Does compassionate leadership, empowered management , a fully engaged workforce , a senior management team committed to employee health and well-being  and making a reality of EDI in an organisation that takes its corporate social responsibility seriously inevitably result in an organisation that is inefficient, uncompetitive and in need of a more business like culture?

The question seems relevant because whilst organisations are encouraged to adopt a compassionate management culture, which invests in and values its employees the disparaging reference to a cuddly chief executive and an organisation that is more like a social club indicates many insiders are sceptical.

I can understand some of this scepticism which doesn’t all come from the traditional  “managers should manage employees should get on with it” , school. Managers see the leadership bending over backwards to listen to employees and fear the result will be an organisation run to meet the convenience of staff not the needs of the customers or the efficiency and competitiveness of the business.

They see the wishes of other partner agencies being given a higher priority than their own as the leadership seeks to demonstrate their partnership credentials. They struggle with absenteeism as HR calls for a softer more caring approach. They wrestle with the day to day practical issues raised by senior managements rhetoric on EDI.

Whilst their concerns are understandable they are misplaced. The so called “ cuddly Chief executive” didn’t get to this position without being able to be brutally business like when the situation called for it. Having Emotional Intelligence, doesn’t mean being soft it means having insight into how your behaviour affects others. Being compassionate doesn’t mean you are weak or a sucker for a sob story it means you are sympathetic to an individuals personal circumstances and not ridged or inflexible in your response.

Much of the concern managers have about employee engagement is unfounded it doesn’t mean the leadership is any less  interested in managers views. After all the leadership is also empowering managers. Which should  be remembered when considering the strategy for partnership working. And yes the leadership does think employees are the organisations most important resource which is why the emphasis on EDI and Wellbeing.