Holiday Food Safety Reminders

Thanksgiving is almost here and Christmas will be here before we know it!

I just want to remind you that although we can all enjoy the holidays, we cannot take a holiday from food safety. This applies to what you do for your families as well as your customers.

The three ways food becomes unsafe are:

• Time-temperature abuse
• Cross-contamination
• Poor personal hygiene

Although we can relax the rules a bit at home (I don't wear a hairnet preparing turkey dinner for my family!) we still need to follow the basics.

• Keep hot foods hot and cold foods cold. Food should not remain in the temperature danger zone (41-135 degrees F.) for more than four hours. Basically, if it is at room temperature for more than four hours, discard it. Remember the old saying: if in doubt, throw it out.
• Cook foods to the proper internal temperature. The only way to know for sure is to take the temperature; wiggling the leg just isn't certain enough.
• Clean and sanitize work surfaces and utensils between working with different types of food. If you are cleaning the turkey in the sink, clean and sanitize the sink after you are done.
• Wash your hands frequently and thoroughly.

Incidentally, one reason we can relax the rules a bit at home is that if we do something wrong, it is only our immediately family and guests that may become ill. (I'm sure that will make them feel so much better!) If we do something wrong at our facilities, we could make all the residents and staff ill. Also, with residents and patients being at higher risk, they can become much more ill than our families. And, of course, we have legal and moral obligations to provide safe food to our customers.

I hope your all have a great Thanksgiving!

Speak Up! A Woman's Guide to Presenting Like a Pro (Book Review)

We all speak professionally every day. We may not be professional speakers and speak in front of large groups. But everyday we present proposals or ideas to our supervisors, our customers, our employees, our peers, and sometimes to top management. This may be formal proposals or simply sharing ideas at meetings. And sometimes we are called upon to introduce speakers at meetings, talk about a co-worker who has retired or passed away, or in other ways speak for a few moments to a large group.

Speak Up! A Woman's Guide to Presenting Like a Pro, by Cyndi Maxey and Kevin E. O'Connor, is not just for those who speak professionally. Although it has great suggestions for improving speaking skills to large groups, it also has fantastic information for everyday business and even social use.

The book is divided into five parts:

• Present to Impress
• Adapt with Professionalism
• Influence with Impact
• Lead on Your Feet
• Create a Lasting Impression

Each section has short topics and within each topic is a wealth of ideas and suggestions for improving presentations skills. As the name of the book implies, it is written for women and addresses many of the challenges women face in presenting, not only to men, but also to other women.

Since image is important, I highly recommend this book to any woman who wants to grow her career. It will help in creating a more professional image every day.

Networking--You Never Know Where It Might Lead!

I am a Director at Large for the Wisconsin Chapter of ASHFSA (American Society of Healthcare Food Service Administrators). As some of you may know, ASHFSA and HFM recently joined ranks to form a new organization, Association for Healthcare Foodservice, AHF (http://www.healthcarefoodservice.org/). So soon we will formally be the Wisconsin Chapter of AHF.

Recently we had our annual conference. One of the speakers was Cyndi Maxey of Maxey Creative, Inc. She is a speaker, coach, author, and facilitator assisting organizations in improving performance through improved communication (http://www.cyndimaxey.com/). Her first topic was on networking and her first activity was for us to talk to someone at another table. After we had, she asked if anyone would like to share what they discussed.

The Wisconsin Chapter of ASHFSA is a really great group, most everyone knows most everyone else, and most are not shy! However, as soon as Cyndi asked for someone to share, everyone became very quiet. So, being a speaker and knowing what it's like when people don't respond immediately, I did. And then others started talking, too, and we had a very good discussion.

As a thank you for being the first to volunteer, Cyndi gave me a copy of her latest book, Speak Up, A Woman's Guide to Presenting Like a Pro! (Watch future blogs for a book review!) That's when it hit me that Cyndi was doing what I do now (public speaking) and what I want to do--write and publish books!

We spoke briefly after her sessions and again last night by phone. She gave me great suggestions on resources to improve my speaking business and how to get into publishing, including the pros and cons of various publishing methods.

