Outdoor activities like hiking, camping, and boating are fun and a great way to boost your mood, take in some fresh air and get exercise along the way. In many cases, these activities last all day and involve preparing at least one meal. If the food is not handled correctly, foodborne illness can be an unwelcomed souvenir.

General Rules for Outdoor Food Safety

Plan ahead: decide what you are going to eat and how you will prepare it; then plan what equipment you will need.

Pack safely—use a cooler, or pack foods in the frozen state with a cold source.

Whether in the wild or the high seas, protect yourself and your family by washing your hands with soap and water or bring hand sanitizer that contains at least 60% alcohol before and after handling food.

Raw meats may contain bacteria, so keep raw foods separate from other foods.

Don’t bring perishable meat or poultry products without a cold source to keep them safe.

Bring disposable wipes, hand sanitizer or biodegradable soap for hand and dish washing.

If using a cooler, leftover food is safe only if the cooler still has ice in it. Otherwise, discard leftover food.

Food Safety While Hiking and Camping

As you venture out to enjoy the sights and sounds of nature, it’s important to plan your snacks and meals based on whether you’ll be out for a few hours or several days. One meal and some snacks are all you’ll likely need for a short hike but planning meals for a longer hike or camping trip requires more thought.

Back pack weight is often top-of-mind for hikers and campers, who will be choosing food and supplies that are light enough to carry over long distances. But even expert outdoors enthusiasts may forget about food safety as they plan their adventure.

Hot or Cold?

The first principle is to keep foods either hot or cold. It is difficult to keep foods hot without a heat source, it is best to transport chilled foods. Refrigerate or freeze the food overnight before you depart. For a cold source, bring frozen gel-packs or freeze some boxed drinks. The drinks will thaw as you hike and keep your meal cold at the same time. Most bacteria grow rapidly between 40℉ and 140℉. This is known as the temperature danger zone. Bacteria can reach dangerous levels after 2 hours. Your goal is to keep food out of the temperature danger zone.

If you are “car camping” (driving to your site), you have a few more options. You have the luxury of bringing a cooler. Pack foods in reverse order. The first foods packed should be the last foods used. Take foods in the smallest quantity needed.

Keep Everything Clean 

The second principle is to keep everything clean. Bacteria present on raw meat and poultry products can be easily spread to other foods by juices dripping from packages, hands, or utensils. This is called cross contamination. When transporting raw meat or poultry, double wrap or place the packages in plastic bags to prevent juices from the raw product from dripping on other foods. Always wash your hands before and after handling food, and don’t use the same platter and utensils for raw and cooked meat and poultry. Soap and water are essential to cleanliness. If you are going somewhere that will not have running water, bring your hand sanitizer or alcohol disposable wipes.

Safe Potable Water

Do not depend on fresh water from a lake or stream for drinking, meal preparation or cleaning, no matter how clean it appears. Bring bottled or tap water for consumption and to help in cleaning. Always start out with a full water bottle and replenish your supply from tested public systems when possible.

Cooking at the Campsite

After you have decided on a menu, consider how you will prepare the food. You’ll want to take as few pots as possible. Camping supply stores sell lightweight cooking gear that nest together. You can also use aluminum foil wrap and pans for cooking. Decide in advance how you will cook. Many camping areas prohibit campfires, so check first to ensure the food you bring can be properly prepared and will be safe to eat. Another important piece of camping equipment is a food thermometer. If you are cooking meat or poultry on a portable stove or over fire, you’ll need a way to determine when it is done and safe to eat. Color is not a reliable indicator of doneness, and it can be especially tricky to tell the color of a food if you are cooking in a wooded area in the evening. Do your homework and know your cook temperatures before cooking.

Food Safety While Boating

Keeping food safe for a day on a boat may not be quite as challenging as for a hike, but when you are out on the water, the direct sunlight can an even bigger food safety problem. Remember the temperature danger zone is between 40℉ and 140℉. Bacteria multiply rapidly at warm temperatures and food can become unsafe if held in the temperature danger zone for over 2 hours. Above 90℉, food can be dangerous after only 1 hour. In direct sunlight, temperatures can climb even higher than that. Bring along plenty of ice, and keep the cooler shaded or covered with a blanket.

Safe Foods for Hiking, Camping and Boating 

Choose the foods that best fit your outing. No matter what----BE FOOD SAFE!

Pre-packaged, shelf stable meals

Peanut butter in plastic jars

Concentrated juice boxes

Canned tuna, ham, chicken, and beef

Dried noodles and soups

Beef jerky and other shelf-stable meats

Dehydrated foods

Whole or dried fruits

Nuts

Powdered milk and fruit drinks

FDA website

FOOD FOR THOUGHT        

Food Safety Confidence Outpaces What People Really Know in the Kitchen

Research twice, cook once, when considering your next homecooked meal according to the National Restaurant Association. Data shows a large gap between consumer trust in food safety training and their actual knowledge of best practices.

