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Traditional Feasts

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Yesterday, one of my daughters and I were the Chef’s for Christmas Day Dinner, turkey with all the trimmings.

We started early afternoon with oodles of enthusiasm by placing the turkey in the oven, peeling potatoes, preparing the other vegetables, roast potatoes, pigs in blankets, stuffing, gravy, bread sauce, Yorkshire puddings – it was our annual feast!

Time passed – we both noticed how we quickly began to tire. Our initial vigour started to wane. Giving each other a little pep talk until we once again found our stride.

My other daughter set the table and before we knew it, all 8 of us were sat down tucking into our delicious meal together. It was a feast alright. In fact, afterwards we felt so full that we both collapsed on the sofa for a wee nap to recover – we were exhausted!

As I reflected upon the experience I recognised there was a lot of learning going on!

Preparation – we needed lots of that

Planning – getting things done in the right order

Enthusiasm – was key to getting the job done

Teamwork – working together made it easier and fun

Precision – Ensuring that each step produced the right result

After years of going solo as the Christmas Chef – what a delight it was to start a new fun tradition with my daughter.

Have you any new traditions?

Shared Repertoire

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“Would you like a pair of slippers Daryl?” “Yes please” I replied.  “I packed my own” said Philip, as we each spontaneously burst into a fit of laughter.  Our new common practice as Extra Dependent Team (EDT) coaches, meant that our shared repertoire now required the wearing of a pair of slippers.  Much better even, if they were your own and transported from a far-flung part of Europe!

“Shared Repertoire” – its not a simple phrase that just rolls off the tongue – that’s for sure.  But knuckling down under the watchful eye of our master coach Dave and working through some simple steps together, we came to understand the power of this new-fangled term.

As a new team member, sometimes it’s a little difficult to fit in.  My fellow coaches had already been working together for a while, I was the newbie.

We started to explore what we each consistently do across the team.  Picking up our markers, the flipchart was quickly filled as we recorded our competencies, processes, jargon, tools, equipment, along with our stories of success and failure.  Dave had a new term for all of that too. And then it happened.  We recognised that we were much, much stronger together, we were in sync, in one powerful moment, it felt safe with each other. I felt at home.

What does your team have, that others don’t? How do you sync with one another?