More to Wegmans Fresh Cinnamon Raisin Bread than Meets the Eye!

Ever wake up with a desire for fresh cinnamon raisin bread to go with your coffee?  I did this morning. Ellen Weber, raved about Wegmans freshly baked cinnamon raisin bread at least twice in the last two days.  The thought of it kept playing in my mind.  I could almost taste it...

So I headed to the nearby Wegmans.  After scouring the shelves, no cinnamon raisin was evident.

I caught a baker's attention and asked if they had any cinnamon raisin bread in the oven.

"We don't right now.  We're all out," he smiled broadly.  "But I'll bake some and have it ready for you in 40 minutes.  Promise to come back?"

"You bet I will."

"I'll have it for you then," he promised enthusiastically.

Four plump, round loaves graced the shelf upon my return.  As I selected one, it warmed my hands, when I picked it up.  I caught the attention of the baker and thanked him as I signaled "thumbs-up."

Wegmans employees go out of their way to assist customers.  Their smiles and welcoming greetings make shopping pleasant.  No wonder Wegmans Food Markets rank third on the Fortune 500 list of the 100 Best Companies to Work For in 2010.

Five reasons employees like working at Wegmans:

1. Wegmans reaches out to the community  Wegmans serves the local community  providing employee scholarships that help improve their skills.  These are open to any employee who wants to compete.  Wegmans provides at-risk, urban youth with skills they need to succeed, part time work and work-site mentors through the Hillside Work Scholarship Connection.  Wegmans taps peoples' gifts and talents in ways that propel them forward.
2. Employees are challenged to surpass customer expectations daily. They're rewarded by many customers like myself who sing their praises to others.  The human brain leaps to solve problems and find solutions.  When firms like Wegmans empower employees, like John Schaub, the baker at the Perinton store, to go the extra mile, both employees and customers are winners.
3. Career opportunities are open to all  Employees can rise to new positions through options for personal growth and professional development.  People raise their abilities by "doing and learning, not by watching and reading," according to J. Robert Baum, Director of Entrepreneurship Research at the University of Maryland.
4. Benefits rank high for both part time and full time employees in spite of a tough economy. Wegman's offers flexible scheduling, a fast-paced fun environment, competitive pay, and comprehensive benefits including quality health care, dental coverage, 401(k) retirement savings plan, and a retirement plan amongst many others.  When Wegmans rewards workers, it leads to greater satisfaction and well-being in the workplace.
5. Diversity is welcomed as an opportunity  Wegmans sees diversity as a way to inspire new thinking, which supports their drive toward continuous improvement.  This is a key to brainpowered leadership.

As Ellen Weber and I shared this delightful bread, we each enjoyed more than one piece!  But, a lot more brainpower went into it than meets the ordinary eye!

Thoughts?

The Game of Jason McElwain's Life!

Jason McElwain shot a final three-pointer to rack up a school record of six three-point baskets and 20 total points in the last three minutes of the final game in his senior year. But, the most incredible part of the story is that J-Mac, as he’s affectionately known, performed this incredible feat in spite of the fact he was diagnosed with severe autism at a very young age. Thanks to early detection and increasingly sophisticated behavioral interventions, and parents who go the extra mile, life can hold more promise for children like Jason.

Jason tells his remarkable story in The Game of My Life: A True Story of Challenge, Triumph, and Growing Up Autistic with the help of Danile Paisner, New York Times best selling author. Check out the review I've written on Joyful, Jubilant Learning's A Love Affair With Books...

ESPN provides glimpses into Jason’s life and those momentous four minutes when Coach Jimmy Johnson said, “Jason, you’re in,” on the last home game of the year. Jason had acted as manager throughout high school. Because Jason loved the game he practiced though he never played in a varsity game up to this point. Catch the love, thunder and emotion...



Jason's story of triumph inspires people to follow their dreams!

Today Jason's employed in a local Wegman's bakery. Wegman's, a regional supermarket chain, is known for hiring dozens of young men and women with special needs and assigning them to ability-appropriate tasks in their stores. Jason enjoys baking bread...

There's a certain routine to it, a certain rhythm. He know the recipe by heart, but it's more than just a recipe... He likes the way the bread smells when it comes out of the oven. He likes how the smell get into his clothes. He likes when customers say his bread tastes good. He likes that he as a place to go, and this his bosses think he's doing a good job, and that everybody at Wegman's knows he's a team player.

Life indeed holds more promise for people like Jason, thanks to businesses like Wegman's who tap into peoples' strengths!