The point to this post is that sometimes we get caught up in networking with people that we already know or that are already in our industry and we don't take the time or make the effort to network with "outsiders." And sometimes those outside our profession can provide great suggestions, ideas, resources, and contacts. You just never know where a conversation can lead!

HACCP Resources

There has been a great deal of talk about HACCP (Hazard Analysis Critical Control Point) for years. Although HACCP is required for many food manufacturing and processing industries, it is not required for retail food service. Retail food service includes health care and day care as well as restaurants, cafeterias, convenience stores, and all the other places that serve food.

Many establishments decide to implement HACCP anyway, as a proactive approach to keep food safe. Many more establishments probably have the pieces in place as policies and procedures, even if it is not called a HACCP program.

For anyone that is interested in implementing HACCP, the FDA has two very good resources. Managing Food Safety: A Manual for the Voluntary Use of HACCP Principles for Operators of Food Service and Retail Establishments and Managing Food Safety: A Regulator's Manual for Applying HACCP Principles to Risk-based Retail and Food Service Inspections and Evaluating Voluntary Food Safety Management Systems.

The first is a good "how to" manual. It also provides good information even if the goal is just to improve food safety, not implement a HACCP program. The second provides insight on how health inspectors may view an establishment. It provides more in-depth information. It certainly does not take the place of federal, state, and local regulations, however, and relates more to other retail food service than to healthcare.

To download either of these manuals, go to http://www.fda.gov/Food/FoodSafety/HazardAnalysisCriticalControlPointsHACCP/RetailFoodServiceHACCP/default.htm

The Hamster Revolution (Implementation Example)

I read The Hamster Revolution (see previous blog) when I was working part-time for a food service distribution company. Like Harold in the book, I was beginning to feel like a hamster on a wheel! There was so much more email than what I had in my business. And although I am an organized person by nature, my email files were getting a little out of control. (Maybe not as bad as Harold's, but still...!)

After reading The Hamster Revolution I decided to implement it. I had the best success with COTA. For that setting, COTA really worked great! Everything really can go under four major folders: clients, output, teams, or admin. I started with my electronic documents. That was fast and easy. I may have had more sub-folders within sub-folders than the authors would recommend, but the result was that I could find things fast!

Next, I reorganized my email files with the same major folders. I added sub-folders as necessary since not all electronic files had a corresponding email folder. And the result was that I could find things much faster!

After that, I was on a roll! I decided to do my hard copy files with the same system. I designated certain drawers and shelves as C, O, T, and A. File folders corresponded pretty closely to electronic sub-folders. An unexpected advantage was that it forced me to go through every file. I discarded a great deal!

None of this happened the same day, or even the same week, especially organizing the hard copy files. But I did get it all done by working on it as I had small blocks of time.

For most business applications, I would recommend COTA.

Having said that, I have not switched my own business files to COTA. When I started my business over 10 years ago, I set up an ABC system for each year--associations, business, customers. Recently I modified it to ABCS, adding suppliers.

I could switch to COTA, but I'm not sure I will. My system is similar, and it gets the same results. What I have done recently, though, is to at least use the same system for email files as I have been using for electronic files. That is easier! I still need to reorganize my favorites using the same methods, however!

I would recommend reading The Hamster Revolution to anyone who wants to better organize their email, electronic, and hard copy files.

It is also has great ideas for better managing the quality and quantity of emails. Although I have improved in "strengthening" and "sculpting" my emails, I know I could do better. The real key is getting everyone in your organization to apply these techniques.

There are two techniques that I have found useful in managing email. One I use when I am in the office and one when I am traveling.

When I am in the office, I try to discipline myself to only check email three times a day. That allows me time to really focus on projects without the distraction of email. Otherwise I could spend all day on nothing but email!

Several months ago I got an iPhone. I wanted an easy way to check email and have access to the Internet while traveling. The laptop just is not that convenient! I love it! When I'm out of the office, I check email whenever I have a few minutes. It keeps it under control. If I have to respond to something immediately, I can. But mostly, it allows me to quickly read and delete those items that do not require a response.

