Title

The NHS has been accused of operating a ‘macho' management culture, and now there are claims that management bullying is endemic in social services. Is the performance-driven, target-obsessed and finance-led government policy to blame? Or is it a lack of people-management skills in the public sector? Is this a climate which breeds the wrong type of management behaviour in which arrogance, secrecy and bullying flourishes? Or are such claims the response of professionals unused to being held accountable and finding it uncomfortable having their performance compared and failures to deliver highlighted? In my view, the problem is not a performance-management culture but the poor quality of management. A performance-management culture where targets are negotiated and resources allocated, in line with priorities, a system where everyone is clear of what is expected, and people understand their contribution to the bigger picture is a fairer away of making judgments about individual's competence and effectiveness. The problem arises out of managers' lack of skill in managing people. We still seem to think managers are born rather than developed. People are promoted to management posts on the basis of their professional skills. We don't routinely expect managers to have a management qualification, except for the most senior posts, and even then, MBAs are used as a selection criteria in their own right rather than evidence of management competence. In my experience, MBAs are good at helping managers develop their strategic thinking but don't focus on people-management skills. The first management post is the hardest. It's not usually managing the budget which causes the problems, but managing the staff – tackling an individual about their time-keeping, attendance, inappropriate summer clothing, reluctance to attend training courses, cynicism towards any new initiative, antagonism towards certain colleagues, inappropriate ‘jokes', insensitive comments, underlying sexist, racist or homophobic attitudes. Effective managers are explicit in their expectations, challenge poor practice, get people to do what needs to be done, and show no favourites. Managers with good people skills recognise there is a difference between being friendly and being friends with the staff they manage. If all staff feel valued and respected and accept they are treated fairly, then the organisation they work for is unlikely to be characterised by bullying, harassment and discrimination. This requires managers to become more sensitive to people's needs, and to improve their leadership skills by gaining insight into how their behaviour affects the people they manage. Management culture is set from the top of the organisation. How often are senior managers given direct feed-back about how their behaviour effects others? In my own organisation, we have chosen to develop managers' people skills through executive coaching tailored to their individuals needs. The aim was to provide the top 30 managers in the directorate with the opportunity of having detailed feedback on their performance as a way of helping them gain insight into the impact of their behaviour, and then specific guidance or coaching to improve their performance. The detailed feedback was provided by one of two management consultants who would observe the individual in a range of management settings and activities over the equivalent of two working days. After each observation session, one-to-one feedback was provided. The information from these sessions was supplemented by 360-degree feedback questionnaires, completed by the individual's manager, colleagues and the staff they handle. For most senior managers, this type of direct feedback was not something they had experienced since they first started out in their professional careers. Despite some initial anxieties, the evaluation showed that people found the experience positive and helpful. This approach to management development is now being rolled out to all managers. In this way, we are striving to be the type of organisation which values people-management skills, creates a safe environment for staff to challenge and be challenged, a place free from bullying and harassment, where managers have the confidence and competence to manage. Blair McPherson is director of community services at Lancashire CC

Title

WHITEHALL

Managing upwards

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