most important meal of the day,” you’ll discover global dishes that will make breakfast much more enticing for even the students who claim they aren’t hungry first thing in the morning. Consider dishes like Asian-style porridge, taco egg cups, breakfast pear empanadas and more featured in this article.
Click here to read SN’s July/August 2024 issue to discover all of those articles, and more!
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