Canadian SoCiety of nutrition ManageMent newS...No. 1 CAnAdiAn SoCieTy of nuTriTion MAnAgeMenT newS 5 12 17 Stay up to date with CSNM news, events, check out photos and more! We’ll

Canadian SoCiety of nutrition ManageMent newS

Creating an International Dysphagia Diet

PluS | the food CoSt Challenge The challenge of meeting complicated needs and tight budgets and | auditS! Are they paramount to positive client outcomes?

Vol. 1 No. 1

Stay up to date with CSNM news, events, check out photos and more!We’ll be adding new content too, so keep checking back for new items!

The CSNM App is FREE and is your connection to CSNM right from your smartphone.

Find us now in www.csnm.ca

819574_Editorial.indd 1 6/30/16 2:35 PM

Food Service & Nutrit ioN 3

features our cover Story

5 Creating an international Dysphagia Diet committee of the international dysphagia diet Standardisation initiative

By Peter Lam and Julie cichero

9 auDits! Are they paramount to positive client outcomes?

By Jennifer Wilkinson, NM

12 Managing your Four-generation WorkplaCe: Challenges anD opportunities

Avoiding inter-generational conflict By Jeanne Martinson, MA

15 the FooD Cost Challenge Menu planning becomes increasingly complicated as

costs continue to rise By Michael May, MBA, NM, cFM, cP-FS

17 leaDing in unknoWn territory: key skills For Cross-DepartMent leaDership

taking on responsibility for management of related services By carolyn Schur

regular departments 4 President’s Message by Lorrie Plein

20 CSnM Corporate Member Profile silver group purchasing

21 ask an expert nutrition and hydration Week by Andy Jones

23 industry & CSnM news

26 Management notebook student Mentorship Benefits by Kirsten Bouwknegt

27 Continuing education Quizzes

29 À la Carte

inside this issue Vol 1. No. 1

CAnAdiAn SoCieTy of nuTriTion MAnAgeMenT newS

5

12

17

Stay up to date with CSNM news, events, check out photos and more!We’ll be adding new content too, so keep checking back for new items!

The CSNM App is FREE and is your connection to CSNM right from your smartphone.

Find us now in www.csnm.ca

819574_Editorial.indd 1 6/30/16 2:35 PM

4 cANAdiAN Society oF Nutrit ioN MANAgeMeNt

food Service & nutrition is a publication of

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Toronto, ontario M3B 3n7 ToLL-free PHone 1-866-355-2766

fAX (416) 441-0591 eMAiL [email protected] weBSiTe www.csnm.ca

PreSident Natasha Mooney, CNM

PaSt PreSident Lorrie Plein, CNM

PreSident-eleCt Eric Evers, CNM

SeCretary/treaSurer Heather Shannon, CNM

adMiSSionS/MeMBerShiP Dean Cox, CNM

aCCreditation Heather Truber, NM

eXaMinationS Sue Krueger, CNM

Continuing eduCation Dave Lebert, CNM

CertifiCation Donna Kubista, CNM

MeMBer CoMMuniCationS Margaret Brausse, CNM

BritiSh ColuMBia Provincial reP Daphne Spear, CNM

alBerta Provincial reP Tracey Christensen, CNM

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ontario Provincial reP 1 Amber Capotosto, CNM

ontario Provincial reP 2 Shannon Cox, NM

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Published July 2016/CSn-Q0216/4321

the importance of educationBy Lorrie Plein, cNM

Hello CSNM Members!By the time you read this, “Reach Your Peak” conference and AGM will

be a fond memory to all of you who attended. I hope each of you enjoyed the good food, good friends and good times. Shirley Ripley and her 2016 conference committee did an exceptional job. Natasha Mooney will be your CSNM President and there will be some new faces at the Board table.

I continue to encourage each of you to consider being more involved in your asso-ciation. There are so many opportunities to learn and practice being an effective leader, while serving as a CSNM Board member.

In November, the 2016–2017 Board of Directors will be working on the next Strategic Plan, which we will use to determine our goals as a Society for the next two to three years using the information we have garnered from the various member surveys over the last year. Relevant, easy to access education offered by CSNM was one of the priorities indicated by the members. On February 17, CSNM hosted a Webinar on the Malnutrition Task Force findings presented by past CSNM President Heather Truber who is involved in this ongoing project on behalf of CSNM. There were a record number of members who took part in this educational webinar. This study is taking place in test site hospitals throughout Canada. There are several more Continuing Education Webinars scheduled for the upcoming year, all at no cost to you to attend and learn.

You will notice our magazine has a new publisher. This issue is much later than usual as the CSNM Board wanted to review our options through a detailed Request for Proposal process and deliver the best value to our members. Many members, including myself, indicated that they preferred a hard copy magazine to an electronic format. Due to the cost of publishing and delivering a hard copy magazine, we have explored the many great options for an electronic magazine and this may be the way of the future.

One of the Board’s goals for this year was to better engage our student members. As a Board we frequently hear how difficult it is to persuade a student to pay for a membership. This fall, Dave Lebert and his volunteer committee will be hosting the Student Challenge. For participating in this challenge, the students will receive free Student Membership as well as the opportunity to win free conference registra-tion and other CSNM prizes. CSNM will also continue to award three scholarships to CSNM Student Members. Money invested in our students is money invested in the Society’s future. Watch for updates later this year.

In April I had the opportunity to speak to our fellow Healthcare Caterers International (HCI) members on how CSNM believes education is essential, and the key to the future of Food Services. Education of our members who manage food service departments across Canada, education of those who work in the food service department and, most importantly, education of the public on how important nutri-tion and pleasurable dining is to one’s wellbeing. CSNM has played a huge role in promoting education. This was an incredible experience to be selected to speak in front of international colleagues and to promote CSNM and the great things we do.

This is my last magazine issue message to you, our members and I want to take a moment to thank all of you for the tireless and dedicated work you do every day to make our profession stronger. It has been my honour to serve as President. I will continue to engage as Past President in the coming year and drive your association forward.

PAST PreSidenT’S MeSSAge

Lorrie Plein, CNMPast President, CSNM


By Peter Lam and Julie cichero

on behalf of the committee of the

international dysphagia diet Standardisation

initiative (iddSi)

the iDDsi Committee: co-chairs: Peter Lam

(cAN) & Julie cichero (AuS); committee

Members: Jianshe chen (cHN), roberto

dantas (BrA), Janice duivestein (cAN), Ben

Hanson (uK), Jun Kayashita (JPN), caroline

Lecko (uK), Joe Murray (uSA), Mershen

Pillay (ZAF), Soenke Stanschus (ger),

catriona Steele (cAN).

feATure

W e eat and drink every day, giving it about as much thought as we do breathing. Yet for approxi-

mately 560 million people worldwide who experience difficulty with chewing and swallowing, eating and drinking regular foods and drinks is a luxury. In order to manage swallowing difficulties (dysphagia) and reduce risks associated with choking or having food or drink aspirated into the lungs, drinks are thickened and foods are chopped, diced, mashed, or pureed. Although these processes occur all over the world, the names that are given to modified foods and drinks for people with

swallowing difficulty vary enormously. For patient safety, there is a need for a common terminology and an understanding of what is meant by the terms chosen. National ter-minologies have been published in the USA, UK, Australia, Japan, Ireland Denmark and Sweden.1 However, when taken together, there is no complete commonality between these different national terminologies. There are differences in names, and even number of levels of modification. For exam-ple, in the UK the term for pre-mashed food is “Texture D” and yet in the geographically close Ireland, “Texture D” is used to denote food that has been liquidized. Texturally

Creating an International

Dysphagia Diet


these are quite different and yet share the same name, which poses a safety risk for people with swallowing difficulties and even health professionals travelling between the two countries.

In late 2012, a group of like-minded individuals from diverse professional back-grounds from around the world met to develop a single global standardised termi-nology and definitions to describe texture modified foods and thickened liquids to be used for individuals with dysphagia of all ages, in all care settings, and all cultures. The group established the International Dysphagia Diet Standardisation Initiative (IDDSI). To say that the goal was ambi-tious was an understatement! However, the group was unified in its vision to improve safety for people with swallowing disorders, beginning a three-year journey to gather and synthesize information from thousands of people around the globe.

One of IDDSI’s key underpinnings is col-laboration. IDDSI is privileged to have a dedicated, multi-disciplinary committee comprised of experts from the fields of Dietetics, Speech Pathology, Occupational Therapy, Physiotherapy, Gastroenterology, Nursing, Mechanical Engineering, Food Service and Food Science. Within this group, IDDSI also has access to the collec-tive wisdom of internationally recognized clinicians and researchers, published scien-tists and journal editors, and international organizations such as the NHS England Patient Safety Team. The group works in an honourary capacity, juggling their usual jobs in addition to volunteering for IDDSI. Together the group identified the key stakeholders who would be critical for consultation and engagement in the devel-opment of the new international standards. Stakeholders identified were (a) individu-als with swallowing difficulties and their carers; (b) Professional organisations that support people with swallowing difficulties; (c) Health professionals and food service staff; (d) Industry (providers of thickeners and pre-thickened liquids; and providers of commercial ready texture-modified foods); and (e) researcher scholars. The group was in agreement that all parts of the globe needed to be asked whether they had a standard system of names and descriptions for texture modified foods and thickened

fluids. How many levels of food texture modification did they have? How many different thicknesses of thickened liquids did they use? What names did they use for texture modified foods and thickened liquids? Did they use any colour schemes or symbols in their current system? Did they check that texture-modified foods and thickened liquids were of the correct con-sistency before giving them to people with swallowing disorders? How did they check that foods or liquids were of the correct consistency? And finally what recommen-dations did they have for the development of an international terminology? The IDDSI committee developed surveys that asked these questions in ways that were sensitive to each stakeholder group. The surveys were sent out using Survey MonkeyTM to carer organizations, professional organizations, industry and universities for dissemination to their members and also released through the IDDSI website. Responses were col-lected from October 2013 until November 2014 with more than 2000 people from 33 countries responding. These responses were formally analyzed for themes and summary information gathered.

