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There are steps you can take to initiate constructive conversations and seek support about poor leadership, including with your union or a Freedom to Speak Up Guardian
What makes a bad boss? Bullying behaviour, certainly, but also a tendency to avoid conflict or a failure to address issues that matter to staff.
Nursing Standard. 39, 6, 59-60. doi: 10.7748/ns.39.6.59.s18
Published: 05 June 2024
Other bosses, unable to delegate, may micromanage or constantly undermine a nurse’s best efforts. Being disorganised, communication failures, having favourites – there is a long list of traits and behaviours that can limit a leader’s effectiveness.
For those managed by a weak, bullying or incompetent boss, the workplace can become an unhappy environment, as individual and team morale plummet.
University of Westminster principal research fellow Richard Saundry, an expert in workplace relations, says conflict at work can lead to long periods of absence for those affected.
‘I’ve interviewed NHS workers who have been involved in conflict where it has severe impacts in terms of their health and well-being,’ says Professor Saundry.
‘In the UK, we tend to be not very good at dealing with these issues so we let them eat away at us’
Richard Saundry, principal research fellow at the University of Westminster
Nurse retention may also take a hit. An analysis led by Nadeem Khan, an assistant professor in adult nursing at the University of Bradford, found that poor relationships with managers were significant factors in critical care nurses’ intentions to quit their jobs.
Dr Khan distinguishes between managers and leaders, and points out that an excellent front-line nurse who, for example, is clinically skilled, compassionate and adept at juggling the demands of a critical care ward, may not necessarily be a candidate for leadership. ‘Then they get promoted to a senior role but don’t actually show any leadership skills.’
He argues that the required qualities of a good leader include flexibility, being open to ideas and seeing the broader picture. So rather than being bound by the rulebook, leaders will encourage creativity and fresh ideas where safe to do so.
Where things go wrong it is often because line managers are inadequately prepared for stepping up to leadership roles, or where they lack support from their own managers, he says.
Professor Saundry says managers, good and bad, are also working under huge pressure in an environment that is risk-averse and ‘laden with procedure’. He adds: ‘The impact of getting something wrong is very significant.’
As a consequence, bosses can avoid addressing issues that matter to their teams or may ‘hide behind process,’ he suggests.
Staff may then find themselves being disciplined unnecessarily or subject to draconian management when good, clear communication – often a simple conversation – could have resolved the matter. By contrast, there is evidence that well-trained managers can play a vital role in maintaining staff well-being and preventing sickness absence.
Whatever lies behind the behaviour of a difficult boss, those on the receiving end are unlikely to feel sympathy. But can they improve the situation?
Professor Saundry acknowledges taking action is difficult. He says a significant number say nothing for fear of making the situation worse.
While initiating conversations with your boss about their behaviour is rarely easy,
Dr Khan argues that if the relationship is already toxic it could well be the lesser of two evils. ‘For me, raising it is important because they need to know that what they’re doing is not acceptable,’ he says.
Professor Saundry says raising the matter early is also advised. ‘In the UK we tend to be not very good at dealing with these issues so we let them eat away at us and then we react or express our concern in a way which isn’t constructive and is far more likely to escalate in some way.’
Dr Khan advises that if you do feel able to meet with your manager, be professional and specific. ‘It has to be fair,’ he says. ‘This is not just about blame. It needs to be very clear that you’re doing this for good reasons, with good intentions.’
As the NHS continues to struggle with high demand pressures on staff continue to be high.
But research shows that a training session for managers covering aspects of mental health can help reduce sickness absences among staff experiencing mental health problems.
A study of fire and rescue workers in Australia (tinyurl.com/mental-health-sick-leave) found managers taking training lasting just four hours were able to have ‘psychologically savvy conversations’ that led to reduced work-related absence.
If a face-to-face meeting feels too awkward or is unsuccessful, other routes are available. Seek advice from your trade union, human resources team or local Freedom to Speak Up Guardian.
Professor Saundry says: ‘Freedom to Speak Up are a useful way of being able to raise an issue with somebody who is relatively impartial.’
He adds that a manager is rarely perceived as poor or difficult by just one person. Where there is a collective issue, that can offer a sense of protection when raising it, perhaps with union support.
It is only when the person is poorly trained or feels unsupported that they will ignore concerns, he says.
Conversely, a good leader will be receptive to feedback and ideas about how things can be done differently.
What you can do if your manager shows favouritism rcni.com/workplace-favourites
