Warren Farrer’s Post

As I wrap up my first month at US Foods, I'm reminded of the quote by Bill Nye: “Everyone you will ever meet knows something you don't.” In just a few weeks, I’ve connected with many knowledgeble colleagues and learned something new in every conversation. Every conversation has reinforced the importance of collaboration and the value of diverse perspectives in driving innovation and success. I look forward to more months of learning and collaborating together. #newbeginnings #lifelonglearning #personalgrowth

In a beehive, producing the optimal amount of honey requires each of the bees to be in sync with the needs of the colony. This precept is also true in our work lives. When you are in alignment with the needs of your organization, the honey flows and you are on your way to bee-coming indispensable. Don’t you want to be that employee that the boss gives a subtle nod to when the deadline is met, the sale is made, the quota is surpassed or the project is successful? And who wants to be that manager that both the employees and the leadership of the organization know they can count on? And should lean times come again and a team in your organization is sitting around the table deciding what resources they cannot afford to lose, who wants to do everything they can to be on that list? If you answered yes to any of those questions, then Bee-come Indispensable is for you. This parable of the bees is a fun way to highlight the challenges of organizations and culminates in very specific and practical guidance and instruction that employees, supervisors, managers and even leaders can use to bee-come indispensable! #BeecomeIndispensable by john britt and Jan Green

“Doesn't everyone want to be doing things they are good at as often as they can?” I'm pleased as punch to bubble up the awesomeness that is Tara Anderson, Mountain America Credit Union’s very own Café General Manager. In her role, Tara is responsible for all food service operations and cafe events at our Cairns Café located in our Sandy Mountain America HQ location. Her reach extends into financial management, reporting and analysis, business reviews, employee management, and guest service and interaction. A few months ago, I had the good fortune to chat with Tara about her CliftonStrengths. Tara leads with Strategic, Individualization, Learner, Woo, and Communication, and it has been inspiring to watch how quickly she has put those strengths to action. I asked Tara what value she’s found in knowing her CliftonStrengths and how she created opportunities for her department of over 70 team members to learn what they do best. “With CliftonStrengths, I learned a language around what I already do well and what I gravitate towards. It allowed me to see myself through a lens of capacity and potential. I also see that when I am struggling, I am likely not using my strengths properly. Often times, we focus on improving weak areas; CliftonStrengths allows us (if we choose) to use our natural tendencies to tackle work and lead in an unlimited capacity. At the beginning of the year, my Senior Vice President asked if anyone had a suggestion for a team-wide goal for 2024. I immediately knew this would benefit our entire team, "top to bottom." Everyone benefits when they understand their abilities and how they operate; when you combine that with team leaders having this valuable knowledge it allows for great understanding and hopefully better use of the talent we have. Doesn't everyone want to be doing things they are good at as often as they can?” If you've every stopped by the Cairns Cafe, you know firsthand what amazing experiences Tara creates for us all. Thank you, Tara for bringing out the best in all of us! #cliftonstrengths #teamdevelopment #culture

From leadership insights to elevating your career, PepsiCo's Ram Krishnan discussed his strategy and provided great advice for fellow leaders in an interview with Fortune's Massimo Marioni. If you haven't already, be sure to check out their new 'Champion Mindset' interview series!

I wanted to highlight one of my Executives, Claudia Lechado . I was observing her run our trailer today, and I just had a proud moment. We hired Claudia for my Small Format store a few years ago as the Food & Beverage Team Leader. We had to learn each other, and our leadership styles. One thing I always appreciated about her was that she knew how to provide feedback, but she always took feedback and was accountable when it was warranted. She ran an amazing department, and developed a passionate team. When I left Coral Gables and took this assignment, I learned the Executive for General Merchandise & Food recently resigned. I knew I needed a leader that would be a fighter, and could make things happen. I immediately thought of Claudia- and shortly after she promoted and joined the team. It was painful at times, as she would agree. It still has its challenging days. However, fast forward a year and a half. Claudia is getting trailers done in record times. Backrooms are almost fully categorized. Her digital performance is the best in our market, and at times the top percentile in the group. Brand is consistent every single morning, Food is winning over our guest in the neighborhood with double digit comps exploding past the competition, and now she’s layering on things like liability 100% out of the backroom every week, while ehancing our workload execution through her GM Team Leaders new ownership. My dream is to turn a store around to eventually run on auto pilot. With the right leaders, it’s possible. I think a big takeaway for Claudia is that everything is possible by having the right TEAM & structure. Keep it up Claudia. Keep enhancing your team, build future talent, and create a life for yourself that you fought hard for. #ProudLeader #worksomewhereyoulove #development #growth

