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June 16, 2010

Recruit leaders in haste, repent at leisure

Beilby’s new psychologist and HR Management Consultant Annika Demasi says employees are driven to please those individuals they respect and whose opinions they value. When leaders lose sight of fulfilling both corporate and individual expectations, employees are known to become restless and distracted.

Interpersonal skills are a frequently underrated component of what makes a good leader, particularly in the male dominated mining industries of Western Australia where the focus is typically locked into increased productivity at reduced costs.

“Maximising financial outcome is a powerful driver, particularly in the resources industry. When that happens the company’s recognition of the value of ‘people skills’ may fall away. I often get called in when things go wrong,” Annika explains.

A typical example of when things go wrong is when senior executives clash and a relationship deteriorates to the point where performance is affected. The working environment can become toxic and employees become distracted and sometimes distressed by their manager’s behaviour. 

“People’s egos are fragile and to focus only on interpersonal issues between two or more people can make the situation worse. In one recent particular situation, I customised an innovative approach to support the entire team, with the result each team member re-engaged with the company values and goals, without undue irritation of the pre-existing tension,” Annika says.

People who are intuitive are sensitive to the softer skills of people management and use a sophisticated tool set that consists of being ‘hard on the issues, soft on the person’. “Fundamentally, it’s about having the right people in the right places and if people are good at what they do, then the right results will follow,” says Annika.

Ignoring bad behaviour among leaders will only make matters worse as complacency may spill into the culture of the company. Quite simply, if people at the top don’t speak up and manage poor behaviour, then it’s implicit that it’s okay for those behaviours to take place, explains Annika.

Businesses need people with strong interpersonal skills to encourage collaborative team working and deliver outstanding customer service. Reputations grow from the inside out, and if your employees think well of the way the business is lead, so will other people.


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