Probably the most important thing, though, is to try different methods until you find something that works for you. Control it rather than letting it control you!

The Hamster Revolution (Book Review)

The Hamster Revolution, by Mike Song, Vicki Halsey, and Tim Burress, is a great little book on managing email and the large amount of information that we receive daily.

Harold, the main character, is so overwhelmed with email that he feels like a hamster on a wheel. Luckily, he meets a coach that helps him to organize and reclaim his life.

The four strategies to control email are:

1. Reduce email volume
2. Improve email quality
3. Info-coaching sustains results
4. File and find it fast with COTA

The book provides clear directions on how to do each. For example, to reduce email, send less! Before sending, ask if it is needed, appropriate, and targeted. To improve quality, strengthen the subject line (this also makes it easy to file) and sculpt the body. Info-coaching involves teaching others in your organization to follow the same techniques.

COTA is a system for filing not only emails, but also electronic and hard copy files. It stands for clients, output, teams, and admin.

The Hamster Revolution is a quick, enjoyable read with great, easy-to-implement ideas.

F325 and F371 Q & A Document, State of Wisconsin

For those of you in long-term care in Wisconsin, there is a document on the State of Wisconsin, Department of Health Services website, addressing frequently asked questions pertaining to F325 and F371. http://dhs.wisconsin.gov/rl_dsl/Publications/09-032.htm. It is dated 6/11/09.

Related to F371, there are many questions on bare hand contact, gel sanitizer, dish machines, dining room service, approved food sources, potentially hazardous food, time and temperature, and raw and pasteurized eggs.

I was especially pleased (and relieved!) to see clarification on "holding" vs "service to the resident" temperatures. "Holding" and "point of service" temperatures relate to the temperature of the food as it is held on the line and plated for service. Hot foods must be held at 135 degrees F. or higher and 41 degrees F. or lower. There are no regulations stating the temperature that the food must be when the resident receives it! (There are no serving temperature recommendations in the USDA Food Code, either.)

However, appropriate temperatures for palatability are evaluated as part of the Investigative Protocol for Dining and Food Service. A facility may be cited under F364 if the residents are not satisfied with the serving temperature of the food.

Another area that is addressed is approved food sources. Basically, residents do have the right to choose to eat food brought in by volunteers, family, employees, etc. An individual facility may want to develop policies on what it will allow, however.

For those of you not in Wisconsin, if your state does not have something similar, this will provide good information. However, watch for state regulations that may differ from Wisconsin. For example, in Wisconsin produce from farmers' markets or locally grown produce is not regulated and is considered an approved source. Your state may have different regulations.

Long-term care food service regulations are complex! The federal long-term care regulations must be met, of course. But so do state long-term care regulations and state food codes.

National Healthcare Food Service Week

October 5 - 11, 2009 is National Healthcare Food Service Week!

This is a great opportunity to recognize the important work completed by all food service employees in your establishment. Food and meal service is a critical aspect of satisfaction for residents and patients. Without the food service workers, your operation would not be in business.

Employee recognition also assists greatly in employee retention, productivity, and morale. Although recognition should occur throughout the year, it becomes very important to do something for them at this time.

Recognition can include thank you notes, gift certificates, nominal gifts, rewards, contests, parties, public recognition, and, of course, food--provided someone else prepares and serves it!

Public recognition can serve many purposes. Taking an ad out in the local paper and thanking all the food service workers, by name, for all they do everyday is a great way to recognize the employees. Who doesn't like to see their name in print? It is also serves to market your facility. Too often facilities only make the paper if something bad happens. This is a way to remind the community of all the good that happens as well.

If you are stumped on how to recognize your employees, a great book is 1001 Ways to Reward Employees by Bob Nelson. These ideas are not theories, but approaches taken by actual companies.

Now, Discover Your Strengths (Book Review)

Now, Discover Your Strengths, by Marcus Buckingham and Donald O. Clifton can assist in better managing employees. More importantly, however, it can assist each of us in increasing our professional and personal success.

