Boiling point

It’s basic physics - as pressure increases, so does temperature. In the current climate, many employees are feeling the former from a combination of factors.

These include organisational changes, increased pressure to perform, ever-tougher targets to meet and an endless raft of new policies to assimilate into an already packed workload. And if that wasn’t enough, it is all ramped up by a backdrop of redundancies, rising unemployment, the credit crunch and a gloomy economic forecast. The heat is most definitely on.

It’s hardly surprising that those people who help organisations to recruit, retain and manage the best available talent are finding themselves increasingly called upon to support these businesses in dealing with grievances, absenteeism and cases of alleged bullying.

Some of us remember this pattern from the economic downturns of the 1980s and early 1990s - but the upsurge in cases over the past year has arguably been even worse.

The issues range from mainstream grievance handling through to mediation and coaching - and sometimes, an individual’s management style is found to be the root of the problem.

Of course, differentiating between an assertive, performance-driven management style and plain bullying or victimisation can be challenging at the best of times, but the lines can become more blurred when people feel stressed and overloaded or are worried about long-term job security.

Redundancy and the impact on the individuals who survive the chop can also create a sense of vulnerability, as can the pressure of having to re-apply for what people perceive as the job they already do. It is ironic that in wishing to be perceived as being fair to all, many organisations find the effect is the complete opposite.

Follow the leader

These difficult times have forced issues to bubble to the surface that the leaders of organisations and their staff need to deal with.

Leaders should bear in mind an old Chinese proverb: ‘The fish rots from the head’. Very often problems at the top of an organisation will filter downwards as individuals replicate the style of their own managers.

Left unchecked, these behaviours will embed themselves as the cultural norm. They can range from general cynicism and negativity through to outright confrontation and conflict.

There may also be more subtle signs of trouble brewing, such as people working longer hours at one extreme, or absenting themselves from the workplace through sickness at the other.

So how can leaders avoid such problems? They need to better equip their managers to recognise the management culture that already exists.

The aim is to move from traditional command and control models to a more supportive and enabling culture where managers take on more of a planning and coaching role. It’s not easy, of course, in times of shrinking training budgets but it’s not an area organisations can afford to dismiss.

Crucially, leaders need to demonstrate the kind of leadership behaviours that they want to see replicated by others.

For members of staff feeling victimised, out of control or struggling to cope, the answer lies in focusing on what’s really important.

Prioritise your workload and avoid the tendency to personalise issues or adopt a passive ‘victim’ role. Be prepared to ask for help from your manager if you feel that you need it.

Don’t suffer in silence and do not pass on unacceptable behaviour to others. Never forget you have a right to be properly managed.

For all concerned, whether management or staff, it is important to recognise the warning signs and take action before a simmering problem reaches boiling point.

Anne Elliott and Kathy Hampden are directors of EMA Business & Management Consultancy

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