The Dominic Raab Report - diary of a bully or management 101?
It’s fair to say that the report into the inquiry on allegations of bullying by Dominic Raab certainly makes for a lively read - whatever your political persuasion.
As part of our work with clients we are lucky to work with loads of different types of people and on many different and sometimes difficult projects - from company strategy to vision setting, team roles to equality, diversity and inclusion - we see leaders at all levels in every setting.
In this blog we have decided to try and leave the politics behind for a moment and look at the situation purely from a work perspective. We think this changes the questions that should be asked and we believe (at best!) that this is a clear case of the wrong person having been in the job.
Some Context
Until Friday, Raab was not only an MP, but also a member of the cabinet as a result of his roles as justice secretary and deputy PM - he is a very senior politician.
The report produced by Adam Tolley KC upholds two allegations of bullying and also finds that Raab had behaved in a manner that he described as ‘aggressive’ and ‘intimidating’ towards some of the civil servants he was working with.
Raab resigned on Friday this week, but alarmingly, his resignation letter doesn’t contain much in the way of contrition - in fact he stated that ‘In setting the threshold for bullying so low, this inquiry has set a dangerous precedent.’
Tolley, however, found that Raab’s behaviour on occasion was ‘intimidating’ and ‘unreasonably and persistently aggressive’ during some meetings. Tolley also found that Raab’s conduct ‘...involved an abuse or misuse of power in a way that undermines or humiliates.’
Our take on leadership and the questions raised by the Raab inquiry
We are just going to say it - we don’t think the bar for bullying has been set low!
In our view - words like aggressive, intimidating and humiliating shouldn’t EVER be needed to describe the actions of people at work. Anyone who is acting in this way either is actually a bully as far as we are concerned, or is completely in over their head and shouldn’t be doing the job they are doing. Whether it’s over promotion or plain old bullying, this is on the individual (or their managers) and never on the poor people who have to bear the brunt of this behaviour.
The reason for our strength of opinion comes from our years of experience in working with other people and our understanding of how the behaviour of individuals at work can affect those around them.
We all have choices about how to behave, and we can’t think of a single example of where belittling or humiliating another person achieves anything productive or positive. We often talk about management styles, and even the dictatorial style is saved for extreme situations like emergencies - what we are talking about here is another level entirely.
Conversely, we could give 100s of examples where treating people with dignity, respect and honesty helps to foster strong working relationships and environments that are conducive to producing superb work and really high levels of morale for everyone involved.
How can these situations be avoided in the workplace - our top tips
Look out for the signs that someone has been overpromoted - these can include signs of stress, short temperedness or aggression, and not being fully aware of all aspects of their job. Think about when Raab was Brexit secretary and said he had underestimated the importance of the Dover - Calais crossing… that was a serious red flag!
Take reports of poor behaviour seriously - if members of your team feel strongly enough to come to you, it means that they are being seriously affected and that they need your support. There is almost never a case for leaving things along and hoping they will improve of their own accord - they won’t.
Set clear expectations and offer support as required. Sometimes, it takes a fresh pair of eyes to see what is really going on inside a business, and activities like team role workshops or strategy days can achieve a multitude of positive things. They can bring the whole team together and give a real sense of purpose and they can also be used to help you deliver consistent messaging on expectations and boundaries. Finally, they are a brilliant way to get everyone in a room together to get a true feel of how the group works together and if there are issues to address.
We hope you’ve enjoyed reading our blog - let us know what you think! We love to chat so please get in touch with us if you would like some help with addressing any of the points we have raised.