In our latest Food Service Matters blog, we explore an inspiring conversation with Simon Esner FIH FIoD 🦾🦻🏼🦿, a food service veteran with over 50 years of industry experience, from starting as a kitchen porter to becoming a director at Westbury Street Holdings. In this blog, you’ll learn: • How mentorship shaped Simon’s path and why it’s essential for career growth in food service. • Three key transformations in the industry: technology, workplace atmosphere, and sustainability. • The central role of relationships in building long-lasting success Simon’s career is a testament to the power of adaptability, clear direction, and strong partnerships. This blog post offers timeless insights for those looking to make a meaningful impact in food service. https://lnkd.in/esUsmkkj Don’t miss the chance to learn from Simon’s journey and discover how to drive sustainable growth in food service! #FoodServiceMatters #Mentorship #Sustainability #FoodServiceIndustry #Leadership Patrick McDermott

Hitting a snag in your plans doesn't have to derail progress. Resourcefulness, akin to strategic adaptation, can unlock hidden potential within challenges. It fosters a problem-solving mindset, encouraging action even in uncertain situations. Flexibility and openness to new ideas are key, as success rarely follows a single path. This valuable skill transforms obstacles into opportunities for growth and learning. It's not limited to leadership; anyone can cultivate resourcefulness to navigate unforeseen hurdles and achieve success. Read the FULL BLOG here:

🥧 Happy Pi Day 🥧 I’d love to chat about my favorite pie or the fact the record for reciting digits of Pi is over 100,000 digits. 🤯 However, I will continue with the things I learned as a Team Leader at Arby's. I started working at Arby’s at the end of my senior year of high school. After about 6 months, I left to go off to Basic Training and AIT for the Army (next weeks story) 🫡 before returning and becoming a Team Leader a year later. Being my first Management position, I had an amazing Leader named Wayne Perry. Wayne was old to me at 18-19 years old, he was about 50. 😆 He was analytical and process oriented. As the General Manager, he had three Team Leaders all 18-21 years old. Far wiser than us, he knew his strengths and weaknesses, and built a Team to balance that. Him and Ryan were backline/process wizards 🧙! Leslie and I were the frontline social butterflies 🦋 that made customers smile. 😀 I learned to get better at what I was bad at and to capitalize on what I was good at. These are the things I learned as building blocks to the leader I am today- ✅Awesome customer service fixes a lot ✅Inventories/waste matters ✅Leaders leave last ✅Build a balanced Team ✅Optimize your Team’s talents If you can successfully manager in fast food, you can successfully manager most places! I still believe this today! I also learned what a Philly Cheesesteak baked potato 🥔 tastes like 😝! I also made and ate a sub that had every meat Arby sold at that time (roast beef, turkey, chicken, bacon, and ham), can you say meat sweats! 🥵 Have a great Pi day, I’d love to hear what you learned working fast food. #pi #hardwork #fastfood #manager #management #teambuilding #professionaldevelopment #transitioningmilitary #militarytransition

It's often said, "When you love what you do, work doesn't feel like work." Today, I witnessed a beautiful moment at our rice mill that truly exemplified this sentiment. While our team was unloading 1121 Basmati Rice into the warehouse, one of the workers turned the task into a fun race. Gradually, everyone joined in, creating an atmosphere of joy and camaraderie, despite the physical demands of the work. It was a powerful reminder that finding happiness in our daily tasks can transform even the most routine activities. We should all strive to love what we do, or pursue what we love. #WorkCulture #EmployeeEngagement #Leadership #WorkplaceHappiness #DoWhatYouLove

Hitting a snag in your plans doesn't have to derail progress. Resourcefulness, akin to strategic adaptation, can unlock hidden potential within challenges. It fosters a problem-solving mindset, encouraging action even in uncertain situations. Flexibility and openness to new ideas are key, as success rarely follows a single path. This valuable skill transforms obstacles into opportunities for growth and learning. It's not limited to leadership; anyone can cultivate resourcefulness to navigate unforeseen hurdles and achieve success. Read the full blog here: