Preparing Your Team For Post Covid-19 Changes
With Bart Christian, who is a nationally recognized speaker and the school nutrition industry and Joe Pettit, supervisor for Charleston County School District in South Carolina.
School Nutrition Education Program
Preparing Your Team For Post Covid-19 Changes
USDA Professional Standards Code 3440/3450/4140/4110
Guest
Bart Christian, who is a nationally recognized speaker and the school nutrition industry.
Joe Pettit, with more than 20 years of experience as a leader in the food and beverage industry with six
of those being in school nutrition, Joe brings experience and passion to see others at their best. His current
role is a supervisor for Charleston County school district in South Carolina. He also owns a professional
speaking business where he presents leadership and motivational talks for corporations, state national
SNA conferences and school assemblies.
What are the Five Ps and how can we apply them?
1. Plan
2. Prepare
3. Plant the seed
4. Practice
5. Produce
Ways to have a positive mindset during tough times
• It is never too late to start a plan.
• Have a vision of what you dream about.
• That way you can start to build that hope and that dream.
• Remember that if they can do it, you can do it as well.
E plus R equals O by Jack Canfield
• It means Events plus your Response/actions equals your Outcome.
• We can’t control the events that will happen to us. We can influence the outcome but what you
can have control of is how you will respond to the events.
The School Nutrition Industry in the next years
• If the school nutrition department’s vision is great service, great food, great quality and great
customer service even before this pandemic happened, it will still be their vision.
• We can use the momentum that has been created through this pandemic.
• We have been catapulted into national spotlight in a positive way so that’s going to allow us to
have a little bit more say
• When the city starts to set out more definition on how school administrators should do it, we
will adapt and make sure we deliver the best possible product and service.
New norms in serving food to the kids
• Some schools may encourage students to go outside of their classroom to get the food but
would impose rules to abide with social distancing.
• Grab and go meals will be practiced more.
• We will see more kiosks and carts.
How can directors/site managers keep their staff believe in and motivated and inspired to do what
they do if the kids are not in front of them every day?
• Always remember your ultimate goal, why are you here and why are you doing this—for the
students. They are the heart of our work
• Continue to make your staff feel that what they are doing is important.
• Appreciation is a huge factor that we’re going to have to connect with.
• Show them that you care about them as a person and not just on a boss – employee level.
What are the tools/resources they can use to continue the communication with their staff and keeping them motivated during this time of the pandemic?
• There are other different companies providing the same service but Zoom is definitely getting all
the love right now.
• You cannot cut training right now instead, double down on that to make sure your team feels
like you care and so they can feel that you’re pouring into them.
• This is also an opportunity for the school districts to get a new culture of training that will allow
all the stop to continue getting the training that they need even during this pandemic.
• Motivation wears out if there are no reinforcement so this situation will allow directors to build
a new culture of training.
• School districts usually hold a big district meeting at the beginning of the year but today, that
can be hard given the situation. You can instead use a different approach with the same fee, you
can get the keynote speaker to do an ongoing training (ex, three months) and it would be more
valuable rather than doing it in one go.
• We need to embrace the technology that, that we’re now being forced to use on a regular basis.
How to get your staff on board for this?
• Patience – We have to understand that they are not going to accept this change overnight so we
have to be patience of the process.
• Persistent – Constantly remind.
• Politeness – You can accomplish so much if you practice politeness. Tell them what they need to
do but be polite about it. Make sure to deliver news in a polite way even if it is bad news.
• Make them understand why they need to do it. They may not agree with you but if they know
the reason behind it, most of the time it works.
How do I start my goal setting?
• Ride your goals
• Know the WHYs
• Have your first and second step
• Have accountability
• Write down your goals