I well remember the first time I was “corrected” by a manager. I was a young bank clerk and had received a transaction that was incorrect, from a much more senior person (a manager) in another branch of the bank. I sent the transaction back with a note asking for it to be corrected. Next thing I hear was my own manager shouting at me from his office. Apparently, I had upset his “good colleague” and I must now go and apologise in person! There was no discussion as to whether I was right or wrong about either the transaction or what I did – just “Go immediately and apologise!” I decided then and there that when I got to be a manager, I would treat my staff differently. Do you have some horror stories about being managed? Here are five that have been related to me by colleagues and friends and for those of you who are managers, some suggestions on how to avoid similar mistakes.

1. Jane worked as a waitress in a classy café. Her boss would not allow her or any of the other staff to talk to one another unless it was directly related to work. In fact if they did, they were often chastised in front of customers. As a further measure, he installed cameras supposedly for security, but which were used to monitor staff interaction. When Jane and her colleagues picked up their pay, they were always lectured about what they had done wrong during the week – there was never any praise. As you might expect, staff turnover was very high.

What’s the management principle that is being abused here? Well, there are many, but the key one is “Treat Staff As Entire People, Not Just Work Resources”. Worklife and life outside of work cannot be separated – the person is the same person, no matter where they are. As a manager, you employ the entire person, not just their mind and body during working hours. In fact, it is probably because of who they are as an entire person that they were originally hired. It’s often amazing what people can become if they are allowed to. Chances are, that the most memorable restaurant experience you have ever had was in a restaurant where Jane and her colleagues were allowed to be themselves, i.e. the full person.

2. Rob worked as a qualified, but junior physiotherapist in a busy hospital. He along with three of his colleagues were asked by their manager to discuss amongst themselves how they would like their rosters to be organised (i.e. who would do what shifts etc.) and put forward their proposal. Rob and his colleagues were very happy with their final choices as they had considered all of their personal and professional needs and felt that their decision was the best for all. A day before the new rosters were to start, Rob found out by rumour during his lunch break that their roster recommendations were not to be implemented. Worse still, the rosters decided on by their manager did not suit any of the four. This decision by their manager resulted in a severe lowering of morale within the team and created a culture of mistrust with management. In future, they would be very wary of any suggestion from management.

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