The IDDSI committee also went to the literature for two different tasks. Firstly they examined published national stan-dards and produced a paper that captured the similarities and differences between the seven existing national dysphagia diets

from around the world1. Following this, a systematic review of the literature was con-ducted to determine what evidence existed to show that modifying the texture of food or thickening liquids was of benefit to peo-ple with swallowing difficulties. In addi-tion, the systematic review sought to look for the number of levels of liquid thick-ness and texture modification that would produce good therapeutic outcomes. The review was a massive undertaking spear-headed by Scientific Work stream leader Prof Catriona Steele. More than 10,000 non-duplicate articles were initially iden-tified and then through a careful process were reduced to 488 relevant articles and a detailed analysis of 36 articles that had sufficient scientific rigour. Again, a group of volunteer research scholars took part in training and rating tasks to determine that there is evidence that (i) thickening liquids helps reduce aspiration and (ii) there is evidence that there is such a thing as “too thick,” where residue begins to accumulate and becomes of itself an aspiration risk, but insufficient boundaries at this point in time to work out exactly how many different thickness levels are needed to treat dysphagia. Further, the review found that there is evidence that solid food and thicker liquids require greater effort in oral processing and swallowing, but there was little information specifically about texture modified food used for dysphagia. Further evidence, can, however, be drawn from choking literature to provide guid-ance on the size of food pieces and other textural properties that reduce choking risk. The results of the systematic review were documented in a second publication by the group.2

Armed with empirical information from key stakeholders from around the globe, evidence of current national terminologies and evidence-based information, the IDDSI committee met in Vancouver in 2015 to interlace the technical and research evi-dence with clinical and cultural needs. Samples of thickened drinks from around the world were mixed and compared and foods were made, bought and discussed. Definitions were developed, critiqued, and re-written. Debate and blinded voting con-tinued until there was unanimous agree-ment. Preliminary terms and definitions

[...] the group was unified

in its vision to improve

safety for people with

swallowing disorders,

beginning a three-year

journey to gather and

synthesize information

from thousands of people

around the globe.


were trialed for understanding by a chef blinded to the discussion or rationale for the food texture requests. At the conclusion of the two-and-a-half day marathon, the group had developed a Draft Framework that was culturally sensitive, considered the needs of individuals of all ages and the environment of use, and verified labels for preliminary translation.

Further, the group set about develop-ing ways for people to test the foods and drinks to be able to confidently assign them to the different food and drink lev-els. A new survey was developed to ask the international community for comment and feedback, seeking to again have comment from key stakeholder groups from around the globe. The survey was live from the month of May 2015 and drew responses from more than 3000 people from 57 dif-ferent countries. Looking back on the first round of stakeholder feedback, and the increase in participants and participating countries, it was clear that IDDSI was fil-tering through and that people wanted to be involved. Based on the feedback received from this second round of con-sultation, the IDDSI committee refined the final framework and in September 2015 in Kyoto, Japan the International Dysphagia Diet Standardisation Initiative Framework was launched. The final scale consists of a continuum of 8 levels (0–7), with the levels identified by numbers, text labels and colour codes as shown in Figure 1. Individuals with dysphagia receive a “pre-scription” that addresses both their food and drink needs. For example, a person may need a 6 Soft Diet and 2 Mildly Thick drink to meet their safe swallowing needs. Detailed descriptors were developed for each of the food levels (3–7) levels and the drink levels (0–4). Frequently Asked Questions accompany each of the detailed descriptors along with testing methods. True to the international nature of the ini-tiative, the detailed drink descriptors pre-miered in Barcelona, Spain, in September 2015 and the detailed food descriptors were launched in Hangzhou, China, in November 2015. The IDDSI committee has also pre-sented posters and presentations over the course of the initiative in Australia, Canada, the UK, the USA, South Africa, Germany,

and Brazil seeking to spread the word as widely as possible.

The decision to develop a dedicated website in early 2013 remains key to helping provide people with information and for IDDSI to receive communications from the world. Dedicated sub-commit-tees ensure that the website is up to date and that there are regular e-newsletters sent out to people to keep them in touch with all things IDDSI. Sub-committees for research, stakeholder engagement and industry have also had pivotal roles. The dedicated IDDSI committee members, with their unique, round-the-globe locations, ensure that IDDSI never sleeps. In the final development stages of the frame-work and detailed descriptors, the docu-ments were active quite literally around the clock, allowing large amounts of work to be accomplished in incredibly short amounts of time.

It would be remiss not to mention the strong support of industry for IDDSI and the development of the International Framework. Industry from around the world in the fields of manufacture of thicken-ers, pre-thickened drinks, and commercial-ready texture modified foods contributed

funds to support the initiative. The ability to have regular global teleconferences, sup-port publication and some research assis-tant and analysis work would not have been possible without their generous support. Industry was not, however, involved in the design, development, writing or approval of any parts of the IDDSI framework or associated documents.

The framework has been well received by professional associations, health profes-sionals, food service and industry interna-tionally. Roll out and implementation of the IDDSI framework, was not part of the original goal of the IDDSI initiative. Given the potential challenges of implementing the framework, there have been requests from the international community for IDDSI to lead the roll out and implementation ini-tiative in a planned and coordinated man-ner. In the development of the framework, IDDSI has already established its role as a neutral, independent, inter-professional group with trust and support from health professionals, professional associations, industry, researchers, individuals with dys-phagia and those who care for them.

IDDSI has agreed to embark on a new project to lead and guide international


roll out and implementation of the IDDSI framework for participating individuals, groups, associations, industry and gov-ernments. A new three-year project has been proposed to assist with roll out of the framework. Using a Monitor-Aware-Prepare-Adopt (MAPA) process IDDSI proposes to assist with (a) Awareness programs suited to a wide range of stake-holder groups using a range of formats; (b) The development of educational materials; (c) Advice regarding colours and labelling; (d) Coding of diets for foodservices/cater-ing; and (e) Assistance for independent auditing of foods and drinks.

IDDSI will also work with countries to develop texture/thickness converters between existing national terminologies and the IDDSI framework to provide stan-dard reference points.

A staggered roll out program is pro-posed, utilizing countries with resident IDDSI committee members to facilitate the process. Each phase will be monitored to provide a cycle of quality improvement that will allow for safe and smooth tran-sition to the new framework. The IDDSI website (www.iddsi.org) will continue to provide information and updates on the roll out process.

In conclusion, there are two key themes that drive IDDSI. These are a central focus on patient safety for people with swal-lowing difficulties, and the importance of collaboration. These same values are seen

in IDDSI stakeholders. The generosity of spirit that exists around the world has helped to bring the message of standardized terminology to more than 57 countries. The IDDSI framework is considered a living document and it is through continued collaboration that the framework will continue to evolve to best meet the needs of individuals with swallowing disorders.

ACknowleDgementThe IDDSI Committee would like

to acknowledge the interest and par-ticipation of the global community including patients, caregivers, health professionals, industry, professional associations and researchers. We would also like to thank our sponsors for their generous support (web-site: www.iddsi.org).

Mr. Peter Lam is a Registered Dietitian and a Credentialed Foodservice Executive in Vancouver, BC, Canada. Peter is a past national presi-dent of the Canadian Association of Foodservice Professionals, was chair-person of the Dysphagia Assessment and Treatment Network (Dietitians of Canada), and chairperson and board member with the College of Dietitians of British Columbia.

Dr. Julie Cichero is a speech pathologist and specialist of feeding and swallowing dis-orders. Julie works clinically and is an Honorary Senior Fellow with the University of Queensland, Australia (Schools of Pharmacy Chemical Engineering, Food Technology). She is an invited international speaker, reviewer for 19 international journals, has published more than 35 journal articles and co-authored four books.

RefeRenCes1 Cichero JAY, Steele C, Duivestein J, Clave

P, Chen J, Kayashita J, Dantas R, Lecko C,

Speyer R, Lam P, Murray J. (2013). The need

for international terminology and defini-

tions for texture-modified food and thick-

ened liquids used in dysphagia management:

Foundations of a global initiative. Current

Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation Reports. 1:

280-291. Web link http://link.springer.com/

article/10.1007%2Fs40141-013-0024-z#page-1

2 Steele CM, Alsanei WA, Ayanikalath S, Barbon

CEA, Chen J, Cichero JAY, Coutts K, Dantas RO,

Duivestein J, Giosa L, Hanson B, Lam P, Lecko C,

Leigh C, Nagy A, Namasivayam AM, Nascimento

WV, Odendaal I, Smith CH & Wang H. (2015).

The influence of food texture and liquid con-

sistency modification on swallowing physiology

and function: A systematic review. Dysphagia.

30(1): 2-26. DOI 10.1007/s00455-014-9578-x.

http://bit.ly/1wvZydp

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ConTinuing eduCATion ArTiCLe

Audits!Are they paramount to positive client outcomes? And how do we assess, track feedback and use this information?

A ll healthcare organizations are dedicated to making client and patient satisfaction part of their strategic plans, missions, visions and values. But how do we know we are

achieving positive client outcomes? As managers we can only subjectively monitor and evaluate our progress if we can measure the quality of our performance from performing internal audits.

why CReAte AuDItsThe intent of performing audits is to measure quality within the selected department, improve the processes and systems, measure progress, and qualify whether these are meeting expec-tations or if changes need to be made.

Audits can be used in assessing risk by identifying potential hazards to the organization. If the audit is comprehensive, it will provide a framework in the development of a monitoring and planning system that mitigates any potential future risks. As a Food Services Manager, your department should have key risk indicators that are measured and monitored on a frequent basis; most nutrition departments consider food safety as a key risk indicator and monitor this risk frequently.

Audits can be implemented as a time-management tool for leaders so they can focus their time, energy and resources where gaps, risks or poor performance are indicated and need to be addressed. A successful audit can be used to identify the strengths of your department, potential upcoming issues and as an aid in guiding the decisions of the department.

Audits can be a communication tool that provides a frame-work for standards and quality initiatives that can be used to relay information from the organization to both internal and external stakeholders, which in turn verifies the commitment to improvement.

✓✓✓

By Jennifer wilkinson, nM


The information gathered in audit-ing can create a wealth of data to help managers focus on cost savings, and improving revenue and client outcomes by using reliable data to create informed decisions within the facility.

how to Develop AnD Assess ouR AuDIts Creating audits can be overwhelming. A good starting point to consider when creating an audit is to look at standards from government acts, regulations, bylaws or recognized best practices from other facilities. Preparing an audit on the expected standards from a third party audit, such as your public health inspector, will help you prepare correctly in covering the standards prior to the actual inspector’s visit.

Audits are built on standards we are trying to accomplish or improve upon, such as increasing quality of service, enhancing food safety standards and improving work place safety. To create these standards, facilities should look at potential hazards or threats within the department, the correct procedures that should be followed and the probability of the hazards that could arise. Reviewing historical data can help in establishing the frequency of some of these hazards

from past documents such as accident reports, near misses, submissions, and non-compliant issues in reports.

A good example of an auditing system is the Hazard Analysis Critical Control Point (HACCP) plan, as it is developed to forecast the risk involved in your meal service and communicate to your staff the critical control points, establishing preventive measures, monitoring, verify-ing and recording.

