The Bear Shows the Uncomfortable Side of Business – But Here’s What You Can Learn From It

After the latest craze with Succession that exhibited what difficulties dysfunctional families encounter in business, everyone on social media started to idealise the business industry as a powerful environment where you either win or lose. However, explaining the dynamics of building and maintaining a company is not simple, especially from an interpersonal perspective. Learn more about The Bear Shows the Uncomfortable Side of Business.

This is where The Bear comes and displays a more accurate image of how business is done. Jeremy Allen White does a great job of depicting how anxious people get through the day when they are responsible for a company’s operation. However, he can control himself with routine and control, which proves to be an efficient business model for a restaurant. 

The show itself can be challenging to stomach because it brings out the true side of how a company evolves. So, we’ve got a few lessons from the series that marketers and managers can learn from. 

Why flexibility matters 

In the series, we notice a few moments of flexibility, such as when leadership is interchanged between Richie, Sydney and Carmen since they have different approaches that blend perfectly. So, whenever someone needs to intervene, the other will automatically take a step back when there’s a need for innovation rather than expertise. 

Therefore, every business needs to learn to be flexible and adapt to the company’s changing circumstances, whether it’s on assignment autonomy, time off or work location. A flexible business contributes to less stress, more productivity and employee loyalty, as all participants trust each other while being able to handle specific tasks independently. 

Another flexibility example in the show is when Sydney changes the recipes to reduce waste. At the same time, Carmen alters the kitchens to reduce the effort it would take to walk between stations, optimising time. While this seems like a hassle, restaurants should follow the advice of being flexible, whether it’s about improvised recipes or working in cheap traditional kitchens.

Why you should work for respect

Most leaders or entrepreneurs assume they deserve the respect since they’re in the management position, handling the business. However, we see how the Bear approaches this concept when Tina isn’t happy about Sydney’s new sous-chef role, considering her young age as a weakness, hindering her ability to blend in with the restaurant. After numerous challenges and even sabotage, Sydney proves to have earned the role, showing great cooking and management skills.

Therefore, the lesson is that not only employees must prove their abilities in the workplace, but also leaders, because respect is earned with hard work. Valuing worker’s contributions and providing growth opportunities are ways to lead by example. Without respect, you won’t be able to work effectively with your team, as they won’t trust your leadership style when collaborating. 

There are plenty of ways in which you can earn your employees’ respect, such as the following:

• Avoiding gossip and establishing a moral code;
• Learning to set healthy boundaries;
• Approaching active listening;
• Treating your team with respect;
• Being kind and empathetic;

How maximising profit is done

The problem of maximising profit happens everywhere in business, especially in the first operating years. In the series, Carmen inherits the family restaurant from his late brother and is determined to transform it into something extraordinary. However, he faces multiple challenges, from the accumulated financial pressure to fast-changing trends where chef-driven restaurants are on the rise.

In the Bear, Sydney tries to implement new ways of reducing costs by changing the opening hours or the operating services from lunch to dinner for more time efficiency. These actions allow them to invest more time developing dishes or discussing ways to improve the business. 

Therefore, profit maximisation doesn’t have to involve complex operations. It’s enough if you start assessing the current operating costs and try reducing them by adjusting the prices, reviewing your product portfolio or increasing order efficiency. 

How should we see business? 

Regardless of the sector, the business industry is often stressful and money-focused, so employees get quickly burned out. At the same time, managers tend to care more about revenue and the company’s productivity than valuing their employees and building stable relationships. 

There are many scenes in the Bear when people make mistakes, such as when Marcus triggers a power outage in the restaurant. After owning up to his error, Carmen doesn’t overreact, as he tells Marcus that mistakes happen all the time and these things are not the fault of his personality or skills. He didn’t cause a scene, and everyone could return to finding the solution to all the problems that day. 

Hence, leaders should change their approach to seeing business as more important than people. Sometimes, mistakes occur due to numerous external reasons, but if employees are tired, overwhelmed, or simply have a bad day, mistakes are to happen at every moment. Rather than making a scene or firing them, leaders must manage the situation and treat employees as they are ―humans. 

Why growth opportunities matter

In a business, employees allowed to grow will be loyal, productive, and understanding of their essential role in the company. That’s what Carmen does with people he sees as potential employees. Richie and Marcus received apprenticeships, Tina and Ebra went through culinary school, and Sydney was promoted to the Head Chef position. All his employees are now teammates, as they significantly value the restaurant. 

Workers must have access to such opportunities, whether you approach mentoring, networking events, regular training or job shadowing. When they can learn and improve their skills, employees are satisfied with their hard work and assured they’ll be provided with such favourable circumstances. 

Have you watched The Bear?

The Bear is a popular TV show about a young chef inheriting the family’s restaurants and struggling to make it work. Besides the drama and traumatic experience, we can see how Carmen struggles as an entrepreneur to find the balance between his ideas and possibilities and successfully collaborate with teammates. Still, we have a lot to learn from this series because it shows how difficult it is for businesses to grow.