3. Most of us work in a matrix so, to an
extent, we’re all bosses and need to
behave as such
4. Structure of presentation
• Background
• Positive manager behaviours
– Self-awareness
– Appropriate assertiveness
– Make time for people
– Empower people
– Eliminate negativity
– Impart durable skills and wisdom
• Closing thoughts
5. Mental ill-health in the profession
• Elevated prevalence of depression
and/or anxiety symptoms
• Elevated 12-month prevalence of
suicidal ideation
• Elevated suicide risk
Bartram, D.J., Yadegarfar, G. and Baldwin, D.S. (2009) Social Psychiatry and Psychiatric Epidemiology 44, 1075-1085
Bartram, D.J. and Baldwin, D.S. (2010) Veterinary Record 166, 388-397
Platt, B., Hawton, K., Simkin, S. and Mellanby, R. (2010) Occupational Medicine 60, 436-446
Roberts, S.E., Jaremin, B. and Lloyd, K. (2012) Psychological Medicine doi: 10.1017/S0033291712002024
6. Psychological distress commonly
attributed to problems at work
Main attributable causes of suicidal thoughts :
work-related factors 61% of participants
spousal relationship problems 19% of participants
Vet suicidal thoughts mental health 7% of participants
and behaviour
Interview study 1
Work-related attributions of difficulties included:
n=84
work intensity (pace and volume)
duration of working hours and associated effects on personal lives
feeling undervalued by senior staff and/or management
Vet suicidal thoughts Over 50% identified contributory work-related factors:
and behaviour workplace relationships
Interview study 2 concerns about their career
n=21 patient issues; number of hours and volume of work
1. Bartram, D.J. et al. Understanding suicidal thoughts and help-seeking behaviour in the UK veterinary profession: a semi-structured
interview study (in preparation) ; 2. Platt, B., Hawton, K., Simkin, S., Dean, R. and Mellanby, R.J. (2012) Crisis 33, 280-289
7. Employment is most common
issue for callers to Vet Helpline
2011 data
Note: Some callers presented / described two or more issues
VBF (2012) Annual Report and Accounts 2011, p.16
8. Selected results from a recent
comprehensive survey of
UK veterinary practices
• 62% of staff state there is a great deal of
trust in the team
• 76% of staff state the relationship between
management and teams is generally good
• 43% of staff state they do not receive a
formal appraisal meeting
• 23% of employees believe their management
team are not accessible
• 30% of staff do not believe communication is
good in their practice
• 52% of staff do not believe they receive
ongoing communications about their
performance
• 52% of staff believe poor performers are not
managed effectively
• 51% of staff do not have a personal
development plan
www.vetsupportplus.co.uk
9. RCVS Survey 2010
• 57% of recently qualified VSs received
appraisals in their first year in practice
• One third of these appraisals took into account
their progress with the PDP
http://www.rcvs.org.uk/document-library/rcvs-survey-of-the-
veterinary-professions-2010/
10. Relevance to employers of
being a good boss: Legal case
• Employment rights and duties • Equality
– Contract of employment – Discrimination
– Health and safety • Job security
– Wages and working time – Dismissal
– Child care and time off – Redundancy
– Occupational pensions • Professional conduct
– Income tax and insurance – RCVS
– Civil liberties at work
• Workplace participation
– Trade unions
11. Relevance to employers of
being a good boss: Business case
• Costs
– Employee commitment, satisfaction, engagement, performance, productivity,
staff recruitment and retention, organisational image and reputation
• Bad bosses negate other investments
– Other approaches to increase employee engagement — excellent rewards,
career paths, stimulating work environments, EAPs, health insurance, and
other perks — have limited effect on the people stuck with bad bosses
• Good bosses lead and encourage employees to increase revenue
– Strong correlation between employee engagement,
customer satisfaction, and revenue
Bond, F.W. et al (2006) A business case for the Management Standards for stress. Research report 431. HSE.
SAINSBURY CENTRE FOR MENTAL HEALTH (2007) Mental health at work: developing the business case. Policy paper 8
Zenger, J. and Folkman, J. (2012) How damaging is a bad boss, exactly? Harvard Business Review Blog Network, 16 July 2012
12. Relevance to employers of
being a good boss: Ethical case
• Enables people to develop to their full potential
– including the boss!
• Research demonstrates strong links between stress and…
– physical effects: heart disease, back pain, headaches
– psychological effects: anxiety and depression
– poor coping strategies: skipping meals,
drinking too much caffeine/alcohol, smoking
– applies to the boss too!
Stansfeld, D.S., Head, J. and Marmot, M. (2000) Work-related factors and ill-health: the Whitehall II study. Contract
research report 266/2000. Sudbury, HSE.