Audits should be personalised to the organization and modified as gaps are presented. When reviewing items to include within audits, consider where the audits have been unsuccessful by compiling any complaints, and sugges-tions, as well as patient satisfaction and client surveys. Employees should be part of the discussion of quality improvement and their input included on standards and suggestions on how improvements can be made.

Audit standards need to be clearly defined and identified with an assess-ment that is specific and measurable. Consider using both quantitative (with a number amount) and qualitative data (with a description) to ensure that the audit captures the full representation of details. Quantifiable standards should be detailed, such as food temperature

ranges that are acceptable. Quantifiable standards are often a numerical goal or percentage that can be provided for the auditor to review to see if the stan-dards are being met. It is important to note that accurate, frequent and reli-able data is important in measuring progress.

When developing audits, consider providing a section for comments for extra information and concerns that may arise that may not be listed on the audit. Using the data from the follow up section, one individual should be assigned the responsibility for following up on un-met standards and setting a target date for completion.

The frequency of audits for a stan-dard may change depending on the probability of the potential risk or poor performance based on standards from past audits. Audits should reflect priori-ties and should change alongside the audited department. A good example of frequency would be food temperature controls, refrigeration and sanitation audits, which are scheduled as daily audits due to the sudden severe risk they pose, and client assessments could be scheduled monthly with more stable client reviews. What may have been a concern last year may now be resolved either through awareness, training, a new procedure or installation of new equipment.

Audits should clearly state the timeframe in which they should be implemented, for example, daily, weekly, monthly, quarterly or annually, depending on the risk and frequency for change. It is important to note a com-prehensive audit should be done yearly to assess training goals and professional development, which has two impacts: costs of training is directly linked to yearly budget planning and to review if staff is compliant and up-to-date in their certifications such as safe food handling legislation.

Audits should be created for all areas and departments, including clini-cal, production, purchasing, sanitation, and staff performance, as all of these

Creating audits can be overwhelming. A good starting

point to consider when creating an audit is to look at

standards from government acts, regulations, bylaws or

recognized best practices from other facilities. Preparing

an audit on the expected standards from a third party

audit, such as your public health inspector, will help you

prepare correctly in covering the standards prior to the

actual inspector’s visit.


areas will affect the safety and positive outcomes of client care and satisfaction.

how Is AuDIt feeDbACk tRACkeD? After compiling audit data, the collected information needs to be organized; this can be completed by using a comprehen-sive software system with capabilities to receive various accurate detailed data on the standards that have been created. Software management has the advan-tages of reducing the amount of time for data entry, supporting the audit through standardized formulas built into the sys-tem, interpreting objective reports and summarizing the data that has been col-lected. Accurate data reports can allow for monitoring and evaluating trends in a given period and comparing these with historical information. Measurable data can show if improvements have been achieved and risks reduced or removed, and it can accurately track satisfaction survey rates or nutrition care standards and results. The data collected can be used for benchmarking both internally and externally to see if improvements are progressing.

Customer service and client satisfac-tion surveys compile a representation of what organizations are doing well and what can be improved. In creating service audits, it is best to centre these audits on the needs and desires from the client’s perspective. It is important to understand what the client would like to see modified and how these changes can be personalized.

how to use the InfoRmAtIon ACCumulAteD fRom AuDIts?Now that risks and gaps in service have been identified and standards have been defined, how is the information used and communicated?

When you include staff in the process of auditing, both in the creation and modifications of audit, this can create a strong communication tool within your department. Whenever possible have your employees self-audit their depart-ment to understand where they can improve in the future prior to another

review; this can be an effective training tool for staff. Inviting other stakeholders, such as nursing, to audit your depart-ment gives a twofold opportunity of hav-ing your stakeholder know what standards are important to your section and have to be met as well as giving a new outlook on audits through a fresh perspective. Inform your department about the results of the audit and plans for improvement so they can appreciate and contribute to the progress.

Plate waste audits, supplement intake, supplement usage and waste audits can also be used as tools for decreasing costs and improving the clinical nutrition intake of your clients. For example, if your plate waste audits are indicating that less than 50 per cent of certain meals are consumed, this is a good indicator that this meal can be enhanced or altered to create a more positive meal satisfaction for the client and better nutrient intake.

The statistical data accumulated from audits can also be utilized as part of your evidence in requesting resources such as equipment and staffing. Accurate records and documents indicate potential risks that need to be addressed and justify resource requests to improve the process.

An audit should be used as an improve-ment tool. The audit analysis can isolate the root cause of a given problem of stan-dards not being met. We can use various techniques for finding the root cause, such as detailed maps of the process, listing potential reasons for the difficulty, and asking a series of why questions to come to the root cause of a given problem. Once we have established a root cause for the setback, a plan should be implemented for an amended process, enhanced train-ing or appropriate equipment to resolve the issue or improve the quality within the standard.

Audits are an integral part of the “plan, do, study, act” (PDSA) cycle, which is inte-gral for a continuous improvement cycle. Continuous process plans are constantly being created and reviewed to achieve steady progress in improvement in all areas of the department. When we cre-ate a new plan for the department, we

should be following up with a concen-trated study (audit) of what we hoped to achieve. In order to ensure that a posi-tive result is occurring, the data from our previous audits should be measured before the change, during the change and after the change to analyze if the data supports the change’s revision. You can verify whether or not the system or plan is advancing by creating a baseline measurement for improvements in the standards; this is a forecasted number or percentage to objectively determine if you have made improvements. After setting a baseline measurement, you can then set goals for targets for the short term (next three months) or long term goals (a year).

ConClusIonAudits are an internal control to assess and review if your organization is meet-ing or exceeding compliance in regula-tions, procedures, safety and clinical outcomes. Audits provide consistent and objective data for managers to use for planning improvements, allocating resources, and tracking and qualifying the results.

We develop audits from potential risks to our organization, while ensuring they are clear, measurable, timely and reflect our client’s needs.

We can use the data achieved from audits with other continuous quality tools to allow us to compare results achieved within specific time periods as a reliable method of tracking whether our food services strategies are improv-ing client satisfaction and creating more positive client outcomes throughout our department.

Jennifer Wilkinson, NM, is currently the Director of Food Service and Nutrition Management and Long Term Care Management with HealthCareCAN, CHA Learning. Jennifer also teaches and coordinates to culinary students. Jennifer has a keen interest in continuing education and qual-ity management.


By Jeanne Martinson, MA

managing your four-generation workplace:Challenges and opportunities

Welcome to the perfect climate for generational conflict in the workplace! Not only are we expe-

riencing the shift from analog to digital technology, we are waking up to the real-ity that there are no longer just older and younger workers, but rather four distinct generational groups with distinctive values and beliefs.

Many members of our oldest generation, the Traditionalists, still find themselves in the workplace. For some, this is driven by a genuine enjoyment of their work coupled with the anticipation of a longer life span. For other Traditionalists, the decision to remain in the workforce hinges on retire-ment plans that were interrupted by the 2008 financial crisis.

feATure

At the same time, the Baby Boomers, who are now in a place between mid-career and retirement, are primarily occupying the positions of power in our organizations. With expectations of a long and healthy life and meaningful work to occupy them-selves, many Baby Boomers are finding the workplace more attractive and will possibly push back retirement plans themselves.

Generation Xs, in their early 30s to late 40s, are waiting impatiently for better career opportunities to materialize, while Generation Y is close on Gen X’s heels, bursting into the workforce with enthusi-asm and expectations of a brave new world.

Gen Ys came into the workforce at the end of the analog to digital shift. This is highly significant as this is the


managing your four-generation workplace:Challenges and opportunities

first generation to see digital technol-ogy as essential, both in their work and personal life.

The combination of the four-genera-tion workplace and the digital technology shift has placed employees in heightened conflict with each other where employ-ees from different generations judge each other as having a good or poor work ethic, commitment and loyalty to the organization.so what does each generation expect from their managers? how can you best lead each employee to maximize productivity and profitability?traditionalists expect to come to work, do a good job and then go home at the end of the day to live their lives. They volunteer in the community, have social networks outside of the workplace and will therefore be less likely to become involved in workplace volunteer events. They believe in the loyalty relationship: the organization takes care of them and they take care of the organization. They are the least likely to leave for minor reasons or conflict.

Traditionalists expect to be com-municated to respectfully. This means that they need your undivided focus and attention, especially when you are delegating, giving negative feedback or providing positive reinforcement.

baby boomers bond with their col-leagues and their loyalty is focused on their team versus the company at large. Boomers’ lives often centre around work. They are friends with workmates, volun-teer with workmates and even vacation with workmates. Baby Boomers value being busy, and so-called face time in meetings can sometimes take priority over getting actual tasks completed. Working long hours and travelling long distances are seen as medals of honour in the battle to build a career.

Baby Boomers want others to acknowl-edge their wisdom and experience. They expect to be treated politely and to have their opinions asked for and taken seriously. They expect to be acknowl-edged for contributions, formally recog-nized and thanked for a job well done,

communicated to according to the organi-zation’s hierarchy, and recognized accord-ing to their authority.

gen Xs are loyal to their managers versus the organization. They might fol-low their supervisor to a new company, or quit if they cannot respect or learn from their leader. They have little patience for meetings without a clear purpose, tasks that aren’t clearly aligned with mission, and plaques and certificates of recogni-tion awarded instead of financial bonuses or time off. They don’t feel a need to be close friends with workmates, just polite and professional with each other. They also feel a need for new technology, but only if there is a clear guarantee of an improve-ment in results.

Gen Xs feel respected when they are asked for input and asked to be open about their opinions. They also feel respected when they are thanked in a genuine way, considered as an equal by management, and allowed to do their job autonomously.

gen ys, as children, had their activi-ties programmed by their parents from their waking up until their bedtime. This led to little time for children to experi-ence free play where they would learn to identify options, gather resources, make decisions, lead others and create teams —skills that Gen Ys now need to learn once they enter the workplace. As children, many Gen Ys were invited into the adult world and treated as partners in decision making, not as offspring. Gen Ys therefore see themselves equal in decision-making authority and power and expect equi-table relationships with superiors and in their workplace.

Gen Ys have experienced positive feedback for good, mediocre or even poor work and they received that feedback fre-quently. Therefore, in the workplace, Gen Ys expect constant communication, whether in person or via technology. They have an expectation of close supervision and instantaneous, supportive feedback.

Gen Ys want to work for authentic lead-ers, who are consistent in their behaviours and act with integrity and transparency. Gen Ys feel respected when there is team-sharing and all ideas are seen to have merit,

regardless of the idea’s creator, and when people are included in processes regarding planning or change.

