The One Covered in Garlic Sauce
Matthew Moore and Angela Lyrette
Tasty Teamwork: Building rapport over homemade garlic sauce
With his vast experience in the hospitality industry, Professor Matt Moore knows a thing or two about customer expectations and managing teams. When he’s not teaching, preparing students for skills competitions, or mentoring them through College events, he’s thinking of ways to make course material sticky like baklava. That’s why he selected Adam Weiss at BiBi’s Middle Eastern Kitchen in the Hintonburg nieghbourhood of Ottawa as his co-mentor for this project.
Moore and Weiss met over the course of the winter term though Zoom and in person at the restaurant, giving each other ideas for improved communication, setting goals and expectations, and documenting important relationships. Matt was able to give Adam some great business management advice, and Adam provided insightful classroom suggestions. While the Bachelor of Hospitality and Tourism Management and Hotel and Restaurant Operations Management have discrete customer management courses, faculty members pepper the concepts in every course.
Matt originally went into the relationship looking for business case study content for his finance and accounting courses. The great thing about meeting with an industry partner is that you might learn something unexpected as the conversations organically unfold. Some of the important outcomes from the co-mentorship partnership included Moore’s appreciation for well crafted contract for group projects. Moore doesn’t just get the contract signed as a project requirement, he spends up to two classes going over the features, challenges, and the rewards of contractually-bound relationships and reviewing the group assignment instructions.
Leadership Attributes Transferable to the Classroom
The best thing about mistakes is that you can learn from them. The best kinds of mistakes to learn from are someone else’s. Matt can support his students by using real-life examples of challenges he or his industry partners have faced and see how the students might solve the problem.
- Show vulnerability by discussing challenges you have had in the workplace, school, and personally
- Encourage students to embrace mistakes and celebrate graceful recoveries and restitutions
- Empower students to ask for help and advice at the limit of their knowledge and skills
Groups are less likely to get in a ‘pickle” if agreements are thoughtfully constructed in class. Treating each other well is great practice for a hospitality career. Keys successful group assignments includes clear assignment instructions, contractual obligations to the group and the work, and documentation to promote accountability. Samples of Matt’s group assignment contract can be found HERE. To learn more about the Transparency in Learning & Teaching (TILT) a strategy for designing assessments with student-focused, clear instructions, visit the TILT Higher Education website tools and resources HERE. Matt understands that groups, whether they are In-class, faculty, or in business can get into trouble over miscommunication over expectations, differing opinions, and goals. Matt uses class time for group projects and he can keep an eye out for ‘hot button’ topics while encouraging productive debate and discussion.
Transparent Assignment Design Template for Teachers
Before beginning the work on a group assignments, ensure you teach students some group work skills, such as negotiation, conflict management, and time management.
- Have students individually complete self-assessments to determine their strengths and development areas in context of group work.
- Have groups review assignment instructions together in groups and create a timeline for completion
- Have students author sections of the contracts for buy in and accountability
Like the flavour creators at BiBi’s, students can wrap the ingredients of their various courses into practice; management, operations, food, service, and finance, seasoned with a little entrepreneurship. Moore’s students will benefit from his modern twist on team contracts and stories from the industry.
Key Takeaways for Workplace Skill Development
A favourite interview question in customer service fields might be: “Tell me about a time when you were working in a group and things weren’t going well. What happened? What did you do? How did you manage your stress?
- As a separate individual assignment, have students reflect on the group work experience
- Use remote team technology to facilitate asynchronous conversations
- Put the group interview question on the mid-term or final exam. Grade it based on whether or not the student has met the course learning requirement (CLRs) related to group work
Check out University of Waterloo: Tips for Making Group Contracts for resources, activity ideas, and templates.
https://www.tilthighered.com/about/about-tilt
Transparent Assignment Design Template for Teachers
About the authors
Matt Moore brings over 25 years of diverse experience in the hospitality industry, combining hands-on operational expertise with a deep understanding of business and asset management. For 13 years, he was the co-owner of Chances R Restaurant, where he honed his skills in leadership, operations, and customer service excellence.In 2014, Matt joined Algonquin College’s School of Hospitality and Tourism as a faculty member, sharing his industry knowledge and passion for hospitality with the next generation of professionals. Today, he serves as the Acting Academic Chair for the School of Business and Hospitality, providing strategic leadership while continuing to teach and mentor students.
Matt holds a Bachelor’s degree in Economics from Carleton University and a Master’s degree in Hospitality and Tourism Management from Glion University, specializing in Asset Management. His expertise spans economics, entrepreneurship, and restaurant management, and he remains committed to adapting and evolving alongside an industry that continues to innovate and grow.
Angela Lyrette is a full time Professor and Educational Developer at Algonquin College. Angela holds a Master’s Degree in Education, specializing in workplace and adult learning from the University of Calgary, a Teaching Adult Lifelong Learners Certificate (with Honours) from Algonquin College, and a variety of financial services designations from the Canadian Securities Institute. A self-professed life-long learner, her curiosity and enthusiasm for teaching, learning, and serving the community is evident in her body of work.
