Why clear, simple language should always be the chef’s special
If you haven’t heard of The Bear, first of all, where have you been? And secondly, you should stop reading this and start watching it.
Set in the bustling world of a high-pressure restaurant kitchen, chef speak is a huge part of it. Main character Carmy bellows “Behind!” or “Fire!” as a quick way of cutting through the chaos.
The chefs get straight to the point, say exactly what they mean, and avoid any waffle that you can’t eat.
And honestly, the corporate world could do with taking a leaf out of their book. People resist being direct in the way they communicate, for fear of seeming unprofessional. They use the passive voice, overly formal language and hedge words to detach themselves from the action. But maybe they should be jumping into it instead.
To illustrate the point, here are some examples of how the language you hear in The Bear would sound if you made it corporate:
Hands: Could I please request that someone transports this plate from the kitchen to the customer at their table?
Yes, Chef: Affirmative, Food Preparer.
Fire: Please begin preparation of the forementioned order.
Corner: Please be advised that there is a person walking around the corner.
86: There are currently low quantities of this dish, so it is necessary to remove it from the menu.
“The context is different!” I hear you cry. And yes, that’s true. But that doesn’t mean we have to, well, 86 the whole idea. We could still get a lot closer to the kitchen spirit – and still sound right for the office.
So here’s how that might look if we did it in reverse:
We should have a meeting to discuss this. Could you please provide me with your availability?: Let’s have a chat. When are you free?
We apologise for any inconvenience this may have caused: We’re sorry for the trouble.
We regret to inform you that the event has been cancelled due to unforeseen circumstances: We’ve had to cancel the event. We’re really sorry.
It’s obvious that the rewritten versions are shorter. But more importantly, they haven’t lost their professionalism and they’ve gained a whole lot more warmth and honesty.
If your business is missing that extra garnish or you want to spice up your writing, we can help. Just get in touch with us for a chat.
Written by Ashleigh Thompson, Writer at Definition.