Each generation is defined not by the age they are, but the age they were raised in. The religious, educational, family and media influences of our youth created the values we bring to the work we do every day. Only by understanding how each generation was hatched into the workplace, can we respectfully and effec-tively lead them.why are generational differences such a leadership issue today, even though it hasn’t been so in the past?Although every generation has its chal-lenges from a leadership perspective, many managers are having specific challenges leading and managing their Generation Y employees. Even if you are a Gen Y yourself, you may be surprised how different Generation Y employees may be compared to the three older sets of talent you have in your organization.

As mentioned earlier, generational dif-ferences are not so much about the age the person is but the age they were raised in. So what were the social, economic and political factors of Generation Y’s youth? How were they influenced by their parents, educators and media?

All Gen Ys are not alike, but the stereotypical Gen Y grew up as a single child or one of only two children, in an urban environment, with middle-class parents of western European descent who worked for others rather for themselves. Atypical Gen Ys, or outliers, behave differently than typical Gen Ys due to childhood environmental factors such as being raised by entrepreneurial parents, having a rural upbringing, being born into a larger family, or being an immigrant or the child of immigrant parents. An outlier Gen Y may be chronologically the same age as his or her Gen Y peers, but might behave quite differently.

Leaders must simply lead Gen Ys dif-ferently than they do Traditionalists, Boomers and Gen Xs.

Consider these three specific ways to increase your leadership relationship with the typical Gen Ys you have on your team.


stRAtegy one: hIRe smARt oR leAD toughIf you don’t manage the interviewing pro-cess for Gen Y employees correctly, you may be managing misunderstandings into the future. The common sense or under-standing that exists within one genera-tion has been thinly stretched when it comes to the understanding of work a Gen Y or a Boomer might hold. This lack of “common” sense between the gen-erations can create misunderstandings that lead to job change, conflict and poor productivity.

For example, Gen Ys were raised with a negotiating mindset where they negotiated sleep times and privi-leges with their parents, and assign-ment topics and deadlines with their teachers and professors. To some Gen Ys, everything is negotiable. So when an interviewer suggests to a Gen Y can-didate that the work hours are flexible, a Gen Y may interpret this to mean the organization is open for a 11 a.m. to 7 p.m. work shift, when the interviewer only meant that instead of 8:30 a.m., employees can come in as early as 7:30 a.m. or as late as 9 a.m. This lack of com-mon work definitions requires increased communication from all concerned.

Managers must be clear on the road to advancement. In a study discussed in the Journal of Diversity Management, 5057 individuals from the four genera-tional groups were surveyed using the Rokeach Value Survey of 18 values. The third top value for Boomers (after honest and responsible) was loyal. The fourth top value for Gen Xs (after hon-est, responsible and capable) was loyal. The sixth top value for Gen Ys (after honest, responsible, loving, independent and ambitious) was loyal.

Each generation values loyalty, but Gen Ys have higher values for inde-pendence and ambition. If they feel that there are too many unnecessary rules and there is no leeway for nego-tiating those rules, they will be dis-satisfied. Likewise, if they see there is little upward mobility or opportunity to grow, learn or make a difference in their current work situation, they will be dissatisfied and will look for other

job opportunities. Gen Ys are genu-inely surprised when Boomers who are extremely unhappy in their work con-tinue to hang in there, just because retirement may be around the corner. On the other hand, Boomers are sur-prised that Gen Ys will change jobs if they don’t think the manager is authentic. In the interviewing process, discuss in concrete terms timing around advancement and the skills and knowledge the employee would have to acquire for the next several promotions.

stRAtegy two: be AuthentICAs discussed above, loyalty is a value for all generations. However, loy-alty and staying with the organiza-tion are not synonymous to a Gen Y. Traditionalists and Baby Boomers are loyal to an organization and stay there long-term if the employer-employee relationship continues. Gen Xs are loyal to their team and manager, and as long as their manager is competent and creates opportunities for a Gen X’s growth and advancement, he or she will continue to be loyal to their manager and will likely remain with the organization.

But Gen Ys’ retention relates more to the authenticity of their leaders than the organization itself. Gen Ys value integrity and commit to those who display it. Behaviours such as doing what you say you will, honour-ing commitments, shouldering blame and sharing success show consistent, predictable leadership that appeals to Gen Ys. They are willing to fol-low those whom they find compelling and could change jobs at a moment’s notice to be on a team they find more meaningful with a leader that they respect. Although this quick willing-ness to move may be seen by older generations as demonstrating a lack of consistency, dependability or loyalty, it can be used in a leader’s favour. A transparent leader who demonstrates both skills and experience and a will-ingness to be courageous and insightful can influence Gen Ys to join their team and remain engaged.

stRAtegy thRee: gIve ReAl, fRequent, effeCtIve feeDbACk Every generation wants feedback and they want it as clearly communi-cated as possible. But Gen Ys especially need clear feedback as they simply may not have the experience to understand vague summarizing comments.

Many managers have been trained with the “feedback sandwich” where a leader provides positive feedback fol-lowed by negative feedback and finishes up with a dash of good feedback before finishing the conversation. This feedback strategy often fails due to the factor of recency where the employee most strongly remembers the last thing said to them and the averaging factor where an employee tells themselves that over-all they are doing a good job.

The good news/bad news/good news of the feedback sandwich does not work effectively with any of the gen-erational groups and it is particularly risky with Gen Y employees. Many Gen Ys are not used to receiving negative feedback where they are held solely responsible for the consequences of their behaviour, so they may minimize the negative feedback and focus on the positive feedback at the beginning and end of the conversation.

Managers generally dislike giv-ing negative feedback. That is only human nature. However by giving confusing feedback or no feedback at all, the manager is setting up the employee for failure and the organiza-tion for possible legal issues because they have not given the employee an opportunity to truly learn how they could improve. Throw out the sand-wich, focus on specific behaviour and emphasize consequence and impacts to the team and organization.

Jeanne Martinson, MA, is a professional speaker and bestselling Canadian author on leadership and diversity in the workplace. Her latest book, Generation Y and the New Work Ethic, is available at Amazon in print and ebook formats. For more on Jeanne, see www.martrain.org.


By Michael May, MBA, NM, cFM, cP-FS

the food Cost ChallengeHealthcare, and more specifically

Long Term Care, is changing rapidly, in terms of complexity of care of

patients/residents, changing demograph-ics, increasing expectations and evolving trends of healthy eating, eating local, dietary requirements and many others. Adding to all this is increasing costs, a lower value of Canadian dollar affecting costs, and funding increases that don’t come close to matching cost-of-living Increases. The traditional menus, which have historically focused on a “meat, pota-toes and pie”– style diet is, in many cases, not what customers are expecting any more, and this makes menu planning much more complicated than before.

So is it impossible? Do we give up? Absolutely not! With some creative think-ing and research, today’s nutrition manager can meet the challenge of meeting compli-cated needs and expectations of the cus-tomers and meeting tight budgets. This is our challenge – are you ready to take it on?

whAt Do youR CustomeRs wAnt?The first thing to do is determine what it is that your customers (patients/resi-dents) want. There is no point in serving prime rib and roast lamb if your custom-ers actually want chicken. In many cases, managers will put items on the menu in the name of variety, for example, putting lamb on a menu just to have another meat choice. But, if your residents would prefer a cheaper source of protein, why serve the expensive lamb? Serving unpopular items costs money. Even If you don’t make a lot of it, you still need to have enough available

for all textures, and end up throwing a lot of it out.

Talk to your customers, find out what they like, and offer some creative variations of their favorites. Instead of looking for another meat for variety, try a different sauce or a different preparation method of a meat they prefer. Many managers stay away from vegetarian items because they are under the impression that the elderly do not enjoy vegetarian choices, but hold a food tasting event, encourage your custom-ers to try them and you will be surprised. Vegetarian items will add more variety, can be less expensive than meats and usually they are healthier.

One important point to consider when planning a menu for your residents or patients is not to follow the latest trends if it is something they won’t enjoy. There is no point in serving organic fruits and vegetables, if it means nothing to them! I’m not saying there is not value in organic produce, there certainly is, but when you are on a limited budget and pleasing a generally older demographic, your money may be better spent on other items. Again, know what your customers want and serve them just that!

wAtCh the wAsteIt may seem obvious but most people would be very surprised if they actually knew how much food is being wasted. According to Second Harvest, “In developed countries, like Canada, more than 40 per cent of food losses occur at retail and consumer levels.” To put it into dollars, that’s $31 billion wasted in food every year in Canada. (See

www.secondharvest.ca/hunger-facts for more details.)

Food is wasted in a healthcare kitchen in many ways, such as over-production, spoilage, theft, and during the preparation process. The key to reducing waste is to know what you are wasting and why. Most managers think about over-production as the main source of waste, and it certainly is significant, but have you ever thought about how you peel an onion?

When cooks are peeling an onion, quite often they will cut into it and peel three or four layers along with the actual outside peel. Now you may be thinking, “It’s only onions, how much can that really cost?” Let’s say a kilogram of cooking onions cost $2.00. The outside peel accounts for about 50 grams of the kilogram, but if you peel a few layers extra, because it’s easier, you are now wasting 200 grams. These are all approximates, but they illustrate the point. If properly peeling the onions, your accept-able waste would be $0.10 per kilogram. By not peeling them properly, your actual waste would be $0.40 per kilogram, or $0.30 per kilogram more. So why is $0.30 such a big deal? If you use 200 kilograms of onions in a year, that’s $60.00 wasted, and that’s just onions!

Training employees to peel and trim products properly, scrape everything out of containers, and utilize as much of the product as possible can save considerable amount of money. A great method to bring the message home to employees is to have them weigh pre-consumer waste and track the type of items that are going into it using a clear bin. By putting all food scraps



and waste in clear bins, employees get a visual cue of their waste and become more aware. By measuring and tracking the waste daily, you can set targets to reduce waste; this, combined with training employees on proper techniques, can result in significant savings by getting employees involved and making them feel accountable.

There are other ways that we waste food as well. Proper purchasing, so we have the right product and the right time to avoid spoilage, is essential. A strong production system, including properly forecasted pro-duction sheets and recipes, is essential. As with any system, employees must be properly trained on production systems and the Nutrition Manager must monitor the systems, by auditing compliance to pro-duction systems and recipes, and revising production numbers based on over/under-production and comments and ensuring employees are well trained on not just how the production systems work but why they are so important.

