So, there I stood—the chef’s apron ablaze, the Baked Alaska engulfed in a fiery rum-induced disaster, and the kitchen resembling a scene from an action movie. Pure chaos.
In this surreal moment, I wondered, “How did I end up here?”
Just weeks before, I’d rolled into Bar Harbor on my motorcycle with an empty wallet and a hungry stomach. Spotting a cruise ship docked at the pier, I struck up a conversation with the gangway watchman.
“How do I get a job on this thing?” I asked.
“Can you start today?” he responded eagerly.
Without hesitation, I agreed, unknowingly stepping into a new, chaotic chapter. The entire kitchen staff had abruptly quit, leaving me alone as the sole “galley slave.”
My new reality was seven relentless days a week, working 6 AM to 9 PM. Scrubbing pots, stirring lobster bisque, washing endless dishes—it was a frantic race to prep and serve every meal.
Tasks piled up incessantly, leaving no time for essential maintenance. Broken tools, like the pan sprayer crucial for handling mountains of dirty cookware, were simply ignored. Repairs were viewed more as “good ideas” than action items.
Then came the infamous Baked Alaska incident. As flames erupted across the dessert—and the chef himself—he desperately grabbed the broken sprayer to extinguish the fire. But, no water flowed.
Panic flashed across his face.
As leaders, this moment illustrates a powerful truth: neglecting maintenance, whether personal or organizational, carries dire consequences.
When we ignore our mental, emotional, physical, and spiritual well-being, we undermine our capacity as effective leaders.
Similarly, neglecting our current clients while chasing new ones can erode our business’s foundation.
In manufacturing and beyond, deferred maintenance leads to catastrophic breakdowns, costly repairs, and disruption that could have been prevented.
Problems don’t vanish when ignored—they escalate, erupt, and set your organization ablaze.
Address those neglected systems and overlooked issues now. Otherwise, you’ll find yourself like our chef—running around in flames, wondering where it all went wrong.