17. Positive manager behaviour
Respectful and responsible
• Integrity
• Is a good role model
• Treats people with respect
• Contract of employment; appropriate rewards
• Managing emotions
• Acts calmly in pressured situations
• Consistent in mood
• Considerate approach
• Shows consideration for work-life balance
• Gives more positive than negative feedback
• Supporting an unwell colleague in the workplace
• Supporting return to work after a period of absence
Yarker, J., Lewis, R., Donaldson-Feilder, E. and Flaxman, P. (2007) Management competencies for preventing and reducing stress at work. HMSO.
http://www.hse.gov.uk/research/rrpdf/rr553.pdf
18. Positive manager behaviour
Managing and communicating future and
existing work
• Proactive work management
• Problem-solving
• Encourages ownership of problems
• Provides support for prompt resolution
• Participative/empowering
• Acts as a mentor
• Keeps employees informed of what is
happening in the organisation
• Encourages team participation
• Supports professional development
Yarker, J., Lewis, R., Donaldson-Feilder, E. and Flaxman, P. (2007) Management competencies for preventing and reducing stress at work. HMSO.
http://www.hse.gov.uk/research/rrpdf/rr553.pdf
19. Positive manager behaviour
Reasoning/ managing difficult situations
• Managing conflict
• Create teams that feel psychologically safe
enough for conflicting opinions to be aired
and the benefits of diversity exploited
• Use of appropriate resources
• Vet Helpline, VSHSP, VBF, Vetlife website
• BVA Legal helpline
• Taking responsibility for resolving issues
• Addresses bullying
• Follows up conflicts after resolution
Yarker, J., Lewis, R., Donaldson-Feilder, E. and Flaxman, P. (2007) Management competencies for preventing and reducing stress at work. HMSO.
http://www.hse.gov.uk/research/rrpdf/rr553.pdf
20. Positive manager behaviour
Managing the individual within the team
• Personally accessible
• Provides regular opportunities to speak one-to-one
• Is available to talk when needed
• Sociable
• Empathetic engagement
• Listens when employees ask for help
• Takes an interest in team’s life outside work
• Treats all team members with equal importance
• Checks rather than assumes that employees are OK
Yarker, J., Lewis, R., Donaldson-Feilder, E. and Flaxman, P. (2007) Management competencies for preventing and reducing stress at work. HMSO.
http://www.hse.gov.uk/research/rrpdf/rr553.pdf
21. Self-awareness
• “Power tends to corrupt and absolute power
corrupts absolutely” – Lord Acton [1834-1902]
• Recognise that because you wield power over others,
you are at great risk of acting like an insensitive jerk
– and not realising it
• Beware the ‘toxic tandem’
22. The toxic tandem
• People who gain authority over others tend to
become more self-centred and less mindful of what
others need, do, and say.
• Problem is compounded because a boss’s self-
absorbed words and deeds are scrutinised so closely
by his or her followers.
• These tendencies make for a ‘toxic tandem’
• It’s in our evolutionary biology…
Sutton, R. I.(2009) Harvard Business Review 87, 42-50
23. A typical member of a baboon troop glances at the alpha male
every 20 to 30 seconds; the alpha does not return the favour
Tiger, L. (1970) Annual Review of Ecology and Systematics 1, 287-306
24. Power-poisoning
• Effects of giving people power
– Focus on their own needs and concerns
– Focus little attention on the needs of others
– Act like the rules don’t apply to them
• The fallacy of centrality
– Assumption that because one holds a central
position, one automatically knows everything
necessary to exercise effective leadership
Keltner, D., Gruenfeld, D.H. and Anderson, C. (2003) Psychological Review 110, 265-284
Sutton, R. I.(2009) Harvard Business Review 87, 42-50
Westrum, R. (1982) Knowledge 3, 381-400
25. The cookie experiment
Keltner, D., Gruenfeld, D.H. and Anderson, C. (2003) Psychological Review 110, 265-284
Ward, G. and Keltner, D. (1998) Power and the consumption of resources. Unpublished manuscript
26. The cookie experiment
• Teams of three students each were instructed to produce a short paper
• Two members of each team were randomly assigned to write the paper
• The third member evaluated it and determined how much the other two
would be paid, in effect making them subordinates
• About 30 mins into the meeting, the researcher brought in a plate of five
cookies — a welcome break that was, in fact, the focus of the experiment
• No one was expected to reach for the last cookie on the plate, and no one
did. Basic manners dictate such restraint.
• But what of the fourth cookie — the extra one that could be taken without
negotiation or an awkward moment? It turns out that a little taste of power
has a substantial effect. The ‘bosses’ not only tended to take the fourth
cookie but also displayed signs of ‘disinhibited’ eating, chewing with their
mouths open and scattering crumbs widely.