DIffeRent CultuRes? Just ADD sAuCe Canada is one of the most multi-cultural countries on the planet, which is great in that we learn from other cultures, try new foods and become more accepting. The challenge comes when you have a long-term care home with residents from vastly different cultures. Asian residents, for example, will eat different foods than Jamaican or English residents, so how can you plan a menu for a home that has many cultures? It would be very labour intensive and prohibitively expensive to prepare two choices for every culture.

There are a couple of strategies that a Nutrition Manager can use. Firstly, plan a menu that is fairly generic, including items such roast chicken or stir-fries, which appeal to many cultures. Try having rice as an option every day. In addition, you can plan theme meals once a week to highlight each of the cultures, one week a Jamaican lunch, then Scottish and so on. At least this gives each group a taste of their authentic foods once in a while.

Another great way to meet the diverse tastes of residents is to offer a spice caddy at each meal. This can be a plastic carrier that can have different shakes of spices, chili flakes, and bottles of different sauces,

fish sauce, Sriracha, different hot sauces, the list goes on. The Nutrition Manager can meet with the residents to find out what condiments they are used to that would enhance their foods. Put them all together and offer them at meal times. In this way, plain roast chicken can have an Asian flair, a touch of spice, or savoury Italian spices. By customizing the condi-ments offered to your group of residents, you may not be always offering them their cultural specific foods, but at least they can add some flavour of home to their meal. This is a very cost effective way to try to meet the needs of the ever changing mix of residents.

loCAl, heAlthy, eXpensIve RIght?Some of the big trends of the last couple of years are eating healthier and eating local products. These two things aren’t necessar-ily related but many consumers think that local is healthier. While this may not be at the top of mind of our residents in long term care, it is important to our employees and the families of our residents. Eating locally can be more complicated and quite expensive, but there are ways that you can achieve this at minimal additional costs.

Firstly, and this may sound obvious, buy items in season. Bring in locally grown veg-etables and fruits when they are in season, instead of buying imported. Local produce is usually much better-tasting and meets the objective of trying to eat local, however, there are usually a few drawbacks. It may be a little more expensive, and generally it has a shorter shelf life than imported produce. The key is to plan your menus around the availability of local produce and this will involve some menu changes.

sAvIngs lIke CompAny One of the final keys to saving money on food cost is not buying alone. If your ser-vices are contracted out to a management company, then you are realizing savings through their buying relationships. If you operate your food services yourself, self-op, you can join a buying group, or group pur-chasing organization (GPO) to save money. The organization blends the purchasing value of all of its members together to get volume savings from suppliers and there are several organizations specializing in healthcare and long term care. So you are

not just a 100-bed home purchasing food, you are part of an organization that pur-chasing on behalf of 30,000 beds.

While there may be a small fee involved in belonging to a GPO, there are many advantages beyond food cost savings. Many of them will supply software to manage your production, will offer training events and offer ongoing support of customer ser-vice representatives, beyond those of the actual suppliers, that can help you quickly resolve issues if they arise.

sAvIngs tAke A plAn So it may sound daunting, trying to provide a menu that appeals to the ever chang-ing needs and tastes of your residents and patients, keeping up with trends and meeting strict budget requirements. Well in reality it is tough, but not impossible. The key to staying within your budget is to think beyond the traditional menu plan-ning theories of just color, variety, etc, but to put real thought into the main elements Focusing on what your customers actually want, watching the waste, creatively think-ing of ways to meet cultural diversity, plan-ning local purchases smartly and becoming a member of a GPO are all great ways to control food cost.

It is important to remember, though, that good menu planning and effective production systems are still important, probably even more important now that we are faced with raising costs and stag-nant budgets. The basics of planning and monitoring production, recipe compliance and training our staff are crucial to meeting the food cost challenge.

Michael May is the Director of Operations with Nutra Services. Michael is a trained chef and certified nutri-tion manager. Michael has worked in the food service industry for over 25 years in different posi-tions of different foodservice environments. In his previous role with Aramark Michael rolled out a successful food waste reduction program across Canada. Michael has an MBA from Athabasca University and LEAN Green Belt on his professional profile which, com-bined with his foodservice experience, have given him excellent cost control knowledge and skills.



By carolyn Schur

leading in unknown territory: Key Skills for Cross-Department Leadership

Carolyn was an experienced curricu-lum developer when she was asked to develop a training program for energy

efficient construction. “Who? Me?” she said. “I don’t know any-

thing about building or energy efficiency.” “We don’t need you for your exper-

tise in energy efficiency,” they said. “We need you for your expertise in curriculum development.”

Therein lies a lesson for nutrition managers who take on responsibility for

management of related service departments such as laundry and housekeeping. You may not know much, or anything, about the work of those departments, but that is not why you were or are being given responsibility for those departments. Like Carolyn, you are being hired because you have other requisite skills – in this case, management and leadership skills. You know how to control, direct, provide resources, staff and influence and these skills are transferable to many different

situations. You are, therefore, going in to the task much more prepared than you might initially believe.

the ChAllengesThat being said, this is not a situation without its challenges.

At the very least, you will have limited knowledge about the work of these other departments. This can be intimidating for someone accustomed to being an expert in their area of work. You may feel a loss of


sense of control and competence and this may cause you some stress.

You may have to engage in learning or training to get up-to-speed and be at least nominally familiar with the language and work of a different department. But how much of a challenge this will be will depend on how confident you are as a manager. After all, this is the requisite skill you are being asked to bring. If you are not confident or successful as a manager, there is no point thinking that you will be any more successful in another department.

Another challenge to managers is how employees view your ability as a manager. This, frankly, is the case whether you are managing a department where you know the work or not. Employees will willingly follow managers who they trust. Creating this trust with employees is critical and should be your first task in any situation.

Many managers who are asked to manage a department where they are not trained or familiar with the work are also often afraid that the employees will be, at the very least, uncooperative, and at the worst, obstructionist. Whether that will be the case is dependent on the culture of the organiza-tion, your reputation in the organization and how you initially engage the employees.

Managing multiple departments may also challenge your time and overload your to-do list, particularly because you will need more time to get information and make decisions when you’re not familiar with the work and issues of another depart-ment. Faced with this overwhelm, inexperi-enced managers may resort to defaulting to what they know best or find easiest. They may focus more on tasks they can readily do while foregoing the more significant man-agement tasks required of them. This can leave the other departments floundering.

Another challenge you may find is the feeling of leaving behind your “baby” – that is, the area of work for which you have been trained and in which you have demonstrated expertise. Managing mul-tiple departments will require that more of your time will need to be devoted to management rather than to the specifics of nutrition management. Depending on the extent to which this is your passion, it may be more or less of a challenge.

stRAtegIes foR suCCessIf you’re up for the challenge, consider the following strategies to help you be successful.

1. learn. learn. learn. Get comfort-able asking others to “Show me” and “Tell me.” There is no getting around the fact that you will need to learn at least the basics of the work of the new department you are managing. Consider spending a day or two at the start of your tenure in the department job-shadowing. It might be useful to do this every couple of months to ensure that you are conversant with departmental operations.

Yes, you went to school and spent your career learning about nutrition and nutrition management, but the situation now requires that you learn something that you never imagined yourself doing. If you like to learn and are curious, this will be another interesting adventure. If you are, however, resistant to learning, this will require you to step out of your comfort zone.

Carolyn was an educator, not a sci-entist. Working on this project required that Carolyn regularly ply the content experts with “Show me” and “Tell me.” What she learned from the process is that there are no stupid questions and that those who know what you don’t know are flattered that you would want to know and are eager to help you learn

if it means it will help them be success-ful as well.

2. be curious. Because you won’t have the benefit of pre-existing knowl-edge, you can take the opportunity to ask questions that might not otherwise be asked. These questions are not meant to be judgmental, but rather to help you understand and to direct employee attention to something they might not otherwise have considered.

Why do we do it this way? What has worked well? What have been the successes? How can we build on those successes? What one thing could we do differently that would have the greatest benefit? What if we did it differently?

Remember, employees don’t expect their manager to know everything. They will give a new manager the benefit of the doubt if they see that you are sincere, want to learn and care about their success.

3. Create employee engagement. The above questions will help you learn about a new department with whose work you may not be familiar. But these ques-tions have the added benefit of engaging employees and including them in the suc-cess of their department.

You’ll notice that these questions also reflect two characteristics of good com-munication skills for managers. They are framed as we-questions rather than you-questions. You-questions can imply judg-ment and can make employees defensive, especially from an outsider. (You-questions can be used when one is speaking to an individual and trying to understand what makes them successful in their work. For example, “What is it that you do, that makes you so good at your job?”)

We-questions imply that “we are in this together.” Using we-questions indicates that you are not only trying to understand but that you also share responsibility for the success of the department. Employees are more likely to feel you are on their side and that you want to help them be successful in their work.

4. forget trying to be a micro-manager. This is not a helpful behav-iour even in nutrition services. As the manager, you hire employees, train them

if you like to learn and

are curious, this will be

another interesting

adventure. if you are,

however, resistant to

learning, this will require

you to step out of your

comfort zone.


and let them do their job. When you’re the manager of a department where you are not familiar with the work, trying to be a micro- or hands-on manager is not only a recipe for burnout, it also sends a message to employees that you do not trust them.

5. focus on your key task as a manager. Being a manager requires that you be focused on departmental goals and ensuring that the resources are in place to achieve those goals. If you focus more on these aspects of management, you will be more successful managing a department where you may not know everything about specific job tasks.

“What can I do that would be most helpful for you right now?” “How can I help you be more successful?”

These questions reflect that you don’t know everything but you are in a posi-tion to help employees be successful and achieve departmental goals. This not only garners support and trust from employees but also engages them in the success of their department.

6. Identify departmental cham-pions and leaders who are willing to take on leadership roles in their department. Not everyone wants to do more than their job requires, but there are those who take an interest, have ideas and are willing to take on more of a role in the department’s success.

Because you will not know everything about laundry or housekeeping, it will be to your advantage to identify these employees and give them this opportu-nity. This needn’t be formal, but you’ll find that they will be a valuable resource and will reduce your learning curve, especially in the early stages.

Since you are likely to have a heavy workload, the other advantage of engag-ing employees in this way, is that they can become valuable sources of infor-mation about departmental operations. Information is everything and you will not be in a position to be everywhere all the time. (Unless you’re a glutton for punishment and insist on micro-managing!) So, in the interests of being an effective manager, you will need to know what is going on and you will need

‘insiders’ to be those pipelines of infor-mation and ideas.

Specify the kinds of operational information that you need and want. Ensure that you don’t engage in employee gossip as this is one sure way to say goodbye to any trust you may have had.

