Line managers can be both the oil on the cogs and the spanner in the works in a busy department, depending on an assortment of factors. Dealing with problems – chiefly other people's problems – is an important, if protracted or part of the role, but a manager who acts poorly or without intelligence will only become a problem themselves. This can be a common issue, particularly in big companies with over 1,000 employees where line managers are under pressure to deal with many people simultaneously.
The issue is complicated further by the fact that great managers can get important things wrong, while people perceived to be weak managers on occasion get it exactly right. The overall performance of a line manager should perhaps be judged by the state of the people in their department as no single rulebook or formula can dictate how a good one should behave at any particular moment.
In spite of formal classifications of the 'reactive, proactive or creative' pigeonholes, the truth is that most managers use all three approaches at different times to suit a situation. Faced with an awkward or difficult dilemma in the office, several options may spring to mind, so which do you pick?
Avoid the situation is a common response; however, timing is key when introducing your solution to another person's problem, therefore keeping your nose out (but your eyes open) might allow the situation to resolve itself.
You might hesitate. Sometimes managers want to comment openly about an individual or behaviour, but due to nerves or uncertainty may miss their cue, resulting in coded messages in the form of feeble and unhelpful jokes. An example is the phrase 'so I see the part-timer is back', said to a regular absentee, or perhaps a frequent 'long luncher'. This half-joke, half-scold approach may make things worse, undermining your authority with the perspective of onlookers.
Instead, you might try to confront issues directly. Assuming you have more grace than a hippo on ice skates, this frequently ends in a positive outcome. However, it's important to avoid showing a knee-jerk reaction when trying to deal with issues proactively. A quick check of pace and tone can avoid this.
If the watch-and-wait approach has been fruitless in dealing with a difficult issue, and the parties concerned cannot, or will not, take some direct advice, a manager could decide to force the issue.
Everyone has their 'enough is enough' point, yet in the heat of the moment the advantages of a firm, authoritative hand can be lost in the utterance of a string of edicts and threatening sanctions. It may quell the dispute quickly, but it also puts your back against the wall as you'll be expected (by onlookers as much as parties directly involved) to stick to your guns if your 'bluff' is called.
Another option is to have a full and frank discussion, even though talking about problems in an honest and open way can be the hardest and least appealing route to take. Who really wants to address somebody's poor hygiene with them, or tackle the 'alcohol during lunch' issue with one of the best workers in the office? It can be awkward and may make things worse. However, a proper discussion is usually the most productive approach and, while in some cases you may have to use a disciplinary procedure to boot, it is often the most effective means to an end.
More advice on handling difficult issues is available in a new guide published by Advisory, Conciliation and Arbitration Service (Acas) and available at www.acas.org.uk. Acas is an independent publicly-funded organisation which works with employers to solve problems and improve productivity.
Diseases and disabilities
Sometimes personnel problems in the office are related to health problems. While employers cannot be expected to have a policy for dealing with every such issue, individuals as well as whole teams can benefit if line managers have a good understanding of common problems.
Stress, mental health and musculoskeletal disorders are among the most frequent. According to a recent survey, released by the Trade Union Congress (TUC), stress affects three out of five workers in the UK. Reasons for stress included increased workloads, changes at work, staff cuts (and non-replacement of leavers) and long hours.
Secretary of the TUC, Brendan Barber, warned that "unless bosses start to seriously tackle stress and the causes of stress, they will continue to lose many days to workers off sick and many hours of productivity from their demoralised workforce".
It is thought that the British economy loses £7bn a year through sick pay, lost production and medical costs.
Add to this "our dilapidated public transport system", noted head of business policy at the Institute of Directors, Richard Wilson, and even getting to and from work can cause high stress levels.
If it goes unchecked, there is the risk that chronic stress will lead to a 'mental health problem', such as anxiety, depression, phobic anxiety disorders and obsessive compulsive disorders. Mental illness is classed as a 'disability' under the Disability Discrimination Act 2005, making it unlawful for an employer to treat a disabled person less favourably for a reason relating to their disability.
This means that dealing with the anxious, perhaps aggressive person in the team who lashes out because they feel persecuted, even if their treatment is equal with other members of staff, is more than just another headache for a line manager.
As a manager you can help to protect your staff from the stresses of work by organising appropriate working hours and encouraging the full use of holiday entitlement and proper lunch breaks.
