Dear Dr Bob,
Our trust is shortly introducing a Stand Up to Bullies campaign, the second in as many years. Spoiler: we've just been criticised for poor staff culture by inspectors. The thing is nothing is going to change.
We're obliged to fawn to our chief executive, a bright, charismatic woman who brooks no criticism. Colleagues who have challenged her have been pulled to one side and encouraged to ‘mind their tone'. And doctors here are still gods. Should I just suck it up?
Resigned.
Dear Resigned,
One in five NHS staff report having been bullied in the last year with one in 10 saying their manager is to blame. Sadly, you're more likely to be bullied if you're junior, a member of an ethnic minority, bi-sexual, gay or disabled. But you're right to identify the importance of the people at the top – they set the tone and define, either directly or by implication, the acceptable behaviours.
Organisations that foster a positive culture do so by encouraging people to speak up when they see or experience unacceptable behaviour. But what is acceptable needs to be both defined and lived. Words and actions need to be aligned and demonstrated by leaders. If leaders are value-led, a positive culture will grow. Staff need to have the confidence to challenge and speak out.
It doesn't sound like that's happening where you are. The time to address it is now, before the new policy is launched. Senior leaders need to have the time to consider the impact of another failed policy, which will happen if the gap between rhetoric and reality is gaping. The key appears to be recognising that bullying and harassment are going to be a part of most workplace cultures, to assume that you'll have to deal with them and to have procedures to do so. It's also important to recognise its nature – it's everything from eye-rolling when colleagues speak to brow-beating or worse. Any behaviour that undermines an individual's ability to do their work confidently in a safe environment is potentially bullying.
But until it's led from the top, it's not going to happen.
