“I’m retiring in 2-3 years, so I don’t want to start anything new. Whoever follows after me will have to take that up.”
“I’ve still got a few years left and I’m going to do whatever I can to make a difference now and set up the next person to go even farther.”
Those were parts of two conversations/interactions I had while speaking with school nutrition directors in my booth at CSNA last week. The start of any conversation for me is getting to know where people are, what they’re doing, what they want to do, and then seeing if there’s a match and mutual benefit that we can provide.
Sure I was hoping to have districts utilize our services, but I don't hard-sell. I ask if someone would like me to follow up and if so, what is the best way for them? If someone says they won’t be able to address our services for at least six months I ask if it’s OK to follow up in six to seven months. If they say it will be a year, I respect that (and ask if they’d like to at least get this newsletter in the meantime).
All information is helpful to understand better the people we hope to serve.
People in education work hard. As the child of educators, I saw this first-hand and now I see it in the amazing teams of school nutrition professionals we serve. But that stark difference between inspired and defeated sticks with me.
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Part of me wanted to say, “I get that you’re tired. I get that maybe you don’t have the support to do what you really want, or perhaps you inherited a dysfunctional team or system that gets on every last good nerve you have. I’m sorry and I wish you well.”
But the other voice in my head wants to say, “So you’re willing to keep doing the same thing for another 2-3 years? You won’t grow. Your staff won’t grow, and whoever takes over for you will have a staff that doesn’t know what it’s like to grow. Most importantly, the students you serve will miss out on all that you have to offer. They will only solidify whatever opinions they have about school food and how they engage with food more broadly. That’s not fair to anyone!”
On the flip side was someone full of passion and desire. Someone who spoke about how they had seen their team grow their capacity and abilities in ways that inspired them. That growth wasn't about wringing every last bit from their team but about expanding their worlds and their opportunities.
The same held true for the students this person serves. They talked about students expanding their palettes, trying new foods, and seeing that the people who served them meals each day cared about their bodies, minds, and hearts.
To both of these people, I really wanted to say, “Don’t stop! Don't stop moving yourself and your teams and your students forward. Don’t stop looking for new opportunities to help your department grow. Don’t stop offering new foods to students and letting them know that they matter. Don’t stop pushing your suppliers for foods that are better and that excite your students. Don't stop telling people about the amazing work that your team do each and every day.”
My hope is that in 2-3 years we’ll be able to look back and see how far things have come. That we’ll be able to say, “Can you believe what we’ve been able to do in just 2-3 years?” That you will have grown, your team will have grown, and the students we all serve will have grown into a richer and fuller place because of the food you serve, the care you provide, and the heart you put into what you do.
Don't stop! You’re more powerful than you know.
