THE BUSINESS MIND VS THE CREATIVE MIND: WHICH ARE YOU? K12 FRESH K12 CONTENT FROM
IDENTIFYING YOUR STRENGTHS AND WEAKNESSES CAN HELP YOU TO GROW INTO THE SCHOOL NUTRITION PROFESSIONAL YOU WANT TO BE!
I always believed there to be two types of people that work in school nutrition: those that “geek out” on the business aspect of our programs (budgets, food cost, meals per labor hour etc.) and those that would rather focus their efforts on the “fun stuff” (menu innovation, staff training, so- cial media etc.). The former individual is often described as someone who is data-driven while the latter individual is described as someone who is pas- sion-driven. While the most successful SNPs are a mix of both, I think it is safe to say we all naturally find ourselves gravitating to one of these profiles vs the other. Speaking for myself, I am nat- urally the individual who has always been the more creative-minded type. I am the visionary, the big-picture think- er, and the person who is more inter- ested in the people, idea creation, and marketing rather than the financial as- pect of our programs. When I was an Assistant Director for 6 years, I never thought twice about this weakness of mine, because I worked so closely with my boss who was very business-mind- BY STEFANIE GIANNINI
ed. We balanced each other out perfect- ly! She knew how to delegate projects and tasks that fit my strengths and in- terests, while also teaching me the busi- ness end of our programs (even if she knew I was starting to zone out haha!) However, once I took over as direc- tor, I became unsure of my abilities; I
thought, “what successful director isn’t operationally and financially savvy?!” I am happy to share that through trial and error, vulnerable question-asking, and curious information seeking, I am now making informed decisions, crav- ing more data, and feeling more con- fident in my financial and operational knowledge. I share this story as a testament that you can favor certain aspects of this field, while still developing the other aspects that maybe don’t come naturally for you. So whether you lean towards the business-minded type or towards the creative-minded type (or maybe you’re the perfect mix of both), below are a handful of tips you can uti- lize to strengthen your weakness. You can also use these tips to help develop those around you who are struggling in one area versus the other.
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Through trial and error, vulnerable question-asking, and curious information seeking, I am now making informed decisions, craving more data, and feeling more confident in my financial and operational knowledge.”
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PHOTO COURTESY OF ADOBE STOCK
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