Now that Managers are starting to really think about how to prevent psychosocial injury and harm, I’m noticing a lot of my coaching conversations are focused on supporting the manager to tread the fine line between behaviours that might be classified as ‘reasonable management action’ and those that are genuinely unsafe.
An effective leader
- Understands the capacity and potential of their reports, and supports them to challenge themselves to grow and learn without feeling like they’ve been thrown in the deep end without a life jacket.
- Understands and promotes the value of a strong feedback culture, providing clear, kind and actionable feedback without shaming, blaming or humiliating people for mistakes
- Is clear about expectations, and holds people to account for agreed deliverables and behaviours, whilst providing the required coaching and support to enable people to meet those agreements.
- Can express feelings and emotions to aid understanding and trust in a style, tone and setting that is not intimidating or provocative
- Seeks support from their Manager, People and Culture team or external coach to navigate what can be very nuanced and sensitive scenarios.
What other examples can you think of? I’d love to hear about your experiences?