When Steve Jobs was forced out of Apple he didn’t sit back and watch others succeed. He bought Pixar and  moved the company to a location planned with three separate buildings that would hold separate departments. He scrapped that whole idea quickly and decided that what his company needed was one, open space building with a central location such as an atrium that all his employees could “bump” into each other socially throughout the day while doing their work. He believed creativity and success came from people talking to each other. So, he moved the mailboxes to the atrium followed by the coffee bar, cafeteria, gift shop, and meeting rooms. This most important area was the heart of the building. Employees talking to each other would connect, share, and collaborate easily and effectively. The Pixar Crest was: Alone no longer.

Basically Jobs believed in teamwork though he approached it in a roundabout way. Jobs atrium in your community would be the dining room. That is the central location for all who serve food to ‘bump’ into each other, share ideas on making the service better, and working out a smooth routine that creates the appearance of ease for them and forges contented senior diners. There is a deep feeling of satisfaction when food servers are appreciated for the difference they make at mealtime. No one appreciates that more than the residents being served. This central location idea works for them, too. It’s the sharing mealtimes with new and long term friends that build friendships and creates satisfaction and contentedness. It’s the warmth around the table they can enjoy knowing they are in a safe environment of food servers.

Teaching people to become life-long learners is an element of Kind Dining® that you can call on for answers if you are having less-than-ideal-dining room mealtimes. We formed to help others grow into delivering resident happiness and hospitality one meal at a time. The goal of “alone no longer” works for food servers and residents, too. The answer to dining room problems can be learned, practiced, and be a source of pride for everyone involved.