Dan Harrison could have written CHEF

key motivators harrison assessments Chesterfield

key motivators harrison assessments ChesterfieldAs a diehard Harrison Assessments fan I tend to see the world in terms of suitability and paradox theories played-out daily in the oddest places. This last weekend I watched the movie “Chef” Starring Jon Favreau, Sofia Vergara, and Bobby Cannavale, and it is wonderful. The message of “Chef” is suitability theory on steroids, framing the story of a talented down-on-his-luck chef who needs to change his life around to fulfil his life themes. The synopsis is this:

When Chef Carl Casper suddenly quits his job at a prominent Los Angeles restaurant after refusing to compromise his creative integrity for its controlling owner (Dustin Hoffman), he is left to figure out what’s next. Finding himself in Miami, he teams up with his ex-wife, his friend and his son to launch a food truck. Taking to the road, Chef Carl goes back to his roots to reignite his passion for the kitchen — and zest for life and love.

To those uninformed in Harrison-land, it is almost unimaginable that Chef Casper would walk out of a highly paid, prestigious, glamorous job in Los Angeles to make his next move to refurbish a trash-heap of an old catering truck making Cuban sandwiches for a living in a sweaty, greasy, on-the-road existence. Yet, he goes from unhappy, dissatisfied head chef in L.A. to a joyous, happy, and energised food truck cook in no time.

You can see this Traits and Definitions Report unfold in front of you:

Takes Initiative
Wants Autonomy
Experimenting
Wants to Lead
Wants Challenge

He needs to run his own show. Expressing his creativity is as necessary as breathing to him. His Wants High Pay, Wants Capable Leader and Wants Recognition are on the floor. This man recaptures his joie de vivre the way we all do – through filling our work lives with what we love best, whatever that is, and getting rid of the filler that makes us miserable.

When we play to our strengths and talents we find life sweet and satisfying – almost as good as a perfect Cuban sandwich.