More...on the last one

I have quite a bit of work to get through after this - cleaning up, packing up and stuff - i but i think a few minutes on this will be worth the effort.

[ Sidetrack# I am reading Anthony Bourdain's Kitchen confidential: Adventures in the culinary underbelly - an absolutely gorgeous read if ever there was one. Its a kind of autobiography, cook book and a sort of mini book on management.]

Back to the main theme - i think - with reference to the old post below - my old man has been essentially trying to tell / teach me what Anthony Bourdain is trying to say in one of his chapters - relevant text typed out here to make more sense:

" I can break down line cooks in to three subgroups:

You've got your artists: The annoying, high-maintenance minority. This groups includes specialists, butchers, garde-manger psychos, the occasional saucier whose sauces are so ethereal and perfect that delusions of grandeur are tolerated.

Then there are exiles : People who cant make a living in any other business, could never survive 9 to 5 jobs, wear a tie or blend in with the civilized society - and their comrades

Finally, there are the mercenaries: People do it for cash, do it professionally and do it well. Cooks who, though they have little love or natural proclivity for cuisine, do it at a high level because they are paid well to do it - and because they are professionals.
Cooking is a craft i like to think, and a good cook is a craftsman - NOT - an artist.

Theres nothing wrong with that : the great cathedrals of Europe were built by craftsmen - though not designed by them. Practicing your craft in expert fashion is noble, honorable and satisfying. "

It what my dad keeps saying - mildly most of the time - severely at times like today (with a nice dose of sarcasm) - truely sucessful business people have always been people who are people with lesser knowledge of the wider world, people who dream less, people who sit on their arses all day at routine day jobs and practice their craft with consistency and discipline.

Nowadays thats what he says all the time - sit down, work at more fundamental aspects of the business like systems, infrastructure - etc. - the trouble started when i send him a big email giving list of plant requirements / deficiency analysis of our plants vis-a-vis - ANVISA/COFEPRIS requirements (they are the FDA equivalents of Brasil and Mexico) and giving him information that i received from the consultant - he wants me to bring my ass down there and do it myself. He said something like: "Easy to write up an email in one night. It takes more than knowing to get what u ask done. We'll see, wont we ? "

I guess i should save the dreamer's hat for special occasions and try and learn to be a craftsman.

But seriously, i have some advice for any dreamy, hyperactive, distraction prone young person who wants join the family business - especially if the business is not like pyramidal, fully manager run companies like Godrej or Tata or something - you ought to be prepared for a really rough ride.

Be strong. Be patient and be prepared to HATE your normally docile, friendly old man - whos suddenly turned into Colonel Jessep :)