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Creative people need a creative support team

We have just heard that Chef Benoit Violier, whose Swiss restaurant was named the best in the world in December, has been found dead at his home.

BBC News reports that Mr Violier, 44, ran the Restaurant de l’Hotel de Ville in Crissier, near the city of Lausanne.  It earned three Michelin stars and came top in France’s La Liste ranking of the world’s 1,000 best eateries.

Swiss police said Mr Violier, who was born in France, appeared to have shot himself. We can only speculate as to the reasons for Mr Violier apparently taking his own life. It is hard to keep at the top of your game especially in the hospitality industry. Sadly, his death comes some six months after that of Philippe Rochat, his mentor and predecessor at the Restaurant de l’Hotel de Ville.

Working with creative people

In our business we have a creative approach to HR and work in a flexible and fluid way with many creative people including chefs.  Often our role is as much about looking after the needs of the creative individual who becomes under increasing strain the more successful their business is, as much as we support the business.

Key stressors for creative leads

• Excessive working hours.
• Managing investors and shareholders.
• Managing demanding staff.
• Having too many direct reports that are time bandits.
• Being accountable & responsible for everything.
• Press, PR, Marketing, HR, Payroll – requiring decisions.
• Poor work life balance (need to attend events & lack of personal time).
• Poor diet (yes even chefs) and lack of exercise.
• Not working in a structured way – giving into the creative side and letting the business side back up.
• Letting the paperwork get out of control so the paperwork starts to control.
• Hiring and firing on a whim and getting caught up in Employment Tribunals.

Mistakes that get made

Many creative businesses are often poor at the paperwork side, and when they do realise they need to get more organised often attempt to quickly implement something that is not fit for purpose (way too complicated or generic – more suitable for a very corporate business).

Likewise many businesses will have an Office or Studio Manager or Restaurant Manager attempting to do everything from the website to contracts of employment. It’s very hard to keep control of the situation in this way; and the stress levels!

What works well

We work with businesses in a variety of ways from retained to ad hoc.  In businesses with a strong creative lead we find attending regularly is key so we can pick up what is going on and head off any issues quickly.  Being external helps as does paring back all the paperwork to a core. So everyone understands it and there aren’t long winded staff handbooks that no-one dusts down until there is an ET.

At Amelore we simply don’t do ET’s.  Our approach is one of pragmatisim, commerciality and flexibility.

Give us a call on 01453 548070 or visit our website if you’d like to find out more.