High Performance Culture: Genuine & Pure

Inspiring experiences from the kitchen of De Librije***, one of the world’s best restaurants, in order to achieve exceptional team performance

An opportunity

Fine products and ingredients for a dish, as for example a bell-pepper, can make be genuinely happy. That deep-red shining. The sweet-bitter taste. The crisp sound when I put the tip of my knife into it. I enjoy feeling and smelling fresh produce; it always inspires me with ideas for a savoury meal. Making a shopping list is not necessary, nor is a recipe. I do want to be inspired indeed, but I don’t want to imitate someone else’s trick. I want to present something by putting my own heart and soul into it.

My visit for a dinner (a table in the kitchen!) to three-star restaurant ‘De Librije’ in Zwolle felt as if I entered a holy place. That evening, I wasn’t really a sociable conversation partner. My eyes constantly wandered off to the kitchen, where around twelve cooks from six different countries were at work. I noticed no cursing or clashing of pans, but an almost serene quiet. No artificial hospitality, but sincere interest for a sound discussion. How on earth was it possible that the chef Jonnie Boer took extensive time to tell me about the fermentation process of the beetroot juice he served together with the crab? I was even permitted to stroll into the kitchen to have a look at the pans and chat with the cooks, whereas at the same time around eighty guests with high expectations were at their respective tables. The passion I experienced above the pans was incredible.

Later that evening, Jonnie and his partner Therèse joined us on the terrace. I told them how fascinated I had become by the almost relaxed atmosphere in the kitchen, whereas a top performance was made. The attention spent on each and every detail. The control each team member radiated. The personal contact, genuine hospitality. The unrivaled high culinary level.

“If you really want to understand how we do this, you must come and work with us at least one week”, Therèse challenged me.

Join in? Me? In one of the best kitchens in the world? I immediately said yes. Of course!

High Performance in the kitchen

Some months before I was about to sit at the kitchen table of De Librije, I had resigned from my job. For almost twenty years, I executed commercial management positions at international, corporate companies (Compaq, HP, Lenovo). I wanted to invest in the (re)development of my own authenticity and find a work environment that would inspire me once again. I therefore decided to take a sabbatical. 

In the kitchen of Librije I discovered an important part of the inspiration I was in search of. Without the kitchen brigade ever having heard of something like a ‘High Performance Culture’, the team displayed itself as a textbook example. Never before in my professional life had I experienced something like this. This was not a trick resulting from the advice of a leading management agency. No study book or PowerPoint presentation was involved here. This was something unique. Something real. Something that moved me.

I exchanged my tailor-made suit for a newly purchased chef’s jacket. Together with a respected friend I reported that morning at 9:30 hours in the kitchen, not knowing what was to be expected. However, the team immediately accepted me and linked me to a number of cooks. That week I peeled crates full of fresh shrimp and shelled thousands of beech-nuts. I sampled trays full of lettuce leaves one by one for suitability. I garnished plates by putting upright fried pine-needles next to each other with tweezers in moulds of pumpkin puree. I made light potato balls and sorted the self-made chocolates on glass plates. Meanwhile I took in everything that was happening around me and held many discussions with the cooks who told me everything about their respective ‘party’ - say: a part of the kitchen for a certain dish.

Each night upon my return to the hotel, I wrote down what I had witnessed. Physically undermined but full of adrenaline I described the special culture in the kitchen. I was moved by it in such a manner that I decided to further elaborate on my experiences. The unique culture at De Librije in which with the precision of a Swiss clock unique performances are made can help any manager to provide an impulse to his team or organization.

I allow others to share in my inspiration. However, without the back-pain I was confronted with after the long, intensive days at work.

Characteristics of success

On average, at De Librije fifteen plates are prepared per cover, containing about twenty actions per plate. In case of eighty guests, this adds up to 24,000 (!) manual actions per evening, excluding the preparations during the day and the actions during serving. Failure does not exist. It really does not. How do Jonnie and Therèse Boer manage this? My observations can be summarised and grouped around four themes:

Character is more important than knowledge and experience

The invitation I was presented with to join in for one week shows that everyone has a chance working at De Librije. As long as you possess passion for the profession, a critical and eager-to-learn work attitude, and sincere involvement with the team, you will fit right in. An impressive CV does not convince Jonnie and Therèse. Character, passion, and an open work attitude do. The rest can be learnt, thus the couple.