7. engage in more broadly based problem-solving and decision-mak-ing. Faced with a question or problem in the kitchen, you will know the answer or how to solve the problem. When you are not the expert, you need to seek information from others. This is a great opportunity to initiate a more inclusive problem-solving and decision-making process. Remember, it is not the job of the manager to know all the answers. It is the job of the manager to make a decision and the best decisions usually result from input from others.

8. Develop systems. No matter the enterprise, it is useful to have systems to simplify management and create effi-ciency. Consider having regular report-ing systems, processes for goal-setting, performance management, supply man-agement, training, safety, etc. Also, if feasible, consider integrating systems so that you are managing one system rather than two or three.

9. master your communica-tion, problem-solving and conflict

management skills. These are funda-mental skills for any manager or leader, but they are particularly important when you are responsible for a new department and new employees. There will be many situations where you may not have an immediate answer and you will need to listen, to question, gather informa-tion and really understand the problem or the situation before you can make a decision.

enJoy the benefItsTaking on the management of a depart-ment with which you are not familiar can, no doubt, be a challenge, but if you take on the challenge, you will find that there are many personal, profes-sional and organizational advantages and benefits for doing so.

For starters, you will definitely hone your management and leadership skills. You will gain valuable experience and you will learn a great deal about people and institutional operations that you might not have otherwise learned.

Even though you may feel at a dis-advantage in laundry or housekeeping, consider that there is also a great ben-efit in bringing ‘fresh’ eyes and a new perspective. With your knowledge of multiple departments you will also be able to bring a broader perspective to organizational decision-making.

Ultimately, whether you manage one department or multiple departments, your key task is management and lead-ership. If you are a skilled leader and manager, and you are willing to learn and engage employees in team work, you can be successful managing any department.

As a speaker, author and coach, Carolyn Schur helps shiftworkers sleep better and manage stress and fatigue. She is also a con-flict and management coach. Previously she was a program manager, curricu-lum developer and university lecturer. Contact Carolyn: 306-975-1114 or [email protected] or see www.carolynschur.com.

you will gain valuable

experience and you

will learn a great

deal about people

and institutional

operations that you

might not have

otherwise learned.


CSnM CorPorATe MeMBer ProfiLe

it takes a Network to Make a Home:get to know Silver group PurchasingBy Jason Horne, SgP

from left to right: renu Makroo, Menu Planning Consultant; yasna Sepulveda, director national Sales; Jason Horne, Senior director SgP

Everyone has the opportunity to make a positive contribution to the lives of seniors across Canada. The SGP Purchasing Partner Network is designed to channel and empower those contributions. People connected through purpose and compas-sion can make great things happen. SGP, together with our sister companies, mem-bers and suppliers, form the SGP Purchasing Partner Network, a collective of senior-care professionals dedicated to making the lives of residents rich and fulfilling.

Our growing Purchasing Partner Network is united by a shared purpose: to deliver products and services that contribute to a higher quality of life for residents. The solu-tions provided through the SGP Purchasing Partner Network place quality and suit-ability first and foremost. We listen to our members and suppliers and provide the channel for them to communicate with each other, ensuring that every single solution provided is the best it can be to contribute to enriched resident life.

As part of the network, our suppliers share your values and priorities regarding resident care. We partner with suppliers that offer trusted high-quality national brands. Deliveries are timely, orders are accurate, inventory is always available and prices are guaranteed for the duration of any con-tract. All of our solutions are developed by our Purchasing Agents to bring you the right solution.

A core component to the SGP program is our menu system, which is designed by our menu planning consultant and dieti-tians specifically for the seniors’ market and meets or exceeds CFG and DRI based on Health Canada and MOH guidelines. Our Comprehensive Menu Package means all of your menus are designed and specified by the highest designations in Canada. SGP’s extensive experience in developing new menus for both main and snack meals has proven to increase kitchen productivity

and efficiency. The menus are provided and available in various menu software systems and member partners make a choice of the menu system based on their preference and requirements. We strive to understand our Partners’ homes, the seniors care market, and production capabilities to develop func-tional and appetizing recipes in which we capture and standardize therapeutic diets to drive proven results. Our experienced staff can help increase productivity, kitchen sani-tation and operational efficiency through our operations assessments and strategic planning workshops and focus groups. Menu items are chosen for their quality and value and all individual food items and recipes are tested in SGP Partners homes and meet all regulatory requirements for freshness, health and nutrition. SGP has the extensive recipe database available that caters to all regional and cultural requirements of our member partners. Our proprietary menu system is based on a three-week rotation for Ontario and a four-week rotation for Western provinces. In both cases, the rota-tion is changed twice yearly. Included in the menu package are:• Week-at-a-glance menus with daily

menu postings• Spreadsheets that provide portion size,

texture, and therapeutic modifications based on the most recent Canadian health guidelines

• Production sheets and production summary

• Recipes and recipe scaling for easy modi-fication to suit specific needs

• Detailed costing reports based on live costing at various locations across Canada

• Nutritional analysis reports based on the most current information about the ingredients and products (CNF, USDA and Manufacturer tested analysis) You can expect employee training and

involvement in training sessions with Network suppliers. SGP’s regional Menu

Innovation Days and Front Line Worker Workshops allow Food Service suppliers to share insight and new products with mem-bers. Members also have an opportunity to ask suppliers and SGP questions and also share their experiences and knowledge.

As Purchasing Network Partner, you have the ability to share your knowledge, insights and experience with the network, you con-tribute to the steady evolution of services and products that create a higher quality of life for residents. It takes all of us, working in tandem, to really make lives better for the seniors who trust us with their care. Each of us can make a difference, no matter how small, and the SGP Purchasing Partner Network is there to ensure that these efforts translate into positive care outcomes.

We couldn’t do it without you. Get with the Network today….for more

info visit www.sgpnetwork.com[bio] Jason Horne is the Senior Director

of SGP; in his role he oversees a portfolio of $350 million annually in procurement spend and a sales division supporting 750 members across Canada.


ASk An eXPerT

Nutrition and Hydration Week: the global challengeBy Andy Jones

Aim and mission remain unchanged: To create a global movement to reinforce and focus energy, activity and engagement on nutrition and hydration as an important part of quality care, experience and safety improvement in health and social care settingsDate for your diary: nutrition and hydration week march 13–19, 2017

We all know the importance of good nutrition and hydration and why it is so important to all of us. Or do we?Good nutrition and hydration are essential to our health and wellbeing.Good Nutrition and Hydration can help people recover more quickly from illness.Inadequate Nutrition and Hydration will cause serious effects

the wIDeR ConteXtThe importance of food and drink in and social care has never before had such importance as it does now. We often hear the word “obesity” and rightly so as we can see the issues, but when “malnutrition” or “undernutrition” are mentioned, that’s a different matter: to the public there are not issues in the developed modern world.

There needs to be far greater recog-nition of the importance of nutritional and hydration. After all, when we are ill, food is the best form of medicine. In the long term, good nutrition and hydration are important not only in relation to an individual’s health and

well-being but also to the wider health economy – as a way of protecting our hospitals from the financial burden that malnutrition places on every budget. This is the case whichever the country or province we operate in.

Members of CSNM have embraced the challenge set and led the way in making the event truly global, with events across Canada. We were so proud when the CSNM President Barb Cockwell launched the event in 2015, which rein-forced the global challenge that we all face each day

It is amazing that Nutrition and Hydration Week has become a global event.

The week achieves so many things. Firstly, it provides a real platform for people across health and social care to really focus on nutrition and hydration and to shout about the amazing work they are already doing. Secondly, it provides an opportunity for people to introduce new ideas and concepts into the services they are already providing.

I do feel that one of the biggest achievements has been to see different professional groups working together, gaining an understanding of each other’s role and building relationships.

Of course, the main achievement has to be that the people in our care really benefit from improved nutrition and


hydration. This is increasingly being seen not just during the week but throughout the year which is fantastic.

why Does thIs subJeCt meAn so muCh to you?The correct answer would be to say because poor nutrition and hydration impacts the health, well-being and causes preventable harm to people in our care – which is true. But we are also passionate about this because we need to do things differently in order to make sustainable improvements – we know we have a problem, we know what to do about and now are the time to allow and enable people to do it.

We have some amazing people work-ing in healthcare in our long term care homes. We need to share their work, ideas and passion. We also need to stop selling the message that everything is terrible – some people are providing the most excellent care.

the ReCent Results of nutRItIon AnD hyDRAtIon week 2016In March 2016, we identified differ-ent daily themes for participant’s consideration in support on how their

organisation could engage in some of these themes.monday – Big Breakfast – the most important meal of the daytuesday – Bedtime Snack – Without this, there are over 12 hours without planned food intake.wednesday – Global Tea Party – Due to the massive success of our past World Tea Party, we did look to achieve an offi-cial world record attempt and encourage you to consider if your organisation can be part of this record breaking attempt. thursday – Thirsty Thursdayfriday – Fruity Friday and/or Fishy Friday

How would the CSNM members like to join us in setting a global world record in 2017? This is the opportune time to register your interest in breaking the world record for serving afternoon teas between March 13 and 19, 2017.

We will be updating our resources so you can start planning. The 2017 planner, posters and logo will be in the resources section of the website http://nutritionandhydrationweek.co.uk

Follow the website links for more details once the date approaches. The week can also create its own specific record as Guinness World records have

approached us to create another spe-cific category that will truly embed the annual Worldwide Afternoon Tea Party as well as sending a key mes-sage out to all.

If there are events registered in four or more nations, it will create a new record regardless of number of afternoon teas actually served in the respective countries. There has not been a global event where the theme has been carried through a day irrespective of time zones. So, if you serve afternoon tea in Australia at 3 p.m. local time, it counts just the same as afternoon tea served at 3 p.m. local time in Canada. You just have to serve scone, cream, jam and preferably a hot drink to be in. How to get involved? These are the records we think are breakable by your great passionate people in catering, food-service, health and care services.

http://www.guinnessworldrecords.com/world-records/377591-largest-cream-tea-party-multiple-venues h t t p : / / w w w. g u i n n e s s w o r l -d records. com/wor ld - reco rds/largest-creamtea-party http://nutritionandhydrationweek.c o . u k / c a m p a i g n - r e s o u r c e s /case-studies http://nutritionandhydrationweek.co.uk

A n d y J o n e s , Immediate Past Chair of the Hospital cater-ers association (HCA), Current Chair of PS100 Group, Self Employed Facilities Specialist - Healthcare and Social Care Consultant (AJ Associates) has been a stalwart of patient catering for over 35 years, with the key influence being the delivery of a nutritious and whole-some food and drink (Nutrition and Hydration) service to all patients at ward level. Andy’s mantra is to “treat every patient as if he or she is a member of your own family.”

