By Christopher Wiesman, Deli Manager, Co-op Owner
For those of you who don’t know, I’ve worked at GreenTree for over eight years now. Before that, I was on the Board of Directors for two years. And before that, I was an enthusiastic shopper (thanks to the venerable Angie Pohlman who taught me the ways of shopping at the Co-op). It’s impossible to work somewhere for as long as I have without accumulating some life lessons, quick tips, and best practices. I’ve created many recipes that I am proud of, worked with a number of people I’ve grown to love, and, of course, made quite a few mistakes along the way. But the failures and successes I’ve had while working at GreenTree have given me the opportunity to learn, and learning is what I love most in life (well, that and napping). I want to share with you just a snippet wisdom I’ve collected during my tenure at the Co-op from the shoppers, my coworkers, and, of course, the food. Here are some of my favorites!
- Everything you make needs more salt. Salt your food while you’re cooking, and you’ll end up with less sodium in your meal overall.
- No matter how much you know, there’s someone who knows more. (And even the people who don’t, somehow how still do.) Be open to learning.
- The people you work with become like family, so treat them like it.
- Equipment—especially the expensive stuff—always breaks with surprising ease and frequency.
- Take responsibility for the mistakes and share the credit.
- Never assume people know what you know.
- No to-do list is ever as long as it seems.
- Bees love flying very close to your head, especially when you’re trying to work outside.
- Coworkers come and go, but burn scars last forever.
- Don’t be afraid to take a vacation.
I feel truly fortunate to have been able to spend the last ten years with GreenTree. You all have taught me so much! But we’re not done yet: I’d like to hear from you. With GreenTree’s expansion approaching, I’d like to know what you want for our deli. We have a short 3-question survey we hope you’ll take a few minutes to fill out. We want to create the best department we possibly can for you, so don’t be shy! Thanks for 10 great years, everyone.
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