When did you realise you couldn’t “wing it” as a manager?

Good management isn’t just about getting good outcomes and results; it’s about leading with compassion and empathy. So when Jen Baines CMgr MCMI suffered trauma in the workplace, management at the law enforcement organisation she was working at should have pulled out all the stops to support Jen and her team. They didn’t. 

Instead, it was business as usual, with the expectation that employees should just get on with it. The role involved very long shifts in highly stressful, fast-paced environments. Not receiving badly needed support significantly impacted on the morale and mental health of Jen and her team. 

• “Managers owe it to others to reflect on the impact they are having”

“Ultimately, it made me lose my trust and loyalty for the organisation. I realised the staff and I just weren’t valued,” says Jen.

A painful epiphany

The experience demonstrated to Jen, who had only been a manager for a short while, what bad management looks like. She was determined not to make the same mistakes.