The correction log records five corrections over five shifts: what you said, how it was received, and whether the corrected work came back on the next shift. It is the smallest possible experiment in the thing Chapter 2 of the book is about, which is how a standard passes from one person to another.
Where it comes from
The chefs in the book came up through kitchens where correction was constant and, in the best of them, calm. Eric Ripert of Le Bernardin described the kitchen he now runs, and the reason for it.
“A cook can’t make delicious and beautiful food if his hands are shaking from fear.” Eric Ripert, chef of Le Bernardin, New York
Ripert also passed on a rule from his own mentor, Gilbert Le Coze, about criticism: read the good review once and never again, and keep the bad one on your desk and read it every day for a long time. The apprenticeship chapter is full of corrections that were remembered for decades because of how they were given: in private, with the standard shown by hand, and without drama. Sven Elverfeld of Aqua in Wolfsburg remembered a young superior who encouraged him onward; Chan Yan Tak of Lung King Heen remembered that the junior years were about endurance and patience. The log tests whether your corrections are the kind that get remembered for the right reason.
What is on the page
Five pairs of lines. For each correction: the shift, the person, the piece of work, what you said, and how it was received, including any defending or explaining. For each result: whether the corrected version came back on the next shift, and how close it was. Three boxes to tick for each correction: given in private; given calmly; the standard shown, with your hands. At the foot, a count of corrections that produced a changed result.
How to use it for five shifts
Each shift, choose one piece of work from one person that falls short of the standard you hold, and say so to that person directly, calmly and in private before the shift ends. State what the standard is and show it where you can, with your own hands on the mise, the table setting or the report. On the next shift, look for the corrected version before you do anything else. On the fifth day, read the sheet.
What to look for
Look at the corrections that did not come back, and at the three boxes beside them. In most logs the pattern is immediate: the correction was given in front of others, given in irritation, or given without showing the standard. The log will tell you which of the three is your habit, and that is the one to work on in the second week.