All team members in the kitchen share a dedication that borders the fanatical. The high level of concentration remains continuous during the whole day; distractions only occur during the scarce and short breaks. No wandering around, gossip, surfing on the web, or playing around with a mobile phone. People are busy with their profession here, and cannot be disturbed at that. Period. The energy that is needed to substantiate the high level of De Librije is obtained from shared pride and passion by all employees. You can feel that when asking the cooks about a product or a method of preparation. One by one they radiate while explaining about it.

Quality is not tampered with. Never

The all-out concept of ‘quality’ has been elaborated at De Librije in the smallest detail. For each recipe, for each garnished plate, for each leaf of lettuce. The quality requirements of De Librije are measurable and crystal-clear. And there is no tampering with them. Never. A commercial compromise is out of the question. The precision with which the kitchen brigade carries out its task is almost touching. Everyone knows his task and makes a 100% effort. Complaints or curses are never heard. With an average age of 25 years’, the young brigade of De Librije excels in maturity. One dares to look into the mirror instead of out the window.

Apart from the strict production machine, the kitchen of De Librije is also sort of a laboratory, an R&D department. Chef Jonnie continuously devises new concoctions of flavours, methods of preparation, and dishes. The kitchen is famous for its notebook in which he sketches possibly new dishes. Jonnie experiments a lot, whereby the complete brigade looks on, tastes, and assesses. The brigade itself comes up with ideas for improvement as well. By regularly rotating tasks, the view on existing sub-processes remains fresh. This results in a continuous flow of small and large innovations.

Managing by sharing

In the kitchen of De Librije there is no room for lone wolves or prima donnas. Once the kitchen becomes under pressure, the team immediately bundles all forces in order to solve possible problems, regardless of the hierarchy. What has to be done is being done, including the ‘lesser’ activities such as emptying the dust bin. Of course, something goes wrong at De Librije every now and then, but guests hardly ever experience this. This is because everyone does what has to be done in order to live up to the high expectations.

Chef Jonnie is very critical, but in a stimulating way. He not only provides his employees with instructions and advice (what & how), but spends as much attention to the ‘why’. He can tell enthralling stories on products, combinations, and ways of presentation. As a result of this, a solid connection between the ‘big picture’ of the chef and the implementation materializes. He shares an experience instead of only managing on (financial) output. His people understand the message, they believe in it, and do everything to propagate it.

Chef Jonnie takes ample time to discuss with each employee what ‘winning’ means to him. I, for instance, witnessed a discussion of one hour (!) on the ideal color, hardness, ingredients, and dimensions of wholegrain bread. The team members often discuss the profession amongst themselves as well. With respect for everyone’s role they discuss each other’s performance, and tips and compliments are exchanged in abundance.

Fun & Laughing

Despite or maybe even because of the enormous pressure of the three stars, a lot of laughing can be heard from the kitchen as well. Successes are celebrated and people play around with each other in a respectful manner. It is a way of letting off steam for a second. The conga of a number of cooks through the streets surrounding the restaurant, with one of them dressed in his boxer-short in front, was hilarious. The comment of one of the residents, namely that this was not suitable for a top-class business, was resolutely rejected by chef Jonnie: “Even in a top-class business laughing must be possible.”

From Chef Jonnie’s kitchen back to the business community

Despite the fact that my future is not in the cooking branch (I am too fond of the international business community for that), I will never forget my time in one of the best kitchens in the world. Firstly, since I started to love ‘cooking’ even more. But certainly also because it showed me crystal-clear what I further want with my professional life in the corporate world: working in a culture with talented, authentic people, who are proud of what they are doing and dare and can show something personal of themselves in their work. The teamwork is important. Who look together into the mirror if things can go better, instead of out of the window.

Something genuine, something pure - and something ambitious. Does not everyone wish for the same?

Boerenwijsheden

Together with Tjeerd den Boer I wrote the rewarded book "Boerenwijsheden" about De Librije - how to perform on such a high level for so many years? See the link below for more info (in Dutch only, translation in English expected in 2020).