Lessons from José Andrés
We were privileged to hear José Andrés of José Andrés Group (JAG) and World Central Kitchen speak at the WERC GWS 2024 Conference in October. José Andrés is a Spanish-American chef and restaurateur. Born in Spain, he moved to the United States in the early 1990s and has opened over 40 restaurants in several American cities. He is credited with starting the tapas craze in America. His parents were nurses, and he served in the Spanish army. He truly has a servant's heart.
In recent years, Andrés has increasingly focused on the humanitarian work of his non-profit, World Central Kitchen. He was moved by Clara Barton, founder of the American Red Cross, who believed that instead of caring for a few, we could take care of millions. The World Central Kitchen’s work feeding people in crises has become more high-profile in Ukraine and now Gaza, where seven aid workers were killed by an Israeli strike in April 2024.
When asked why he had shifted his attention to humanitarian assistance when he already ran a very successful restaurant group, Andrés said that Hurricane Katrina in 2005 really got his attention. It motivated him to think about how he might help in a crisis. However, the 2010 earthquake in Haiti motivated him to act. Since the start of the war, his organization has provided over 350 million meals in Ukraine. His goal is to always ‘feed the first day,’ which means figuring things out on the fly and circumventing the traditional methods of transporting supplies and preparing food.
This man talks the talk and walks the walk. He is out there on the front lines. He doesn’t lead from behind a desk. He has created an army of culinary first responders who will mobilize when called. Andrés states, "We must fill people with hope, especially when they have just been through some of the most traumatic moments of their lives. This is empathy."
Here are some of his words of wisdom that can be applied to our business:
Simplify the emergency
Repurpose what you already have
Put the assets at the disposal of the people
Don’t forget what you are there for
Figure it out; don’t wait for tomorrow
The worst decision is the one you never make
Learn from your mistakes
Take ownership of your responsibilities
Listen and learn
The more we know, the more we know nothing
Instead of leading from the front, lead from the back
Communicate clearly and don’t assume anything (some things get lost in translation)
It’s no time to be set in our ways
Trust your people!
Given our current mobility and real estate environment, the above advice is pretty solid. We are in a time of uncertainty, but we can’t be paralyzed by it. At the conference, many corporate mobility executives expressed that their leadership wants them to wait before making policy changes. I understand that sentiment. But their inaction mustn’t negatively affect those under our care. The upcoming transfers shouldn’t be the test cases. It is unfair to the transferee and their family.
Money drives indecision about changing policies. How exactly does that factor into our duty of care? By figuring out options and allowing the transferee to have more control over how they use their benefits, we can move forward with a plan that meets the needs of all parties with empathy and the desired results.
No better quote describes the opportunity hidden in plain sight in our industry right now. “Embrace the complexity of the moment”~ José Andrés.
To donate to World Central Kitchen, go to: www.donate.wck.org
Anupam Singhal, WERC CEO and José Andrés