Are you a Star Baker - Week 5

At the last count Ofcom have received 339 complaints about Matt Lucas’s sketch mocking Boris Johnson’s speech in week 1. Follow this with 47 complaints about the rainbow bagels and a further 16 complaints about Paul Hollywood small hands sketch, it seems that Bake Off are not as informed as they need to be.

Leaders need to remain vigilant that any “humorous” throw away comment can land them with upset employees, heading towards a grievance. The strongest of leaders knows that by being self-aware and developing their emotional intelligence is the best way to develop their ability to manage people and relationships effectively.

According to Daniel Goleman (an American psychologist who helped to popularise emotional intelligence), there are five key elements:

1.    Self-awareness

2.    Self-regulation

3.    Motivation

4.    Empathy

5.    Social Skills

There are many ways to undertake becoming more self-aware – including; looking at yourself objectively (easier said than done), complete a SWOT analysis on yourself, get a trusted colleague to complete a SWOT analysis on you, invite feedback from your peers and team or take a personality or psychometric test (I like Insights Discovery). The most important part of becoming more self-aware is once you understand about yourself, you then adjust your behaviour to be able to relate more effectively with others.

Whilst last night’s Bake Off may not have resulted in Ofcom complaints (yet), social media lit up with complaints from distressed Cornish viewers as bakers were asked to make pasties “in any shape your like” and with “a filling of their choice”. Maybe Bake Off need to reflect on their approach to diversity and inclusion in the tent.

UK law sets a minimum standard for Diversity and Inclusion (including age, disability, race, religion, gender and sexual orientation) but having a diverse and inclusive workforce is more than just complying with legislation as it adds real value to any organisation, ensuring that everyone is valued and supported as an individual and any effective leader will understand and encourage this.

I’m not saying that a leader needs to tiptoe around their team for fear of upsetting someone – many grievances are sparked by an individual who has found themselves being “well managed”. But being mindful that their personal frame of reference (family, education, gender, cultural influences) will not be the same as individuals in their team, will support them to remain fair and consistent.

Even the best leader is only one “throw away comment” away from a grievance and as we now know, even the most likeable and friendliest of baker is only ever one bad week away from elimination. This week saw Linda sent home with her signature pasties lacking the necessary crimping so they were essentially samosas, her deconstructed eclairs and finally a collapsed cage signalling the end of her Bake Off journey.

If you want your leaders to demonstrate role model behaviour, be emotionally intelligent and self-aware, why not get in touch with JB Training Partners to talk about leadership development (and I’ll bring the cake).