Article: Can Personal Brands Beat Stereotypes? Tuesday 09 October 2018 Share Share to LinkedIn Share to Facebook Share via email Unsupportive bosses make the mental health effects of understaffing worse Feeling overworked? A new study has looked at the effect of managers’ behaviour on understaffed teams. Researchers from the University of Salford in the UK, and University of Waterloo, in Canada, have found evidence that having an emotionally intelligent manager is crucial when employee numbers are down. The team asked 800 employees and their bosses from four organisations about their experiences of working in an understaffed environment. A report in the Journal of Occupational Health Psychology showed 80% of the individuals described the experience as stressful. Not All Managers Show Compassion More surprisingly, not all managers in the study showed care and emotional attention to their teams. In situations where understaffing was caused by a lack of skills, managers were supportive. In contrast, leaders displayed less empathy when the teams were merely short on numbers. Many studies have highlighted the impact of showing emotional intelligence in the workplace, as shown in this CMI Insights post: five reasons we need to show emotion in the boardroom. Professor Kirk Chang, the understaffing study’s lead researcher, has explained: “[A lack of emotional support] resulted in more stressful situations for employees, potentially leading to lower productivity and other issues associated with a stressful work environment, such as increased burnout.” This is a business risk, Chang has explained: “Ultimately the company will suffer in the long run, as staff go off sick, or leave the company, potentially making understaffing even worse. Although understaffing causes stress and recently has become a norm in [many] workplaces, managers can still help.” In this anonymous personal story previously reported by CMI Insights, one manager explained their own mental health problems were affected by a lack of understanding from superiors who simply told them to “keep [their] chin up”. The writer recommended ways for managers to show emotional intelligence in the workplace including: researching conditions and their symptoms; arranging regular meetings; allowing flexible working; and monitoring stress levels. The Quality of Working Life report from CMI has other tips for best practice. Image: Shutterstock Like this article? Why not share it. Share to LinkedIn Share to Facebook Share via email Topic: “It’s a miracle I survived”: one manager’s journey from crisis to Chartered success A near-death experience with Covid resulted in David Tazzini-Lloyd CMgr FCMI turning to CMI Read article Article Topic: Highlights – 9 July Psychological safety first: how culture can strengthen defences, teams and the future Read article Article Topic: Productivity Be careful not to misuse the term ‘workaholic’ The difference between work-life integration and workaholism must be identified Read article Article Topic: Workplace Culture Cyber attacks: Don’t point the finger Good managers make people feel comfortable to report when they click on a malicious link Read article Article Article Our extensive range of articles are designed to keep you in the loop with all the latest management and leadership best practice, research and news. Members See More CMI Members have access to thousands of online learning and CPD resources. Learn more about our membership benefits Join The Community CMI offers a variety of flexible membership solutions, tailored to your needs. Find out more and get involved in the CMI community today.