Often, I am in Billings conducting leadership and emotional intelligence trainings. And one popular restaurant I greatly enjoy is NaRa Sushi. You either love sushi or you don’t. I happen to love it, even though I was born and raised in the Midwest. Go figure.
At one particular dinner with friends, I rounded off a flawless day with a delicious dinner at NaRa. It was so much fun watching Dae Shin, the Korean chef, make sushi rolls. But what filled me more were the lessons of success that were so evident and are crucial to business!
Estimated reading time: 3 minutes
The sushi chef crafted perfection; his relentless precision was inspiring to observe! It reminded me that when you apply attention to an activity with precision repeatedly, magic happens.
Chef Dae Shin applied some important principles to make his magic happen and produced an outstanding meal.
Let me share a few principles I witnessed.
Lessons from a Sushi Chef to Pave the Way for Business Success
Apply yourself consistently with focused attention and mindfulness.
The sushi chef made deliberate motions calculated to be highly efficient. It was apparent that he had practiced so much that every movement was automatic, done exactly the same way each time. He could talk and entertain his customers without missing a beat, while assembling the most elaborate dishes.
Dae told me he started learning how to make sushi at age four—
he certainly has achieved the 10,000-hour rule for world-class expertise that Gladwell refers to in his book Outliers.
If you want to master an activity, the brain requires consistent and deliberate focus to make it effortless. Mastery comes when we apply focused attention.
Take action that delights.
Dae commented to me that he makes dishes people will eat. He was a master at creating recipes that were regular favorites, which people repeatedly requested. One of them is the Volcano. By paying attention to what people really like, Dae established a thriving business.
Pay attention to what delights, whether it’s yourself, your spouse, your children, your customers, or the neighbors. Then take action accordingly.
Create an environment that supports you.
Behind the sushi counter at NaRa, Dae strategically placed everything to utilize the small space efficiently. The ingredients most used were closest at hand, a time management strategy. Dae also recently purchased a specialized machine to compress and cut rice the exact size needed for rolls to keep up with the growing demand.
Does your environment support you in your work?
Related reading: "A Feng Shui Checklist."
Make order a priority.
Dae cleaned up as he went, so there was never a mess or chaos. After each roll or dish, he immediately reestablished the order. The entire evening was like watching a graceful ballet, as he returned containers to their exact place, swiped a fresh cloth across the cutting board, prepared his sharp knife for the next cut, and layered each ingredient perfectly for the next dish.
Order creates a framework for success. Where in your life could you benefit from more order?
Love what you do, and do what you love.
There is nothing more pleasurable to me than watching someone who works with passion and love. When we love what we do, whether it’s making sushi, or meticulously completing the latest report at work, true focus comes most readily when fueled by passion.
Do you love what you do for a living? Are you pursuing hobbies that enthrall you? There’s no time like today to discover what makes your heart sing!
After this extraordinary experience, I decided that I enjoy sushi so much that I should learn how to make it myself.
In fact, when I asked Dae if he’d come all the way to Livingston or Bozeman to cater a sushi party, he said yes! Maybe he can teach me while he’s here.
Business owners and leaders sometimes forget just how critical the above principles of success are. Follow the five lessons and tips for success, and you'll see a surge of greater success in your work and business.
Deep Dive: "What Is Mindfulness? And Why All the Hubbub?"
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