The national online survey of 1,010 adults assessed practices and perceptions of safe food handling in the home and in restaurants.

When it comes to restaurant dining, 94% of consumers have confidence that the food prepared is safe, and 98% say all employees in a restaurant should be properly trained in food safety. This confidence carries over to takeout, with another 93% saying they are very (41%) or somewhat confident (52%) that the food is safe to eat.

Food safety is paramount to the success of a restaurant, so it’s no surprise that consumers are confident that restaurants are properly training staff according to Patrick Guzzle, VP of Food Science and Industry with the National Restaurant Association. “Food service workers are required to know tremendous amounts of information because, at the end of the day they want to ensure the safety of their customers. For people at home, we hope this survey opens their eyes to important food safety practices.”

When asked about cooking at home, only 14% of consumers feel confident they know recommended practices for the safe handling and preparation of food. For example, while 78% of adults say they are very familiar with raw meat preparation, only 53% know the proper internal temperature for cooked chicken is 165 degrees falling to 32% for Gen Z adults.

Serving undercooked chicken can cause severe food poisoning or even death, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention

Some Generations Know More Than Others

The data shows most (70%) people are confident they are familiar with the recommended food safety practices restaurants are required to follow. Millennials are the most confident that they are familiar with the practices (76%), while Boomers are the least confident (66%).

When it come to allergens, nearly two-thirds of people 63% say they are familiar allergen considerations. Boomers have the lowest level of familiarity (54%) while millennials (72%) and Gen Z adults have the highest (71%)

Despite familiarity with allergen considerations, 86% of respondents feel peanut butter and jelly sandwiches are safe for children’s menus at restaurants. Yet few restaurants offer peanut butter and jelly sandwiches on kid’s menus because of allergen requirements.

FOOD FOR THOUGHT        

Food Safety Confidence Outpaces What People Really Know in the Kitchen

Research twice, cook once, when considering your next homecooked meal according to the National Restaurant Association. Data shows a large gap between consumer trust in food safety training and their actual knowledge of best practices.

The national online survey of 1,010 adults assessed practices and perceptions of safe food handling in the home and in restaurants.

When it comes to restaurant dining, 94% of consumers have confidence that the food prepared is safe, and 98% say all employees in a restaurant should be properly trained in food safety. This confidence carries over to takeout, with another 93% saying they are very (41%) or somewhat confident (52%) that the food is safe to eat.

Food safety is paramount to the success of a restaurant, so it’s no surprise that consumers are confident that restaurants are properly training staff according to Patrick Guzzle, VP of Food Science and Industry with the National Restaurant Association. “Food service workers are required to know tremendous amounts of information because, at the end of the day they want to ensure the safety of their customers. For people at home, we hope this survey opens their eyes to important food safety practices.”

When asked about cooking at home, only 14% of consumers feel confident they know recommended practices for the safe handling and preparation of food. For example, while 78% of adults say they are very familiar with raw meat preparation, only 53% know the proper internal temperature for cooked chicken is 165 degrees falling to 32% for Gen Z adults.

Serving undercooked chicken can cause severe food poisoning or even death, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention

Some Generations Know More Than Others

The data shows most (70%) people are confident they are familiar with the recommended food safety practices restaurants are required to follow. Millennials are the most confident that they are familiar with the practices (76%), while Boomers are the least confident (66%).

When it come to allergens, nearly two-thirds of people 63% say they are familiar allergen considerations. Boomers have the lowest level of familiarity (54%) while millennials (72%) and Gen Z adults have the highest (71%)

Despite familiarity with allergen considerations, 86% of respondents feel peanut butter and jelly sandwiches are safe for children’s menus at restaurants. Yet few restaurants offer peanut butter and jelly sandwiches on kid’s menus because of allergen requirements.

4 Keys To Effective Team Communication

Communication is what makes a team a team. No matter what job you perform it is more effective when we clearly understand each other. In reality, people do not work in a vacuum. Ad much of one individual’s work requires coordinating with one or more teams. Effective team communication makes individuals and teams dramatically more productive.

Unfortunately, a majority of employees say poor communication is the reason they’re falling behind and missing deadlines. That means, as a leader, one of your primary responsibilities is helping the team communicate and collaborate freely. Four keys to effective team communication:

Match the Tool to the Goal

The first key to effective communication team communication is to match the tool to the goal. There are so many different collaboration tools available to teams today. From “old school” methods like in-person meetings, memos, and email to modern methods like video conferencing, Slack, and maybe metaverse. But every tool chosen comes with certain strengths and weaknesses. And as a result, different tools are more appropriate for different tasks. For instance, if the goal of the communication is to generate ideas, then face-to-face meetings are likely still the best method. But if you’re just presenting information to the team, video conference should suffice—or even better, just record yourself talking over the slide deck, send it out as a video, and save everyone from one more meeting.

