Psychology for leaders
Stress is an increasing problem at work and coaching can be a great help, said Kim Morgan, managing director of Barefoot Coaching.
Managers are not taught enough psychology, was the message Kim Morgan, managing director of Barefoot Coaching, gave to delegates at the London Vet Show.
It is now accepted that your direct manager has a huge (up to 70 per cent) effect on how you feel at work and this can have a direct effect on your performance.
There are six main styles of management: coercive, visionary, affiliation, democratic, pacesetting and coaching and it is important to use the right style at the right time - even if, as a manager, you veer towards one particular management style. Good leaders need to know their own management default style and be aware of how this affects the people they lead.
Stress is an increasing problem at work and coaching can be a great help to people who are stressed. Stress can be very debilitating, causing ‘all or nothing’ thinking, closed mindsets and a ‘win or lose’ mentality - none of which help in a work situation.
It has been found that just giving people some attention will help to reduce their stress. Giving each person attention at the beginning of team meetings by providing them with three minutes to say what they wish to say has been found to be highly productive.
Praise and appreciation are basic human needs and if given will help to motivate most individuals. In the same way we are far more likely to do something if we 'own' it rather than just being told to 'do' it. We are programmed not to like change so just telling someone to do something is unlikely to be successful
Motivating people should not be viewed as a ‘one size fits all’ exercise, Kim said. It is important to find out what it is that motivates them and then provide the appropriate motivation and rewards. For most people, achievement, affiliation and influence are the most important motivational triggers and it is important for the manager/ leader to find out what it is that will motivate each individual to move towards these goals.
Although some people are highly motivated, others fall into the trap of the self fulfilling expectancy - that is, they get what they think they will get. The aim of the leader in these cases is to try to change this kind of thinking and stop the individual from limiting their potential. It always helps to try to notice the good things that people are doing and to give praise, which in turn will help to raise their expectations of what they can really achieve.
Kim's final advice was that leaders should ask themselves what small changes they can implement, that will make the biggest difference to their organisation. It is often the small change that has the greatest impact.
RCVS Knowledge has welcomed Professor Peter Cockcroft as editor-in-chief for Veterinary Evidence. 
