During a recent interview I was asked to develop a process for organizing and hosting a dinner party for four. Obviously this was intended to exhibit my general skills in process development and improvement, but it turned out to be a fun exercise worth sharing.

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Event Planning Process:
A Dinner Party for Four
Tim Rodgers
February 3, 2014

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Agenda

Typical problems

How a process can help

Dinner party process


Preparation

Delivery


Planning
Closing
Summary

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Typical Dinner Party Problems

I can’t eat that / drink that

Wrong food for the occasion

Kitchen disasters

Hosts so preoccupied that they can’t enjoy the company

Late/early arrival of the guests

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Common Process Problems
Confusion /
disagreement
regarding
intended
outcome
Insufficient
resources, s
chedule, trai
ning
Failure to
understand
expectations &
requirements
Inadequate
coordination
of activities

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General Process Design
People
• Who are the stakeholders?
• What are their expectations?
• Who actively participates in the process?
• What are their roles? (RACI)
Inputs/outputs
• What are the required inputs?
• What is the desired outcome?
• How do you define/measure success?
Value-added process steps
• What are the intermediate steps to achieve
the desired outcome?
• What is the timing/sequence of those steps?

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Planning the Dinner Party
Planning
Preparation
Delivery
Closing
People:
Guests (allergies, likes/dislikes)
Role of the guests (pot luck, bring something?)
Role of the hosts (cooking, cleaning, greeting, clean-up)
Expectations:
Special event? (holiday, birthday, Super Bowl)
Expected outcome (strictly social, other agenda?)
Menu:
Make vs. buy (what to cook, what to buy)
Tried-and-true, or experiment with something new?
“Design for manufacturing” (timing, sequence, preparation)
Choices that enable the hosts to enjoy the company

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Preparation: The Hardest Part
Planning
Preparation
Delivery
Closing
Invitation:
Arrival time at least 30 min before serving time
Make it clear what guests can bring (if anything)
Purchasing/acquiring ingredients and prepared food (from the menu)
Preparing the dinner:
Work backwards from the serving time
Plan for scarce resources (oven, cook top, microwave)
Preparing the house:
Cleaning, dusting (don’t forget the bathroom)
Setting the table, decorating, music
Tending to children, pets

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Example: Thanksgiving 2013

A whole turkey would be excessive for four people, and tie up
the oven (scarce resource) for hours
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Bought pre-cooked turkey breast, gravy, stuffing, mashed potatoes
from the market (all sampled previously)

Warmed/basted the turkey in the oven

Cooked at home: sweet potatoes with apples, cranberry
sauce, Brussels sprouts, sweet potato pecan pie

Everything timed to be warm and ready

Buffet style for easy serving

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Delivery: Don’t Forget to Enjoy
Planning
Preparation
Delivery
Closing
Guest arrival:
Take a break and greet, they’re the stars of the show (not the food)
Put a drink in their hand
Give them something to do (“What can I do to help?”)
Service:
Buffet style / self-serve to allow portion control
Water at the table
Conversation:
Relax, the hard part is over

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Closing: Relax, Clean Up Later
Planning
Preparation
Delivery
Closing
After dinner:
Move the party away from the table once everyone’s done
Clear the table, but clean the dishes later (no one wants to see that)
Take the guests to a comfortable place to relax
Dessert? Coffee?
Ending the evening:
Don’t rush the guests, you’re already home, unless …
Leftovers? Doggie bag? (not recommended)

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Summary Recommendations

It’s not about the food, it’s about your guests. They’re coming to
spend time with you

Good menu planning and kitchen organization will prevent most
kitchen disasters, but if you drop the casserole, roll with it
(there’s always peanut butter sandwiches

Don’t get trapped in the kitchen, before or after (it’s your
party, too)