Smart leaders consider the goal of the community they are asking their team to engage in, and then select the appropriate medium of communication accordingly. More importantly, they don’t just choose the medium they prefer, but they consider the entire team and choose what is best for everyone.

Amplify Unheard Voices

The second key to effective communication is to amplify unheard voices. On any team, there are certain voices that are louder and more frequent, and other that go unheard. Sometimes this is because of existing gender, racial, or ethnic biases that leave certain voices unnoticed or quickly dismissed. But often even the medium of communication chosen favors some team members and leaves others less likely to contribute. The setting of in-person meetings can favor loud, extroverted participants. More contemplated participants may contribute less. The technology required for video conferences often favors more tech-savvy participants than those with great ideas who can’t figure out how to get off mute fast enough to share them. Even email communication can favor those with better written communication skills or those who utilize long-form writing as a tool for thinking.

Smart leaders understand their team and know who is favored or unfavored by the chosen tool for communication. Armed with that knowledge, they make a plan to pay attention to the oft-unheard voices and amplify those comments to ensure that everyone’s voice is heard, and everyone’s opinion considered.

Create A Safe Environment  

The third key to effective communication is to create a safe environment. This does not mean a “safe space” where team members will never encounter an idea they disagree with. Rather it refers to a team environment of psychological safety, where team members feel safe to express their disagreements, and also their “crazy” ideas, suggestions, and perspectives. Psychologically safe teams are marked by a mutual sense of trust and respect—and those are two different qualities. When team members trust each other, they express themselves fully. But only if they feel their expression is respected by the team they will continue to trust them.

Smart leaders build trust by signaling their own vulnerability and admit when they don’t know the answer (which not only shows their trusting the team but also gives the team a chance to express different ideas). They also build respect by modeling active listening when others are sharing and showing a willingness to consider all ideas, not just their own.

Don’t Always Be On  

The fourth key to effective team communication is to avoid being in constant communication—don’t be always on. While it may seem like high-performing teams are constantly communicating, it turns out many are marked by long periods without any real-time messaging. They definitely communicate –but they do it in quick bursts where everyone shares updates, problems, and the team solves problems and roadblocks mentioned. Then they go their separate ways and trust each other to perform independently—which allows each person enough time to focus and do the deep work that “always on” environment prevent.

Smart leaders teach their team to communicate in bursts, running meetings efficiently and infrequently. But some leaders inherit teams already in constant communication, so rather than flipping immediately to bursty communication they develop “no meeting Mondays” or certain small periods of time for team members to block out communication and focus—then gradually expand that time until the team is communicating less but better.

When you take these four together, and communicate in bursts in a safe environment, amplifying unheard voices and using the appropriate tools, you’ll find that your team communication improves. You’ll find the quality of their work improves. And you might just feel your team is doing the best work ever.

10 Ways to Keep Employees from Leaving

What makes good employees leave? The biggest things that drive employees away have nothing to do with money—and everything to do with leadership. Here are 10 areas where you might need to make some changes to keep employees from leaving:

1. Give your employees challenging projects. Choose something that will stretch their skills. Being entrusted with a special project, especially a difficult one – will make their work feel more meaningful.
2. Keep the workload reasonable. Employees may be reluctant to speak up and tell you they have too much on their plates. Check with them about workload regularly so they don’t get burned out.
3. Show them you care. Sharing gratitude greatly boosts employee loyalty. Build a caring culture where people make one another feel appreciated.
4. Be approachable. If employees feel intimidated by you, then you will always be the last to hear about anything that goes wrong. This is a stressful situation that can lead employees to start looking for another job.
5. Give plenty of feedback. Good employees like to know how they are doing. Providing feedback on a regular basis encourages employees and helps them correct course quickly if they are off track.
6. Get your hands dirty. Is there is a task that everyone in your department hates doing? Do it yourself now and then will generate feelings of goodwill.
7. Set clear goals. If you don’t share organizational goals with them, employees may not understand the big picture. Talk to them about how their own position fits into the overall scheme of things.
8. Don’t dictate the process. Allow your employees to come up with their own methods for doing their work.
9. Provide training opportunities. By giving them opportunities to improve their skills, you will be investing in their future.
10. Don’t be a bad boss. Always speak to people in a respectful tone. Never allow yourself to vent your stress at them. Otherwise you will have a serious issue with turnover.

From personality conflicts to feeling out of place in the corporate or local culture, plenty of other things can cause good employees to leave as well. The best way to find out whether your employees are happy and what you can do to make their work more fulfilling and keep employees from leaving is simple…just ask them. Treat your employees the way you want to be treated. You will find joy in your life as you give it to others.

SmartBrief /Leadership– Joel Garfinkle