Recognition (and fun) are a spur to achievement
Crash, bang, wallop. The general manager of the Marriott Hanbury Manor hotel and a colleague are about to address a room full of (potentially) top hospitality managers when four black-suited, black-Balaclava'd ruffians burst through the doors. "Nobody move!" they shout (nobody moves). "We're taking these two hostage" (nobody moves). "We're taking them out of here" (still nobody moves). "Anybody follows and they're dead" (a few people shuffle, but nobody follows). Bye-bye Alan Williams and friend.
So begins the 2002 Acorn winners' weekend celebrations. It's just a stunt, of course. The 30 under-30 high achievers are set a series of tasks, the completion of each task revealing a clue that ultimately leads to the release of the captives (and still no one moves).
This is the fun part of winning an Acorn. The following day is more serious, with a formal lunch, presentation of the awards themselves and speeches from representatives of the industry and the sponsor, Caterplan, a division of Unilever Bestfoods.
These three elements - fun, formality and funding - are worth closer analysis, because each represents something significant in the world of hospitality today.
It is easy sometimes to get bogged down in the seriousness of working at a job, of progressing and achieving career milestones. To stop and have fun is also important. After all, the most common reason that workers give for sticking with the industry is the people they meet, the friends they make and the fun they have.
The formality of the occasion comes from the fact that the Acorns are a form of recognition, and recognition is an important part of the battle against the recruitment crisis. In the past, employers have too often taken staff for granted, feeding them like cannon fodder into the firing line of long hours, low pay. With the current skills shortage, that is - thankfully - no longer viable. Staff need nurturing and protecting and rewarding and recognising. Nothing motivates an employee more than the thought that their boss values their contribution enough to nominate them for an award and that they will be chosen for that award by their peers.
Finally, there is the support of the sponsor. In the case of the Acorns, Caterplan has been with the scheme since it began - 15 years in total. That longevity says something about how this particular food manufacturer values the awards but, more than that, it is an indication that suppliers to the industry in general are prepared to give as well as take.
It would be too easy to assume, cynically, that suppliers sponsor events such as conferences, cooking competitions and kidnappings simply for commercial reasons. Most operators in this industry feel a genuine drive to "pay back" from time to time.
Crash, bang, wallop, it's the Acorn season again. Fifteen years on from the first awards, there are now more than 450 past winners. Those winners are now nominating Acorns for themselves. They do that because they value the importance of recognition, along with a bit of fun. So should we all.
Forbes Mutch
Editor,
Caterer & Hotelkeeper
