I was working with a group of managers in the Criminal Justice system last week. The subject under discussion was Managing Change. They were wearied and worried about delivering the kind of service the public expects (and deserves) whilst dealing on a day to day basis with highly anxious staff and colleagues. Top of their list was the following

1. Trying to be honest and transparent when there’s no news!
2. Staff who are angry at what’s happening to their jobs and take this out on their manager (i.e. them).
3. Colleagues doing more than they should, causing harm to their health and family life as a result of the hope that this will mean they’ll be passed over when the axe falls.
4. Being asked for reassurance when there is none.
5. Understanding that this is only the first phase of these public sector cuts, there’s worse to come

 These conversations are daunting for everyone. Managers attend workshops such as this Managing Change event hoping for some magic ointment which when applied will, as my mother would say, “izzy-whizzy” all our worries away. Oh for such a product! I too am of course intimidated by such expectations.

I know that these managers are all dedicated professions who want the best for their staff. However by dint of their position will be expected to play their role in making people redundant. We couldn’t make this disappear so we had to have another kind of conversation.

How were they coping?

Or more particularly what were they managing to provide the management service which was best for them, their staff and for the organisation in such difficult times when jobs, teams and even organisations may not survive. Once we got warmed up on this subject, the group was able to list all the things that they did which helped keep performance and morale up and stopped the anxiety perhaps getting even worse.

It was an impressive list, too long to quote here. Most memorable to me was the description of the daily bravery of managers making themselves available to staff, listening to their worries, dealing with their complaints and absorbing their frustrations, whilst all the time maintaining the boundaries necessary to their role – they are amongst the axe-wielders after all.

It is coping. Day to day ordinary bravery.

Comments