Does it 'pay' to be a caring boss?

Anecdotes about bad bosses abound – but does it pay to be a good, caring boss? According to the results of a recent business school study, the answer is a definite no. Comments from the freight industry tell a slightly different story. A survey by IMD business school shows that while most managers believe offering emotional support will benefit their company, the majority of employees simply view such shows of kindness as part of their superiors’ duties and have no intention of working any harder by way of saying thank you. Director at MetroMinds, Juliette Fourie, counters this study with a reference to a recent Financial Week article which states that there is a general lack of emotionally aware managers and leaders, which negatively affects motivation and productivity. “Employees will only truly appreciate a caring boss once they’ve been on the receiving end of one who is the opposite,” she says. Fourie says she gives a lot of leeway to her employees and returning the favour depends on the individual’s level of maturity and how far they want to test the boundaries. Is this sometimes abused by employees? Absolutely. And we tolerate it to keep the team in good spirit, especially when the company is small and there is heavy reliance on each other,” she says. Sue Wood, operations director at CargoCare Freight Services, believes it always pays to be a caring boss, as it enhances the relationship between the two individuals. “For managers to expect this expression of trust to instantly transform into bottom line results is unrealistic and demonstrates the kind of shallow agenda that workers suspect them of in the first place,” says Wood. Antoinette van Jaarsveld of ID Verification Services (IVS) agrees, provided that the team’s needs are placed ahead of those of the individual. In her experience, the leeway that staff receives at IVS does result in staff returning the favour by putting in extra effort into a project. “It’s a bit of a mixed bag,” argues industry consultant Michael Mans-Combrinck. He says leeway is linked to emotional adulthood and sense of responsibility. “It is very often the people who most deserve the support who won’t get it because they work within the company framework.” Therefore, rather than an ‘emotional’ reward such as extra time off, he suggests a more tangible one such as improved remuneration. Strict boundaries, on both sides, are the answer, says Charlotte Watson, training manager at International Liner Agencies. “I don’t believe in giving leeway to any staff member and I also do not expect any favours. A good manager leads by example and I believe it’s a slippery slope to losing your staff’s respect if you start a ‘you scratch my back, I’ll scratch yours’ campaign,” she says. INSERT & CAPTION 1 Expecting an expression of trust to instantly transform into bottom line results is unrealistic. - Sue Wood INSERT & CAPTION 2 Lack of emotional awareness by managers negatively affects motivation and productivity. – Juliette Fourie