You don’t want management that is distant and detached but neither do you want management that is so tight with their staff they can’t see the faults and so are dismissive of criticisms and complaints.
Senior managers are often accused of being detached from the front line and therefore out of touch with how the workers on the ground feel with no real understanding of the challenges and difficulties they face. The result is low moral and lack of pride in the organisation. So what happens when an organisation has someone at the top who does understand what it’s like, who has worked their way up, who has made strenuous efforts to stay in touch with those delivering the service, some one who wants to boost the confidence and sense of pride of those at the sharp end? The answer recently was they are unceremoniously dismissed!
As much as out of touch and distant senior management creates a reality gap ultimately undermining performance the opposite is equally as damaging. Senior management that is so keen to retain the credibility and the support of the rank and file that it won’t listen to legitimate concerns, doesn’t recognise the need for change, dismiss criticisms as exaggerated and incidents of bad practice as isolated examples ,”the result of a few bad apples” is putting employees before service users.
Despite recent events I don’t think this is a common scenario at senior management level whoever I have come across this many times in institutions. There have been some very high profile scandals in long stay hospitals, residential and nursing care homes and children’s homes. Places where the staff room culture is strong, outsiders are viewed as having no idea just how demanding, challenging and exhausting the work is. As such complains are not taken seriously. In these places working practices have developed to suit the convenience of the staff not the needs of the residents. Bullying, harassment and racism can flourish in these closed environments. Only the very brave or very disillusioned speak out where the attitude is it’s us against the rest of the world.When bad practice is exposed it is always the exception ,” a few bad apples”, never the culture.
All too often the response of leadership is defensive, unwilling to accept the criticisms or denial, unable to think such terrible things could be widespread. Or a board that believes protecting the reputation of the organisation in order to retain public confidence is more important than admitting mistakes.
Blair Mcpherson former Director author and blogger www.blairmcpherson.co.uk
