This article is a re-post of my LinkedIn newsletter “Food in the Spotlight”. You can subscribe: here.
“When you are not cultivating quality, you are essentially cultivating sloppiness” (J. Waitzkin)
Yesterday, I was looking at my younger child.
I went to the summer camp to see his improvements in swimming.
I was a water polo player and swimming instructor, so he asked for me for a few days.
He was so happy and proud.
He is a very blonde, smiling, and talkative 6-year-old dwarf, without both upper front teeth (for now), with the energy of a professional quarterback, the delicacy of the Hulk, and the spirit of Capt. Jack Sparrow.
They started a water polo tournament. The group was made up of kids between 6 and 12 years of age: most of them in the 8-12 range.
He jumped in the water with all his energy … and he did not touch the ball for 35 minutes.
Literally.
The game was a bit chaotic, and he was trampled all the time by older kids.
The most physically developed kids were just expecting the ball near the other team’s goalkeeper, looking for easy scores.
He was swimming back and forth all the time – 1 hour straight – fighting as hard as possible to just scratch the damn ball.
Without knowing it, he was building muscles, increasing his stamina, and gaining experience, while older kids were just living off the dividends paid by their different ages and physical maturity.
In the second, third, and fourth matches, he touched the ball 3 times, and one of his passes resulted in scoring a goal.
The smile and the look I received have no price.
The internal reward and reinforcement he received for his effort have no equal.
That focus and spirit, if maintained into adulthood, are the game changers.
Especially in a world where immediate gratification is king and the average attention span in adults ranges from a few seconds to a few minutes.
Looking at the game, I had the opportunity to reflect on my personal history.
I was a great junior water polo player, one of the best in my area for a while, but I quit at 22 with no particular results.
I told myself this was due to the fact that I was working, getting my law degree at the same time, and such taxing daily training was too much, especially in a sport that does not pay the bills like football.
The reality is that this was all as true as it was a lie.
I loved the game, but like any teenager, I wanted to have a social life, hang out with friends, stay out late on Saturdays, and have fun as well.
And at that age, when you are at the top of your game, you can get wasted on Saturdays and still dominate on the field on Sundays … at least for a while …
Then you inevitably become sloppy, like the older kids standing still in front of the goalkeeper to score.
When it comes to topics like food safety, quality management, and food safety culture, the principle is immediately applicable.
We all focus a lot in our sector on training, principles, procedures, and awareness, but all of that is absolutely useless without daily application and incremental improvement.
If you do not live up to your procedures, your tolerance for errors will spike.
If you do not constantly apply your principles, your culture will fade.
If you do not engage with your people, their motivation will vanish.
If you want to be ready for the games and the moments that count, you have to make all such processes so ingrained in your business life and people’s way of working that they become unconscious.
Things that count are the ones you do when nobody is watching.
Justice is something that can be enforced, but discipline and principles can only be voluntarily self-imposed.
If you are consistent, your daily commitments will pile up and your organization will build the muscles to promptly react to any crisis and perform well under pressure.
Sports legends like Tom Brady or Kobe Bryant dominated their game for (more than one) generation, not because of their undeniable talent, but because of their consistency and work ethic.
They trained while others were sleeping.
And if you become sloppy, you are not just affecting your performance, but you are dramatically increasing the chance of getting injured.
All such principles are not only applicable to the food sector but to any area of business, career, sport, and – most importantly – human relationships: with your kids, mates, friends, and colleagues.
If you ever find yourself complaining about anything in your life, take a step back and do not be complacent: build quality.
Regarding our Food Law news, check the latest articles published on our blog:
- A conversation with ChatGPT-4 around EVOO frauds
- WTO report on illicit trade in food
- More smoke flavourings banned in the EU
- How to label ingredients in wine?
- FDAโs Upcoming Food Regulations
and my recent videos on our Youtube Channel, in particular the interview with TOSLA Nutricosmetics and Matic Batagelj around beauty supplements and health claims:
If you want to meet me in person, please save the dates for the next big event in Parma, FoodRevolution 2024 (21-23rd October 2024), where I will be speaking about green claims and greenwashing legal developments.
FoodRevolutionยฎ concept focuses on a holistic approach toward the future of food, aiming at providing a comprehensive understanding of the interconnections between sustainability, safety, and health.
You can see the full program and the list of more than 50 internationally renowned speakers here.
Thanks to the organizers Affidia โ The Journal of Food Diagnostics and Bastiaanse Communication for inviting me and creating such a unique event.
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