ASk An eXPerT

Become a Qualifi ed Cook In 3 easy steps!

Register in Institutional Cook 415D

Step 1 – Contact an Employment and Training Consultant at your local MTCU offi ce. Find your local offi ce at www.feats.fi ndhelp.ca London Area – Diane Hemingtonemail: [email protected]

Step 2 – Become a member of the Ontario College of Trades (OCOT) by downloading and completing the form from the websitehttp://www.collegeoftrades.ca/membership/become-a-member

Step 3 – Confirm with the MTCU that you are a member of the OCOT. Your name will be forwarded to Fanshawe College for the in-school training portion of your apprenticeship. To confirm your registration in the in-school training portion of your apprenticeship, contact Jan Lunn by email: [email protected]

How to Register

FANSHAWE

FOR MORE INFORMATION, PLEASE CONTACT:

Tracy Jones, Program CoordinatorT: 519-452-4430 ext. 4868 E: [email protected]

Program Highlights Program meets MHLTC act 2007 staffing requirements Flexible schedule allows students to work in industry Professors and Lab Instructors with real industry experience

• This is a Ministry of Health and Long Term Care approved program.

• “New!” online theory classes.

• Classes start January 2017.

• Practical labs are on campus.

814987_Fanshawe.indd 1 6/29/16 12:03 PM


induSTry & CSnM newS

psnmThe Annual “We Survived Christmas” dinner held on January 21, at the Old Barvaria Haus Restaurant was very successful.

GFS offered their facility in Richmond for the February 18, 2016 meeting. Speaker was a representative from Vij’s: this com-pany owns a Vancouver restaurant, food truck and has a retail line of Indian fusion cuisine available in local supermarkets. They have introduced a new commercial line. This is very exciting as it is much needed the region.

PSNM held its annual AGM and Spring Education Day on April 15, at IPS in Richmond, BC. Approximately 20 active members and 6 corporate members attended. The vendors showcased various items for breakfast and lunch. Vendors spoke about their products after the meals. First presenter was from the Employers’ Advisors who spoke on WCB, providing facts the employer should know and where to receive assistance when needed. Our second speaker was a committee member of the IDDSI council, who spoke about the new Dysphasia Diet Initiatives.

PSNM Bursary for Langara: criteria changes have been implemented. Langara would prefer the bursary to be a “spring bursary” as it is currently a “fall bursary.” Langara still holds the funds given prior, due to the fact that no one qualified in the fall of 2015. Therefore, PSNM bursary will be given in the fall of 2016 using the new criteria and going forward, starting 2017, the PSNM bursary will be presented annu-ally in the spring. PSNM will be offering Langara students free registration in PSNM.

The new registration system through CSNM went very well. Several new members have taken advantage of joining PSNM.

PSNM is planning a trip to northern BC to meet members of the north and promote PSNM; we are aiming for late September.

Plans have been discussed for a fall education day on October 28, 2016. For the spring conference, education for four different competencies were provided; in the fall, speakers will be from the remain-ing four competencies.

osnmOSNM members have had many opportunities for education in the last few months, with OSNM holding an education day and plant tour at Summit Foods in London, Ontario, on February 18th, 2016. This education day gained members three CE points.

On April 21, OSNM held a Spring Symposium at Maple Leaf Think FOOD Centre in Mississauga. Five CE points were awarded to those who attended. Huge thanks to all the attendees, suppliers, and sponsors who contributed to making the day such a success.

Some of our affiliate members also held Education/Professional Development days:

OHEA AGM & Conference – April 2, 2016

OLTCA & ORCA Conference – April 5, 2016

Flanagan Tradeshow – April 6th, 2016

CPS Professional Development Day – April 14, 2016

OANHSS Annual Meeting and Conference – April 25, 2016

Sysco Healthcare and Hospitality Conference – May 12, 2016

Eat and Learn held by the OSNM Grey Bruce Chapter – May 19, 2016

SGP Education Day and Trade show – June 7th, 2016

• Planning continues for the OSNM fall conference and AGM. Dates have been set for September 21 and 22nd at the Best Western in London (Highway 4 and 401). Check out the OSNM website for more information.

• The OSNM board has been busy working on updating/reviewing by-laws, improving student memberships’, marketing (which includes a design for a new logo) and lobbying for our profession.

• OSNM would like to thank everyone who participated in the Global Tea Party that happened on March 16th, 2016, breaking the World Record.

• Foodservice Awareness Week happened from February 1 to 5, where we recognized all Nutrition Managers and their foodservice teams for their valued contributions all year long.

• The OSNM board is always looking for volunteers to help out with some OSNM committees. Check out the website for areas on where you can volunteer.

Follow us on Facebook, Linked in, and Twitter. Lots of great information is shared through our social media outlets!

Facebook “f ” Logo CMYK / .eps Facebook “f ” Logo CMYK / .eps



AsnmLooking back at 2015: ASNM held its annual fall educational event at the Blue Flame Kitchen. The event was enjoyed by all that attended.

Recently in March, we saw the introduction of online ASNM membership renewal with an administrative fee of $5.00. It would appear that for some members this new process was missed. Provincial members that missed the new online membership renewal process, please email Linda Burnett at [email protected]. You can no longer go through the CSNM website to pay.

ASNM continues to struggle with new active member-ship participation. As we move into the coming financial year, I want to introduce the structure change I and others are hoping to see. The concept is quite simple for ASNM members: ASNM as an entity would be dissolved and we become solely CSNM members. More information will be available in the coming year as we work with CSNM to build a strong future for Nutrition Managers.

In closing, 2018 is coming fast and this will be ASNM’s 50th birthday and I am prepared to stay as President until then and hope we achieve the new structure. At that time, I will look forward to the next generation of Nutrition Managers to be ready and eager to take over the leadership for Nutrition Managers across AB!

The event was the ASnM fall event, held at the ATCo Blue flame kitchen on oct 23, 2015. from left to right: Lily Steinley, Heather Truber, Jacinta Bonaparte Sargeant, donna kubista, Blanche McLeod, Shirley egbogah, Alyson fink, renee giard, ryan dingley

“help fRom my fRIenDs”By Lorrie Plein – cSNM Past President and Natasha Mooney – cSNM President

In our field, we always value a little help from our friends and colleagues when we encounter a difficult task, need a new way or new ideas to complete something or just need some feedback from a peer. One of the greatest benefits of being a member of CSNM is that we have access to that value every day in each other from coast to coast. This past April, we had the pleasure of exchanging that value with our friends and fellow Nutrition Managers from the UK, Sweden, Holland, Australia, Unites States and Portugal. Lorrie Plein and Natasha Mooney attended the “With a little help from my friends” 2016 Hospital Caterers Association (HCA) Leadership and Development Forum on behalf of CSNM. HCA hosted Healthcare Caterers International (HCI) group this year. The conference, held in Liverpool, UK, was exceptional with many esteemed speakers including our own Lorrie Plein. Lorrie had the pleasure of educating attendees about CSNM. Her presentation entitled, “Education is the Key to the Future—the International Perspective” explained CSNM Accreditation of Nutrition and Food Service Management programs across Canada, Continuing Education requirements for all Active Members and CSNM Certification.

AS part of our experience, the organizers were also very kind in arranging site tours to both the Royal Liverpool Hospital and two long term care homes to show us how the food and nutrition services operate in the country. We were greeted by welcoming

staff who took great pride in their work, had a passion and commitment to nutrition management and their patients/residents. The Royal Liverpool Hospital demonstrated the depth and care they undertook while developing their menu and even prepared a spread of meals to showcase the variety of items and texture modifications they prepare and serve.

Our friends in the UK are some steps ahead of us in research on the affects that malnutrition has on our health and the resulting cost to the healthcare system. They are encouraging the dietitians, nurses and catering managers to work together as “the power of three” and combat malnu-trition in their hospitals. CSNM is currently involved with the Malnutrition Task Force in Canada and look forward to hearing the results.

The networking, not only with the fine folks of the UK, but also with those who, as fellow members of HCI joined us from all around the world, was invaluable. We often find ourselves at National Conferences noting that many of us, regardless of location, encounter the same challenges. The same can be said to be true with our international colleagues. We do find however, that there may be new approaches, or perhaps a different stage of solution – in this we both give and receive “a little help from our friends”.



L-r Barb Cockwell (CSnM Past president), natasha Mooney (CSnM President), Lorrie Plein (CSnM Past President)

L-r: Bob Mulder, Bruno kohaupt, karl Berry (HCA Member), natasha Mooney, John Boland, Lorrie Plein, Maria Silva, Christine Hamilton (nACC member), raymond nolte, Barb Cockwell, debra dawson


MAnAgeMenT noTeBook

Food and Nutrition Management – Student Mentorship Benefitswhat does a student gain from having a food service manager at their fingertips toward the success of their edu-cational journey?When a Nutrition Management student finishes their course work, they are required to secure a five-week (175 hours) internship. The requirements of this post are set out by the college and includes practise of all eight CSNM competencies as well as adherence to the CSNM code of ethics. This internship is a course unto itself and is intended to give students practical experience as a nutrition manager while helping them refine the skills they have learned in the classroom. Upon leaving the classroom, students have a plethora of theoretical knowledge. But they then need to learn how to use this knowledge for a practical purpose. By having a mentor, the students have someone to help them draw lines between this knowledge and how this knowledge is used in the industry. As Dale Carnegie said, “Knowledge isn’t power until it is applied.” In this way, a mentor will teach the student how to successfully use the knowledge taught to them by their professors.

Having a mentor that has already been a Nutrition Manager for a number of years can help students plan their own road for success. Every mentor will have their own unique experiences, difficulties, and achievements to share. In the classroom, students are taught lessons from the experiences and knowledge of their professors. By having a mentor, students have an additional person to draw experiences from. Students may benefit from their mentor by learn-ing the jargon that is associated with being a nutrition manager. Most students know LTC to stand for Long Term Care but perhaps not MAR being Medication Administration Record, and also why as a Nutrition Manager is the MAR relevant. As well, a relationship with a mentor tends to be able to become more personal than that of a professor due to working in close proximity and not being sur-rounded by another 10 to 50 students. A one-to-one relationship should make a connection that a student will feel more comfortable using and contacting after graduation. A student may feel uncom-fortable to email a professor after graduation to inquire about a topic as they know that the next batch of students are in and may not want to disturb the professor. If the mentors are viewed as an acquaintance or even friend, it is much easier to contact that mentor with questions. Mentors spend a lot of time working with and coaching an individual, this gives them a very unique point of view of the mentee. This unique perspective is part that of a coach, a teacher, and a supervisor; allowing the mentor to provide feedback on different levels. A coach will provide encouragement and positive reinforcement, a teacher hides a lesson in everything

and as a supervisor instructs on how to grow. This provides the mentee with a complete picture of their strengths and areas of opportunity while at the same time providing the encouragement to keep moving forwards.

