Jonah Lehrer’s post about deliberate calm reminds me of restaurants during a rush:
This is where flight simulators enter the picture. The advantage of these realistic simulators, which have been in widespread use since the early 1980s, is that they allow pilots to practice extreme flight scenarios, such as a total loss of engine power over water. The training provides pilots with important technical skills -- they can practice flying crippled planes -- but it also teaches them something more important: how to draw on an optimal blend of reason and emotion. They learn how to ignore their fear when fear isn't useful and how to make quick, complicated decisions in the most fraught situations. Flight crews don't panic because they've practiced staying calm.
The first time your restaurant experiences heavy volume is usually a disaster. Restaurants have practice openings because the first time a new restaurant is tested there are always issues. After having gone through the rigors of a busy night the staff adjusts and deliberate calm sets in. Now how do we increase covers?
