I earned 7 promotions in 28 years at the same company. These 3 questions helped me rise.

• Curiosity and adaptability were the keys to Jay Hinson’s rise to fame in restaurant kitchen operations.

• Jay Hinson emphasizes the impact of asking questions and receiving feedback for career development.

This article as told is based on a conversation with Jay Hinson, senior vice president of restaurant culinary operations at Cheesecake Factory. Edited for length and clarity.

People sometimes ask how I’m doing stayed in a company for almost three decades and continues to rise. I think a lot of this comes down to curiosity. At every stage of my career, I asked questions, examined those above me, and tried to make their jobs easier.

I started working in restaurants when I was 14. A friend helped me find a job at a local restaurant during the summer. washing dishes and shucking oysters. I soon learned how to fry, then broiler, and fell in love with the pace of the kitchen.

I joined Cheesecake Factory in my early 20s and started as a cook. Funny enough, I didn’t even know what The Cheesecake Factory was when I applied.

My general manager at Ruby Tuesday, where I was working at the time, told me that the company had one of the best kitchen management programs in the industry and that I should look into it. My first thought was: “Why did he tell me to work in a factory?”

A few months later I saw this:Cheesecake Factory coming soon“I signed up at a mall near me and applied on the last day of hiring. I’ve been with the company for 28 years and earned seven promotions along the way.

Today, I am senior vice president of restaurant culinary operations at Cheesecake Factory and company-wide kitchen supportincluding training, food quality, kitchen equipment and financial operations related to restaurant kitchens.

I never entered Cheesecake Factory thinking I would be senior vice president. My first goal was to become a manager. Then I wanted to become an executive kitchen manager. Then I focused on the next role.

I bought it a promotion at once.

3 questions I ask in every new role

Each time I earned a promotion, I started working on the next role. I paid attention to how my bosses handled pressure, how they talked to people, and how they adjusted their behavior. leadership styles from restaurant to restaurant.

I was lucky because some of my bosses allowed me to travel with them to different places. I could see where one team might need encouragement and the other team might need structure. This taught me how important adaptability is in leadership.

I also asked many questions. Looking back, there were three questions I asked over and over again: shaped my career.

The first was: “How is it today?”

This question helped me understand the daily performance of my restaurant and my team. It opened the door to honest conversations and feedback and showed the people above me that I cared about more than my own responsibilities.

The second question was: “How can I get better?”

I always wanted direct feedback. If my restaurant was strong in one area, I would ask where we were weak. If the kitchen was clean, I would ask about the food quality. If food quality was strong I would ask about leadership or development.

Hearing feedback isn’t always easy, but it’s necessary if you want to grow.

The third question was: “What can I do to make it easier?”

Instead of focusing only on my own performance, I started thinking about how I could reduce the problems of the people above me. If a boss had to repeat the same feedback to me twice, I wanted to fix it immediately.

sometimes making someone’s job is easier It meant communicating more often. Sometimes this meant solving problems before they escalated. Sometimes that meant being reliable enough that they didn’t have to worry about my restaurant.

As the feedback increased, I improved myself even more.

Cheesecake Factory rewarded those who want to grow

One reason I stayed with the company for 28 years was because I believed the opportunities were real.

When I first joined Cheesecake Factory, I sat in orientation rooms with people who started as cooks and rose to leadership positions. Seeing this made me feel like progress was possible.

I’m also deeply attached company culture. I felt not only trained as an employee but also cared for as a person. This was important to me early in my career and still is.

One of my favorite parts of my job today is training young employees. I love seeing a chef say they want to be a manager and a few years later they make it.

I’ve said this about every role I’ve had at Cheesecake Factory: It was my favorite job at the time. I think this happened because I was promoted at the right pace and developed by the right people.

My advice to anyone starting to work in restaurants today is to ask questions early, understand the expectations of the position, and look for a company that promotes from within.

Then pay attention to people who do the job you want.

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