Keltner, D., Gruenfeld, D.H. and Anderson, C. (2003) Psychological Review 110, 265-284
Ward, G. and Keltner, D. (1998) Power and the consumption of resources. Unpublished manuscript
27. Appropriate assertiveness
• Striking the right balance between being too assertive and not
assertive enough is immensely important to being (and being
perceived as) a great boss
• Flexibility: modulate between pushing people
hard enough at certain times,
and backing off appropriately
at other times
• Enables bosses to be seen as
motivating and engaged, but not as
bullying or micro-managing
Ames, D.R. and Flynn, F.J. (2007) Journal of Personality and Social Psychology 92, 307-324
28. Strong opinions, weakly held
• Strive to be confident enough to
– convince people that you are in charge, but
– humble enough to realise that you’re often wrong
• Argue as if you are right; listen as if you are wrong
• The people we consider wise:
– have courage to act on their beliefs and convictions
– have humility to realise they may be wrong, and
– must be prepared to change their beliefs and
actions when better information comes along
Sutton, R.I. (2010) A great boss is confident, but not really sure. Harvard Business Review Blog Network, 15 July 2010
29. “Managing is like holding a dove in your hand. If you hold it too
tightly you kill it, but if you hold it too loosely, you lose it”
– Tommy Lasorda, Baseball Player and Manager, Los Angeles Dodgers
Lasorda, T. and Fisher, D. (1986) The Artful Dodger. Harpercollins
Sutton, R.I. (2010) The delicate art of being perfectly assertive. Harvard Business Review Blog Network, 28 June 2010
30. Make time for people
• Practise active listening
– Seek first to understand, then to be understood
– Schedule a mutually convenient time to meet, when you set your work
aside, ignore your phone, and give your employee your undivided
attention
– Demonstrate that you have ‘heard’ by summarising their position back
to them and taking action
– Try to understand things from their perspective
– Be curious about their opinions and attitudes: ask open questions
• Don’t act as if you’re listening and let it go in one ear
and out the other
– Faking it is worse than not doing it at all
• Develop a culture of mutual support and collaboration
Bregman, P. (2011) How to really listen. Harvard Business Review Blog Network, 19 October 2011
31. Empower people to
empower themselves
• Encourage and support the decision-making
environment
• Give employees the tools, knowledge, discretion
and autonomy they need to make, act upon and
own their decisions
• Empowerment to use initiative and solve their
own problems and challenges at work
• Support people to learn to stand on their own
two feet – reduce neediness
• Learn to delegate
– Involves giving up control!
– Will free up time for the boss to teach, listen…
– The boss does not have to generate the most revenue!
Goldsmith, M. (2010) Empowering your employees to empower themselves. Harvard Business Review Blog Network, 23 April 2010
32. “After you plant a seed in the ground, you don’t dig it up every
week to see how it is doing” – William Coyne, Head of R&D, 3M
Sutton, R.I. (2010) Harvard Business Review 88, 106-109
34. Minimise the negative
• Bad is stronger than good
– It is more important to minimise the negative than to
accentuate the positive
– Negative interaction with the boss or a co-worker affects
our mood 5x more than a positive interaction
• Effect of toxic colleagues on work groups
– Withholders of effort, those who express pessimism,
anxiety, insecurity, and irritation, de-energisers, and those
who violate interpersonal norms of respect
– A team with just one person in any of these categories
suffers a performance disadvantage of 30% to 40%
compared to teams that have no bad apples
Baumeister, R.F., Bratslavsky, E., Finkenauer, C. and Vohs, K.D. (2001) Review of General Psychology 5, 323-370
Felps, W., Mitchell, T.R. and Byington, E. (2006) Research in Organizational Behavior 27, 175-222
Miner, A.G., Glomb, T.M. and Hulin, C. (2005) Journal of Occupational and Organisational Psychology 78, 171-195
35. Minimise the negative
• Bosses of the most productive groups
– Confront problems directly and quickly, issue more warnings and
formal punishments, and promptly fire employees when warnings fail
• This inspires performance
– Their intolerance of poor work is crystal clear
• Employees respect bosses more when destructive
characters are reprimanded swiftly and intensely
– Provided they are fair and consistent
• The upshot
– Doing such "dirty work" is part of a boss’s job
– Doing it doesn't make you a jerk
– If you can't or won't, team up with someone who can
Felps, W., Mitchell, T.R. and Byington, E. (2006) Research in Organizational Behavior 27, 175-222
O'Reilly, C.A. and Weitz, B.A. (1980) Administrative Science Quarterly 25, 467-484
36. Impart durable skills and wisdom
• Teaching, coaching, mentoring – learning are the essence of
an effective boss – employee relationship
• Major part of effective supervision
• Learned better work methods persist from
one boss to the next (cf. motivation)
• Includes soft skills
• Match workers and bosses according to performance
– Effect of good bosses on high quality workers >
effect of good bosses on lower quality workers
Lazear, E.P., Shaw, K.L. and Stanton, C.T. (2012) National Bureau of Economic Research Working Paper. No. 18317.
http://www.nber.org/papers/w18317
37. Two diagnostic questions
• Do you know what it feels like to work for/with you?
• If they had the choice, would your people elect to
work for/with you again?
38. Bosses are self-deluding
…and so is everyone else
• Some bosses live in a fool's paradise
• “Self-enhancement bias”
• It is the most deeply incompetent people who
make the most inflated self-assessments
Kruger, J. and Dunning, D. (2009) Psychology 1, 30-46
40. Closing thoughts…
• All of us have been faced with the extra cookie
• All of us will be faced with many more of them
• In time we will find it easy to assume that we deserve
the extra cookie
• For all I know, we may
• But we’ll be happier, and the world will be better off, if
we at least pretend that we don’t
