plants

Maybe you’ve come across the recent experiment that IKEA conducted to raise awareness of bullying: they displayed two healthy, identical plants side-by-side in their own enclosures, giving both the same amount of nutrition and light. One plant was fed positive recorded messages, and the other heard negative comments all day long.

The result? No surprises. It took less than a month for the bullied plant to wither away.

We might be lucky enough to work on teams where bullying has been phased out, or maybe not. I’m sharing this for those who witness someone being treated badly in their kitchens but don’t speak out. It might be easier to turn away because “that’s the culture and we’ve all gone through that”. But be conscious of the part you’re playing: because your silence enables the bully and endorses his or her actions.

Bullying

2 thoughts on “Bullying

  • May 23, 2018 at 1:05 pm
    Permalink

    After nearly twenty years in the kitchen, I have many stories on bullying from harassment to physical abuse. I won’t share in a public forum though, data collection by our governments is out of control.

    Reply
    • May 24, 2018 at 5:03 pm
      Permalink

      Wow. It saddens me to hear that. And I’m sure so many chefs will have a similar story to tell. Things are definitely changing, but I hope that’s the case across all kitchens.

      Reply

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