The vital role of line managers in preventing and reducing stress at work Emma Donaldson-Feilder Affinity Health at Work

Session outline Why focus on line managers and competencies? Which manager behaviours are most important? How can you integrate management competencies for managing stress into practice?

Why focus on line managers and competencies?

Which manager behaviours are most important?

How can you integrate management competencies for managing stress into practice?

Why focus on line managers? Managers’ behaviour is vital: Direct impact: potential source of stress/well-being for their staff ‘ Gate-keeper’ role: influence their staff’s exposure to sources of stress Managers play key role in identifying and tackling stress in their staff Managers are key to achieving the HSE Management Standards

Managers’ behaviour is vital:

Direct impact: potential source of stress/well-being for their staff

‘ Gate-keeper’ role: influence their staff’s exposure to sources of stress

Managers play key role in identifying and tackling stress in their staff

Managers are key to achieving the HSE Management Standards

Why identify key manager behaviours/competencies Understand what manager behaviours are important for preventing and reducing stress Translate stress management into accessible language and people management terminology: Provide managers with clear guidance on behaviours to adopt Enable integration of stress management into employers’ selection, appraisal and training processes

Understand what manager behaviours are important for preventing and reducing stress

Translate stress management into accessible language and people management terminology:

Provide managers with clear guidance on behaviours to adopt

Enable integration of stress management into employers’ selection, appraisal and training processes

Rigorous research process Interviews with nearly 400 managers and employees + workshops with HR/OH/H&S Produced framework with 19 behavioural themes 2. Questionnaire survey with over 800 managers and employees + further workshops Refined framework to 4 broad themes, with 12 sub-themes Testing whether we can help managers use and develop the behaviours identified Can help managers change behaviour

Interviews with nearly 400 managers and employees + workshops with HR/OH/H&S

Produced framework with 19 behavioural themes

Testing whether we can help managers use and develop the behaviours identified

Can help managers change behaviour

Management competencies for preventing and reducing stress Competency Sub-Competency Respectful and responsible: Managing emotions and having integrity Integrity Managing emotions Considerate approach Managing and communicating existing and future work Proactive work management Problem solving Participative/empowering Managing the individual within the team Personally accessible Sociable Empathetic engagement Reasoning/Managing difficult situations Managing conflict Use of organisational resources Taking responsibility for resolving issues

Management competencies for preventing & reducing stress vs general people management Management competencies for preventing & reducing stress General management competencies

Overlap with management/ leadership models Competency Sub-competency TLQ (Pub) TLQ (Priv) MLQ 5X LBDQ Great 8 Respectful and Responsible: Managing emotions and having integrity Integrity      Managing Emotions      Considerate Approach      Managing and Communicating existing and future work Proactive work management      Problem Solving      Participative/empowering      Reasoning/ Managing difficult situations Managing Conflict      Use of organisational resources      Taking responsibility for resolving issues      Managing the individual within the team Personally accessible      Sociable      Empathetic engagement     

Management competencies for preventing & reducing stress vs general people management General management competencies Management competencies for preventing & reducing stress

Intervention research findings Provision of upward feedback + workshop can help managers change behaviour Most helpful for those with development needs (‘ineffective’) Organisations need to: Provide upward feedback Provide additional support Help managers overcome barriers Integrate with organisational practices Achieve buy-in

Provision of upward feedback + workshop can help managers change behaviour

Most helpful for those with development needs (‘ineffective’)

Organisations need to:

Provide upward feedback

Provide additional support

Help managers overcome barriers

Integrate with organisational practices

Achieve buy-in

Integrating the findings: into HR/mgt development In management/leadership development and appraisal processes, framework can be used to: Dovetail into existing management development and develop new training programmes Integrate into manager induction programmes Provide guiding structure/checklist for other skills training (eg communication, delegation) Indicator tool questionnaire can provide insight via feedback – NB with support/coaching/ development, not stand-alone

In management/leadership development and appraisal processes, framework can be used to:

Dovetail into existing management development and develop new training programmes

Integrate into manager induction programmes

Provide guiding structure/checklist for other skills training (eg communication, delegation)

Indicator tool questionnaire can provide insight via feedback – NB with support/coaching/ development, not stand-alone

Integrating the findings: into stress mgt activity Use the competency framework to: Review and develop stress management (and other relevant) policies Inform the development of action plans Use the indicator tool questionnaire to: Provide individual diagnostic/information at the local level (next stage after stress risk assessment survey/help ‘tie-in’ managers) Tackle specific situations or scenarios e.g. ‘hot spots’ or particular stressors

Use the competency framework to:

Review and develop stress management (and other relevant) policies

Inform the development of action plans

Use the indicator tool questionnaire to:

Provide individual diagnostic/information at the local level (next stage after stress risk assessment survey/help ‘tie-in’ managers)

Tackle specific situations or scenarios e.g. ‘hot spots’ or particular stressors

Implications of the research for line managers Effective stress management not a separate activity: day-to-day basis behaviour Not single behaviour: complementary set of behaviours (depend on situation/ individual) Some things may do already, others may need to add to management approach: upward feedback helps understand which Can change behaviour, but there may be barriers to overcome Seek support from others

Effective stress management not a separate activity: day-to-day basis behaviour

Not single behaviour: complementary set of behaviours (depend on situation/ individual)

Some things may do already, others may need to add to management approach: upward feedback helps understand which

Can change behaviour, but there may be barriers to overcome

Seek support from others

Outputs so far and in future Published so far Research reports for phases 1, 2 and 3 Guides for HR and line managers Online self-report questionnaire Future outputs Online materials for managers and professionals Phase 4: case studies of integration Manager competency approach for managing return to work

Published so far

Research reports for phases 1, 2 and 3

Guides for HR and line managers

Online self-report questionnaire

Future outputs

Online materials for managers and professionals

Phase 4: case studies of integration

Manager competency approach for managing return to work

Session summary Why focus on line managers and competencies? Managers’ behaviour can cause/prevent stress and is vital for local level stress management Which manager behaviours are most important? 4 behavioural themes identified How can you integrate management competencies for managing stress into practice? Use framework and questionnaire in management development and stress management

Why focus on line managers and competencies?

Managers’ behaviour can cause/prevent stress and is vital for local level stress management

Which manager behaviours are most important?

4 behavioural themes identified

How can you integrate management competencies for managing stress into practice?

Use framework and questionnaire in management development and stress management

Link fest Guidance leaflets for managers and HR: www.cipd.co.uk/subjects/health/stress/_lnstrswrk.htm?IsSrchRes=1 Research reports : www.cipd.co/researchinsights http://www.hse.gov.uk/research/rrhtm/rr633.htm http://www.hse.gov.uk/research/rrhtm/rr553.htm Self-report questionnaire : http://www.hse.gov.uk/stress/mcit.htm

Thank-you for listening For further information, please contact: - Emma Donaldson-Feilder [email_address]