In First, Break All the Rules, Buckingham discussed the importance of helping employees discover their talents, the things at which they are naturally good, and building on those rather than trying to correct weaknesses. It is a matter of trying pull out what is already inside the person, not trying to put in what was left out.

In Now, Discover Your Strengths, Buckingham and Clifton discuss in great detail how, from infancy, our talents are created and how we can identify and build them into strengths rather than trying to fix our weaknesses. The basis of the book in the Internet-based Strengths-Finder Profile. This is the product of a 25-year effort by The Gallop Organization to identify the most prevalent human strengths.

Talents, combined with knowledge and skills, create strengths, those things that we can do near perfectly, consistently. Talents are innate, and the knowledge and skill are learned. With this knowledge about ourselves, it is possible to be more successful.

The book discusses how to build strengths. It also discusses how to manage around weaknesses, which is more effective than trying to fix them.

First, Break All the Rules (Book Review)

One of the best management books is First, Break All the Rules, What the World's Greatest Managers Do Differently, by Marcus Buckingham and Curt Coffman. Originally copyrighted in 1999, the information still applies today!

The book is based on information the Gallup Organization obtained over 25 years. The first part of the research concentrated on employees and what the most talented ones needed from their workplace. Over a million employees were interviewed. The net result was that talented employees need, more than anything else, great managers.

That led to the second part of the research on what great managers do to find and retain talented employees. The Gallup Organization interviewed over 80,000 managers at all levels.

Analysis of the research resulted in 12 questions that measure the core elements needed to recruit and retain great employees. It also indicated that much of management conventional wisdom does not quite work. For example:

• When selecting someone, select for talent, not just experience, intelligence, or determination
• When setting expectations, define the right outcomes, not the right steps.
• When motivating someone, focus on strengths, not on weaknesses.
• When developing someone, help find the right fit, not the next rung on the ladder.

The book describes in detail the 12 questions, the importance, and especially how to accomplish the above four keys.

Use Employee Training to Combine Food Safety with Customer Satisfaction

My stepson was married in July. It was a beautiful wedding and a wonderful reception with fantastic food!

There was a small incident at the reception, however, that made me realize how much more most of us can do in improving customer satisfaction simply by better training our employees.

The food was great, and as usual with these events, too much! When the server was collecting the plates, my sister-in-law asked for a doggy bag. The server, quite politely, said she was sorry but could not provide one because it was against their policy. My sister-in-law kept insisting, and the server kept repeating the policy statement. After a couple of minutes I stepped in and explained to my sister-in-law that this is a common practice at banquet halls and the food safety rationale associated with it. The server continued clearing the table.

I think that training the server on the rationale behind the policy, and coaching the employee on how to more fully respond to incidents such as this, would not only help maintain food safety, but also improve customer satisfaction . For example: "I am sorry, but it is against our policy to provide doggy bags. By the time the reception is over and the guests have returned home or to the hotel, the food will have been at room temperature long enough for bacteria to grow. We do not want any of our guests to become ill. I hope you can understand our concern for your safety." I think most people would understand this.

Of course, sometimes employees also need coaching on not to give too much information! A policy like this exists to keep the customers safe, but it is also in place to protect the establishment from liability issues. I can hear some employees stating that the reason they cannot provide a doggy bag is that the manager does not want them to get sued!

Employee training is critical. This includes not only the technical aspects of the job, but also how to respond to customers. It is not realistic to expect employees, especially new employees, to intuitively know how to respond to various situations.

Greetings!

Thank you for checking my blog! I have some exciting topics planned including food service, food safety, and management issues; long term care updates; book reviews; conference summaries; and others.

However, it may be awhile! Have you ever noticed how everything happens at once? This month my stepson is getting married, my husband and I are taking vacation, and we have both his and my family reunions. Plus, my mother is having cataract surgery and I have an elderly cat that has just been diagnosed with diabetes. Oh, yes! And then there is the business to operate!

So please give me a little time and check back again. There is much information I want to share!

Thanks much!

Susan