By Anonymous

On a sunny Monday, the General Manager at Fun Social introduced two new trainees to the team. One was Karen, who seemed eager to let everyone know she had over a decade of hospitality experience. She proudly listed every restaurant she had ever worked in and assured the trainers that she already knew how to give great service. Alongside her was Emily, who quietly smiled, introduced herself, and said she was looking forward to learning how things worked at Fun Social.

Before turning them over to their trainers, the GM gave a bit of advice. “Everyone brings something special to the table, but remember, no matter how much you know, every place is unique. The best way to fit in here is to listen, ask questions, and be ready to learn.”  “Embrace the concept of Shoshin, which is having a beginners mindset.”

The first week of training kicked off with Karen dominating every conversation. When trainers explained the venue’s unique guest check-in process, Karen interrupted, “I’ve done this a million times. I always handle it this way.” She often arrived just on time or a few minutes late, usually on her phone before training started. When the trainers described the Connect Card, a system unique to Fun Social, Karen barely glanced up from her phone and nodded, “Got it.”

Emily was different. She showed up early each day, notebook in hand, jotting down every detail. She asked thoughtful questions about why certain processes were in place and made sure to practice each step until it felt natural. When she made mistakes, and she made a few, she apologized, asked for feedback, and adjusted. “Can you show me that part again?” she would say, or, “Why do we do it that way instead of what I’ve seen before?” Emily always thanked her trainers for their patience and guidance.

By the second week, the trainers noticed the difference. During shift recaps, they shared their thoughts. “Karen says she’s got it, but when we ask her to show us, she just does it her way and skips steps.” Another trainer chimed in, “Emily is picking things up fast. She doesn’t act like she knows it all, but she asks great questions and helps other new hires without being pushy.”

As the days passed, Karen started to feel frustrated. She made a few mistakes during service, forgetting to highlight the guest scavenger hunt, missing the step where she was supposed to bring out the welcome treat for first-time guests, and not checking in with the kitchen on dietary modifications. When trainers gave her feedback, Karen got defensive. “That’s not how we did it at my last place. Trust me, I know what I’m doing.”

Emily made mistakes too, but she approached each one with humility. When she forgot a step, she admitted it and asked for another chance to practice. She even caught one of the trainers after a shift, saying, “I know I missed the call-back to the kitchen. Can I run through it again before my next shift?”

The three weeks of training flew by, and finally, it was time for the role-play test, a simulated busy Friday night with trainers acting as guests, managers, and even kitchen staff.

Emily went first. She greeted every guest with a smile and used their names, walked them through the Connect Card, shared the story of Fun Social, and made sure everyone knew about the scavenger hunt. When a guest asked about dietary needs, Emily checked with the kitchen and delivered the right dish to the right person. When the team threw in a curveball, a VIP guest with a complicated order, Emily stayed calm, double-checked the steps, and pulled in a teammate to help.

Karen’s turn followed. She greeted guests warmly, but when asked about the Connect Card, she skipped the explanation. When trainers acted as guests and asked about the scavenger hunt, Karen said, “It’s in your welcome packet, you’ll figure it out.” She forgot to bring out the welcome treat, didn’t check in with the kitchen on dietary needs, and rushed through the steps she thought she knew. When something went wrong, Karen blamed the system or the pace of the shift. “This is just too different from everywhere else I’ve worked,” she said.

After the role-play, the GM and the trainers gathered both trainees. The trainers easily recalled Karen’s experience, she made sure everyone knew her resume. But when the GM asked about Emily, the trainers realized they had never once heard her brag about her background. The GM turned to Emily and said, “Why didn’t you ever share your experience?”

Emily smiled. “It didn’t matter. What matters is how you do things here. I wanted to learn and be a part of the team.”

The GM then explained, “What none of you realized is that Emily has almost twice the experience Karen has. She has worked in Michelin-rated restaurants, managed entertainment venues, and even led teams larger than ours. She never felt the need to prove herself, she let her actions speak. And she learned faster and made fewer mistakes because she was willing to be a student first.”

Finally, the GM called Karen into the office for a one-on-one. “Karen, you clearly have a lot of experience, but you spent the whole time telling us how much you know rather than learning what makes Fun Social special. You missed steps, ignored feedback, and didn’t show any willingness to adapt. We look for people who want to learn and grow. That’s not what you showed us, and because of that, we can’t keep you on the team.”. They parted ways.

The GM gathered the trainers together for a final recap. “Remember, the best people do not need to prove themselves. They are humble enough to learn and confident enough to know that every place, every team, every guest, offers something new to learn. If you want to be great here, do what Emily did: listen, learn, and let your actions speak louder than your words.”

Action Steps for New Team Members:

1. Approach every training shift with humility, no matter your background.
2. Take notes, ask questions, and focus on learning the unique steps of service.
3. Listen more than you speak, and remember that feedback is a gift.
4. Admit mistakes quickly and use them as opportunities to improve.
5. Trust that if you are good, your actions will show it, there is nothing to prove.

“In the beginner’s mind there are many possibilities, but in the expert’s mind there are few.” -Shunryu Suzuki

Let this story be a reminder that what got you here will not get you there. Embrace Shoshin, the beginner’s mindset, and your journey will be limitless.