Page 4 of 6 APPENDIX 1 – MANAGING STRESS AT WORK: A COMPETENCY FRAMEWORK FOR LINE MANAGERS MANAGEMENT COMPETENCIES FOR PREVENTING AND REDUCING STRESS AT WORK Management Standard Competency Examples of Positive Manager Behaviour Examples of negative manager behaviour Demands Managing workload and resources  Bringing in additional resource to handle workload.  Aware of team members’ ability.  Monitoring team workload.  Refusing to take on additional work when team is under pressure.  Refusing to take on additional work when team is under pressure.  Delegating work unequally to team.  Creating unrealistic deadlines.  Showing lack of awareness of how much pressure team are under.  Asking for tasks without checking workload first. Demands Dealing with work problems  Following through problems on behalf of employees.  Developing action plans.  Breaking problems down into parts.  Dealing rationally with problems.  Listening but not resolving problems.  Being indecisive about decisions,  Not taking problems seriously.  Assuming problems will sort themselves out. Demands Process planning and organisation  Reviewing processes to see if work can be improved.  Asking themselves ‘could this be done better?’  Prioritising future workloads.  Working proactively.  Not using consistent processes.  Sticking too rigidly to rules and procedures.  Panicking about deadlines rather than planning. Control Empowerment  Trusting employees to do their work.  Giving employees responsibility.  Steering employees in a direction rather than imposing direction.  Managing ‘under a microscope’.  Extending so much authority employees feel a lack of direction.  Imposing ‘my way is the only way’. Control Participative approach  Provides opportunity to air views.  Provides regular team meetings.  Prepared to listen to employees.  Knows when to consult employees and when to make a decision.  Not listening when employee asks for help.  Presenting a final solution.  Making decisions without consultation. Control Development  Encourages staff to go on training courses.  Provides mentoring and coaching.  Regularly reviews development.  Helps employees to develop in role.  Refuses requests for training.  Not providing upward mobility in the job.  Not allowing employees to use their new training.