Heard Chef!
As a fan of competition cooking shows, this is a familiar phrase to me. In restaurant settings, those who are receiving instructions from the head chef will loudly say this phrase to indicate they received and understood the instructions. Or, they may just say Heard if it is a colleague. I thought it was for the shows’ cameras.
Last week, as I enjoyed a sandwich and brew at my local pub, I witnessed the busser, saying to the bar manager Heard to indicate that he had heard which table to set, which table to clear, or where to drop off water. Wow, I thought, it’s a real thing.
It made me think about when I was a teen, and my mom would ask me to take out the trash. Often, I did not move or make a sound, and she would ask again. I had heard her but was waiting for a TV commercial or to get off the phone or to lose in the video game before finding the correct moment that suited me to deal with the trash. Eventually, after several asks, she would loudly ask Did you hear me?! Imagine if my family had known to use the word Heard to indicate the message was received – so much less family miscommunication.
While Heard has a practical side to it, it also can be quite powerful. Heard literally means that someone heard you, but it also indicates that you were listened to and acknowledged. Your instructions were acknowledged; your ideas were acknowledged; your value to your team was acknowledged. How many times have you wished that someone in your workplace appreciated you or noticed your diligent hard work in solving difficult problems?
I am not sure if we spent the day saying Heard multiple times that it would improve our workplace culture. And, it could grow as annoying and as useless when someone says, “How are you doing?” as a greeting walking down the hall and not as a true question. However, the concept of Heard has merit as a means to contribute to a positive workplace environment.
Perhaps, you could create a list of Heard phrases and commit to using 4 each day.
- Thank you for that suggestion; it was very helpful.
- That is a good idea; let’s try it.
- I appreciated your help today on _____ .
- Earlier today, I heard you say ____, and it got me thinking that _____ is something we should try.
- It sounds like you are swamped; is there something I can help with?
- Coworker B told me that you gave them a good solution early this week; I am glad you were such a big help to them and the team.
- I just used that form you created a few months ago, and it worked so slick. Every time I use it, I think about how glad I am that you work here.
- I saw you assisting Coworker C today; I appreciated that you stepped in to help out.
- Add your own Heard comments.
To ensure that you are heard and your team member feels Heard, use these tips:
- Speak to one person: not a toss-away comment like, “Way to go team!” to the whole group.
- Be specific so they know they were “seen.”
- Be timely so that they hear you in the moment.
- Be sincere. See the first 3 items.