Mentoring is used widely across Canada as a way to train the incoming workforce of the trades via the Red Seal Program. Apprentices are trained with a combination of learning on the job via a mentor and classroom studies. The Red Seal Program was created in 1952 and currently has 57 designated programs. Many law practises use mentorship not only as a way to train new associates but also to determine which associates will potentially make future partner. In this way the company gets an added bonus from mentoring. Because this combination of reinforcing theoretical learning in a classroom with on the job training seems to work in a variety of job roles, mentoring is used widely across many professions and has been acknowledged by many successful people to have been a factor in their early success (Forbes, 2013).

In the classroom, management styles are taught and discussed so students understand the theory behind different management techniques. By having a Food Service Manager mentor, students have someone who can show them not only how to use some of the techniques but also which approach can be best used for different situations. Being mentored may also be attributed to a student’s success in a less tangible way such as inspiring the student to go further, accomplish more or even realize the potential that was there all along. Being able to discuss everyday situations and opportunities with someone who is also facing these on a daily basis would theoretically lower the stress levels as a student enters a new job as they would have a better idea of what to expect and know that someone is there to help them if they encounter a tricky situation.

By having a mentor, students have a chance to learn how to interact in the industry and begin to form the networks they will use throughout their career. A good mentor will help their mentee transition from student to industry professional as smoothly as possible. This is a gain not only to the education of the student and their success in the industry, but to the industry as a whole.

Kirsten Bouwknegt is a recent graduate of Algonquin College’s Food and Nutrition Management Program, and is an active member of the CSNM. She has spent the past 6 years building her culinary expertise; including a Culinary Management Diploma from Niagara College. [email protected]

By kirsten Bouwknegt


ConTinuing eduCATion Quizyour nAMe: MeMBerSHiP nuMBer: PHone nuMBer: dATe:

auditS! are they ParaMount to Client PoSitive outCoMeS?

CoMPetenCy 2.0 Quality ManageMent

1. Audits are built on ______we are trying to accomplish or improve upon

❏ a) Standards ❏ b) Advice❏ c) resources

2. A good example of an auditing system would be❏ a) Project plan❏ b) Budget plan❏ c) HACCP plan❏ d) Human resource plan

3. Audits items need to be ❏ a) Approved and controlled❏ b) Specific and measurable❏ c) objective and confirmed❏ d) Specific and unmeasurable

4. Audit should be created for ❏ a) Clinical❏ b) Production❏ c) Sanitation❏ d) Staff performance❏ e) All of the above

5. in creating service audits it is best to drive the audits around ❏ a) The resources available❏ b) The needs and desires of the resident/

patients perspective❏ c) Previous audits created❏ d) established routines and schedules

6. Having staff self-audit themselves can be ❏ a) A training tool❏ b) A disciplinary tool❏ c) A communication tool❏ d) A bad idea❏ e) A training and communication tool

Managing your four-generation worKPlaCe: ChallengeS and oPPortunitieS

CoMPetenCy 6.0 HuMan ResouRces ManageMent

1. The generations we are seeing in the workplace today are:❏ a) Traditionalists❏ b) Baby Boomers❏ c) generation X & y❏ d) All of the above

2. which generation had most of their childhood planned and programmed, leading to a lack of skills that must be developed as adults once entering the work place?

❏ a) Traditionalists❏ b) Baby Boomers❏ c) generation X❏ d) generation y

3. what do gen ys value in themselves, others and work situations ahead of “loyalty”?

❏ a) Honesty❏ b) responsibility❏ c) independence and ambition❏ d) All of the above.

4. giving feedback with good news, bad news, finishing up with good news is called a feedback Sandwich. This is a poor strategy for changing gen y behaviour due to:

❏ a) new Hire effect❏ b) Halo effect❏ c) not being used to receiving negative feedback❏ d) Timing

Continuing Education Quiz continued on following page

Complete thIs quIz onlIne!Go online to www.csnm.ca

click on members only (upper right) login - complete the quiz

Or, clip and submit this page by mail or fax to:

CSNM • 1370 DON MILLS ROAD, SUITE 300 toRonto, on m3b 3n7

toll fRee: 1-866-355-2766 fAX: (416) 441-0591

Available in French on the CSNM website Seront maintenant disponible sur le site web de la

CSNM/SCGN

Does the CSNM office have your e-mail address?


ConTinuing eduCATion Quiz, PAge 2

the food CoSt ChallengeCoMPetenCy 7.0 Financial ManageMent

1. Trying to stay within a food cost budget is more difficult now because of:

❏ a) Changing demographics of residents and patients❏ b) Increasing expectations and demands of residents

and patients❏ c) Increasing cost of raw foods ❏ d) All of the above

2. It is important to reduce waste in the food service department. One of the best ways to do that is to:

❏ a) Reduce menu choices, offer only one choice at each meal

❏ b) Monitor and control food waste❏ c) Reheat and serve leftovers the next day❏ d) Purchase more pre prepared products

3. Meeting the needs of changing demographics, especially in terms of cultures can be difficult and costly. Which of the following is an inexpensive, yet effective strategy to meet this challenge?

❏ a) Make two choices for every culture❏ b) Only have two menu items, everyone needs to choose

from these❏ c) Offer a “spice/sauce” caddy available so residents can

add their own seasonings❏ d) None of the above

4. The key advantage of joining a Group Purchasing Organization is:❏ a) Lower food costs❏ b) More selection of items❏ c) Better support❏ d) Lower food costs and better support

leading in unKnown territoryCoMPetenCy 1.0 PRoFessionalisM

1. To lead successfully, a manager needs employee:❏ a) Love❏ b) Envy❏ c) Trust

2. We-questions convey:❏ a) A desire to relinquish management responsibility❏ b) Mutual responsibility for success❏ c) Judgment of employees

3. One advantage to being a manager unfamiliar with a depart-ment is:

❏ a) You can change everything to your preferred style❏ b) You bring a fresh perspective❏ c) You can have others do everything with which

you’re unfamiliar

4. A useful inquiry for a manager unfamiliar with a department is:❏ a) Show Me! Tell Me!❏ b) Why aren’t you doing things the way we do it in Dietary?❏ c) Why didn’t the other manager look after this?

5. Having departmental “champions” can help a manager:❏ a) Spy on the performance of a specific employee❏ b) Transfer their responsibility to someone else❏ c) Garner operational information

Complete thIs quIz onlIne!Go online to www.csnm.ca • click on members only (upper right) • login - complete the quiz

Or, clip and submit this page by mail or fax to:

CSNM • 1370 DON MILLS ROAD, SUITE 300 toRonto, on m3b 3n7

TOLL FREE: 1-866-355-2766 • FAX: (416) 441-0591

Available in French on the CSNM website | Seront maintenant disponible sur le site web de la CSNM/SCGN

Does the CSNM office have your e-mail address?

your nAMe: MeMBerSHiP nuMBer: PHone nuMBer: dATe:


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bow vAlley CollegeAre you interested in becoming a supervisor in the food service industry? Take your career to new heights with Bow Valley College’s CSNM-accredited Nutrition Manager Certificate. This accessible program is in an online, self-paced format. With the sup-port of excellent instructors, learn basic nutrition, menu planning for clients with medical conditions, food service safety legislation and guidelines, and management of food service production, finances and human resources. For more information, visit www.bowvalleycollege.ca/nutrition.

fAnshAwe CollegeThe Institutional Cook Program meets the Ministry of Health and Long Term Care requirements staffing requirements. Institutional Cooks study basic cooking methods and food preparation of both savoury and baked goods. The theoretical components such as safe food handling, purchasing and food storage procedures, introductory nutrition and therapeutic diets are delivered online. Cooks will spend 60% of their time in the hands on training kitchens working with authentic workplace menus and diets under the direction of Lab Instructors with real industry experience.

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to our advertisers


The Canadian Society of Nutrition Management is pleased to announce that we have chosen to work with Naylor Association Solutions as our official integrated media communication partner. Naylor provides advertising, publication and media services that will maintain and continue to build CSNM’s image in the food service world.

We are partnering with Naylor to provide Food Service & Nutrition quarterly magazine, both in print and digital at this time.

We have taken this opportunity to become acquainted with our newfound publisher as we review the content and look of our magazine in response to our member’s many comments in the survey. Get ready to see a new look for our magazine with the next issue.

This issue includes four quiz articles toward four of the eight competencies, instead of our usual two per

issue. It also includes more articles and industry news. We’ll produce two more issues of the magazine this year, which will be mailed out well in sufficient time for you to complete your eight core mandatory CE points for the year before your annual membership renewals are due.

Thank you for your patience during this transition. If you have any questions or comments regarding the status of the magazine, do not hesitate to contact me at [email protected]

Margaret Brausse CNMMember Communications Portfolio Manager Canadian Society of Nutrition ManagementEmpowering Members. Creating Leaders. Building Professional Excellence

CSnM uPdATe

the Future of Food Service & Nutrition Magazine

Coming up!Next issue of Food Service & Nutrition will have a fresh new look!

Watch for it in your mailbox during the last week of September.

The last issue of 2016 arrives late November.

Enrich your business with Food Service and Nutrition magazine!

Stay informed with the nutrition management industry and connect with CSNM members year round.

Visit www.csnm.ca to view the digital edition of the magazine!

FOR MORE INFORMATION ON ADVERTISING:ANGELA CAROYANNIS, Project [email protected] | (800) 665-2456 ext. 3625

CSN-Q0216 FP_CrossPromoAd_MKG.indd 1 2016-07-05 10:37 AM

Enrich your business with Food Service and Nutrition magazine!

Stay informed with the nutrition management industry and connect with CSNM members year round.

Visit www.csnm.ca to view the digital edition of the magazine!

FOR MORE INFORMATION ON ADVERTISING:ANGELA CAROYANNIS, Project [email protected] | (800) 665-2456 ext. 3625

CSN-Q0216 FP_CrossPromoAd_MKG.indd 1 2016-07-05 10:37 AM

812494_Apetito.indd 1 10/06/16 10:13 PM

Documents

Canadian SoCiety of nutrition ManageMent newS...No. 1 CAnAdiAn SoCieTy of nuTriTion MAnAgeMenT newS 5 12 17 Stay up to date with CSNM news, events, check out photos and more! We’ll