
Baker or banker, the pressure is on
The Bake Off experience is a stressful one. The contestants show an incredible level of skill to plan their elaborate bakes, get their timings right, deal with failure publicly and improve on the spot. They have to be precise and accurate about their ingredients, and work to meticulous detail to ensure everything goes to plan. These are important skills for anyone who wants to succeed at work, and are key traits that managers, as well as their teams, should improve on.Time management

Organisation makes life easier
Some people can multitask. Some can’t. Work out which type of person you are and organise your workload accordingly. Find out how your employees work as well. This will ensure everyone commits properly to each task, rather than trying to juggle loads of half-finished projects where you finish none. Set achievable deadlines, and explain the length of time needed to complete them. People with different responsibilities won’t necessarily understand what is required when they ask for your help – if you don’t tell them, they won’t now, and you’ll feel more unnecessary pressure.Stay transparent or crumble like a cake
How can HR help?
HR teams need to ensure an organisation’s processes and policies consider employee wellbeing. They must make sure that different departments have communication channels available to avoid creating silos. If your departments don’t talk, how can anyone collaborate effectively?Here’s some pointers all HR departments should be following:So when you’re watching Great British Bake Off this year, try to pay a bit more attention to the emotions of the bakers, and what you can learn from them, rather than just laughing at the next under cooked cake. Maddy Keating is a marketing specialist at MHR.
- Implementing stress management and wellbeing initiatives
- Educating both employees and managers in ‘people training’
- Making sure managers check in with their teams and evaluate workloads
- Helping manage other departments’ expectations to reduce pressures on staff
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