Book notes: Work Clean

Values of mise-en-place

Mise-en-place is a French culinary term that describes having the right tools, ingredients, and processes .

In Work Clean, Dan Charnas puts this concept into the context of running any organization. He shows how the principles of mise-en-place can be used to optimize workflows. This is so to create a more productive, organized, and focused work environment.

Excellence comes from executing with the highest quality, and delivering that product in the right place and right time.

Here are some of the core values associated with mise-en-place:

...the striver knows that excellence is not about creating something of the highest quality; it’s delivering something of the highest quality, with all the constraints that delivery entails—deadlines, expectations, contingencies, feedback.

Excellence through the entire process: Excellence happens through the entire process of creation. The endstate is to ensure a final product is delivered at the end.

Total utilisation: A philosophy to use every part of an animal or vegetable, but also applies to resources in general.

Time and place for everything: Doing the right things, at the right time, and ensuring everyone is in their right place.

There is a time and a place for everything: A time to work and a time to play. A time to plan and a time to abandon our plans. And yes, a time to clean and a time to let things accumulate. The world’s mise-en-place encompasses all.

How does mise-en-place work?

Mise-en-place comprises three central values: preparation, process, and presence.

Preparation: with thorough capture of what is needed to be done, and ensuring that they are scheduled. The worker is able to focus on the execution. The key is creating an honest relationship with time.

His mastery of the expected would enable him to better deal with the unexpected. You plan what you can so you can deal with what you can’t.

Process: by starting the required steps, and ensuring the project is finished. We ensure it can be delivered timely and to the expectations of the recipient.

Presence: by clearing the space of distractions. The chef is able to focus on the task at hand, and deliver a quality product.

Through ensuring these 3 areas are taken care of, mise-en-place creates space in the physical and mental realms. The chef has organised things to minimise the use of energy to move between tasks.

Without learning how to work, and work clean—meaning to do that work with economy of time, space, motion, and thought—they can’t cook professionally.

Tactics in creating and preserving mise-en-place

Using a Daily Meeze to organise the next day by mapping out the actions to take. When we are taking said actions, we can then focus on execution.

If you were to take only one recommendation from this book, creating a Daily Meeze is the paramount habit.

While doing the Daily Meeze, there are two key principles:

1. honesty with time, and
2. logical sequencing.

Planning is thinking before moving. Movement is that thought embodied.

Cleaning as you go creates boundaries between actions, changing the context. This also clears the mental space of the cook, enabling them to switch their attention toward other tasks.

Making distinctions between discrete tasks by resetting the table creates important boundaries between individual tasks and is a great way to clean as you go.

About controlling the physical space: everything has a place. Practise using those resources with minimum movement, and clean as you go.

...the act of cleaning spaces maintained an optimal mind state for a cook. Thus the most important notion about cleaning was when cooks were supposed to do it: all the time.

Taking process actions first to unlock progress of other actors. Their tasks may take a period which is non-negotiable. Even more likely, non-negotiable by you.

Completing actions clear the mind of the open loop created by the unfinished tasks. More importantly, the project is worthless without having it delivered.

Charlene Johnson-Hadley respected the iron law of the kitchen: A dish that is 90 percent finished has the same worth as a dish that is zero percent finished.

Keep things smooth to keep calm. After the planning is completed, the chef can focus on the task at hand. Any emergencies that come about are handled with grace.

If you’re running, it’s because you aren’t prepared. If you’re running, you’re wasting energy. If you’re running, you’re not thinking. If you’re running, you’re acting like a cook.

Entering a space calmly, under your own control, and without apology retains your power and dignity.

Even in challenging times, take steps one at a time. With sloppy movements and rushing come the surrender of excellence to the chaos.

Call to Action

Start a Daily Meeze. Take 15 minutes at the end of the day to plan the next day, in order, using the above core values of mise-en-place.

Clean as you go. At any point in time, work to clear your physical space. This cultivates a clear mental space as well.

Finish your work. Make it a goal to clear all your open loops and deliver the projects to their clients on time.

Start with small steps and work your way up, the perfection in excellence will come with practice.