The Science of Baking and The Art of Cooking

My close association with my home these last few weeks has seen me spending more time in the kitchen. So much so that my fridge door has needed reinforcing, and there is now a sign in the pantry saying:

“You are not hungry, you are bored.”

I have recently been inspired by some of the great chefs who are sharing their thoughts, processes and recipes in some on line offerings, and then passing the proceeds on to those who need them most. Some of them have felt like guests in my house. Perhaps one day they will be.

I was reminded of some work we did years ago with a school of the culinary arts. They gave me a wonderful metaphor to think about which I’ve shared with many groups since then.

Baking is a science while cooking is an art.

Baking requires the application of intense energy (heat) to a predetermined formula, using a tested method. It is a recipe-driven process, which is irreversible. The only artistic opportunity the baker has is to decorate the cake.

There are many recipes from which to bake. There are tried and tested favourite recipes, and there are great recipe books from every corner of the globe. Whichever recipe one chooses to use, however, one should follow it meticulously.

Measure 300 grams accurately, “level” tablespoons must be level, and if the recipe calls for 30 minutes at 180 degrees one should not attempt to bake for 20 minutes at 210 degrees. Baking is an exact science.

Cooking, however, is a creative art form. By using only six basic sauces, and three soup stocks, one can cook with an infinite variety of fresh ingredients. By blending carefully chosen combinations in a chosen sauce or stock, one can create an experience. A great cook uses their imagination. They experiment with combinations of different ingredients. They innovate, and they demonstrate great agility in their ability to adapt to a range of extraneous factors

On our Leadership experiences, we are not very good at teaching baking. In fact, if we learn from Aristotle,

“We [actually] can’t teach people anything, all we can do is help people discover it within themselves.”

Perhaps though we help people think about how to cook, and the ingredients we use are Relationships. The first and most fundamental of these is the relationship we have with ourselves. Then with others and perhaps then, with our environment or even our God, or something bigger?

So, what was this metaphor then?

Well, perhaps like baking, Management is a science. It is about practical processes, and there are thousands of recipes to bake with. Recipes for good corporate governance, recipes for writing feasibility studies, recipes for doing salary surveys, recipes for preparing budgets, recipes for managing a production line, recipes for doing a comprehensive audit. GAAP is a recipe, Basel is a strict set of guidelines and rules. First Aid is a series of recipes. Modern medicine seems to be mostly about precise medical and surgical recipes.

None of these should be messed with, and some of them may be needed more so than ever before right now.

Cooking, I am learning is far more like Leadership. There isn’t necessarily an exact recipe or a template from which one shouldn’t deviate. There is no written policy as to how to ‘manage’ or bake our way out of COVID 19, and no series of steps to follow with a reasonably assured outcome of the consequences or the future.

We can’t only bake our way into a version of the old recipe, we also need to cook. To think with a cup or two of imagination, a twist of innovation, a sprinkling of care, a bucket or three of courage, six spoons of empathy, a heap of hope, two pinches of perse verance, a mug of mindfulness, a sack and a half of support, a ladle of love and a helping of humour. All of these ingredients and quantities could depend on the situation at hand. Sometimes what is needed might only be a little listening.

We will also need a spark of Energy.

But most important, is that if you want to be a chef, you need to be able to bake and to cook.

If you want to influence others, or live a better life yourself, you need to be able to manage and to lead.

We would love to help you along this journey.

Steve