What makes a bully?
In general I think bullies are cowards. Most academic papers identify ‘inadequacy’ as a root cause.
People… no good at their job, low achievers, poor communicators, frustrated, angry, facing failure.
When Steve Barclay was appointed as health secretary, some of us knew what we were getting.
The editor of the HSJ spelled it out;
‘…never has a politician arrived in the post of health secretary trailing a worse reputation among NHS leaders…
… a real nightmare, vindictive, arrogant, a bully, hostile … a micro-manager of the wrong things…’
In April the Guardian reported;
‘… Six separate sources raised concerns about Barclay’s behaviour, which one said had in part … resulted in a lot of unhappy people at the Department of Health…
‘… officials in [BB’s] private office had “borne the brunt” of his behaviour…’
‘… Whitehall sources alleged that he had regularly “blasted” staff in front of others in the office… was “constantly angry”, which was… very difficult … for officials, who now don’t want to have meetings with him…’
The complaints were never followed through… I’ll leave you to be the judge.
What makes him the man he is?
His wiki page would very likely put him in a category that HR professionals would call ‘Ghiselli’s hobo syndrome’ and not a great bet for a proper job.
Not uncommon in politics.
Barclay did an 18month stint as a gap year soldier. Served for 5 months and moved on.
Went to uni, became a solicitor, moved on to financial services and moved on.
I can’t see a career path.
Moved on to politics. Worked his way to attention by running political dinners at the Carlton Club and landed a cushty-safe-seat. Since which time he’s been comfortably employed by the tax payer… a proper job?
The snakes and ladders of politics, Brexit, Covid. Havoc wreaked by Bojo, who decimated the front benches.
The A-team gave way to the B-team, Truss-team and now we have a fag-end-of-the-alphabet-team.
The principle qualification seems the ability to go on the telly and defend the indefensible.
BB changed allegiances and ended up health secretary.
For me, it’s a career flitting around and fitting in.
Probably, out classed and out gunned by the people he is responsible for. Is there a link between personality traits, Hobo-Syndrome and workplace behaviour?
Burdened with problems and unable to cope? No experience, training or hinterland to call on? No reservoir of relevant skills?
Education but no expertise? Apart from the Carton Club’s Dinner money, no obvious experience in managing anything, never mind our biggest public service and its 1.2m people and…
… it is that, that has him in trouble again. People.
In a stupid and reckless letter to NHS leaders, Bully-Boy ordered them to stop employing people to manage diversity, equality and inclusion.
What ever his foibles and prejudices might be, he seems oblivious to the wide ranging responsibilities the NHS has under the Conservative’s Equalities Act 2010 and the public sector’s Equality Duty?
To say nothing of the NHS Constitution (Para 1).
The provisions impact the public and staff… involve training, development and compliance procedures across the whole of the NHS and is a clear, professional role in itself that can’t be left to existing managers to ‘do, on top of the day job’.
A position rightly and robustly defended by NHSE chair, Richard Meddings.
Particularly…
… at a time when the NHS is desperately short of managers. Fewer than any comparable health system, struggling with strikes and as near as damn-it 8m people waiting for help.
The Editor of the HSJ sharpened his pencil;
’… in writing directly to NHS organisations effectively instructing them to stop recruiting to equality, diversity and inclusion roles … [BB]… has taken a step which is as unacceptable as it is unwise…’
In fact, Bully-Boy has no power to stop trusts recruiting Father Christmas if they so wish, however BB threatens in his letter;
‘… should organisations wish to take a different path then they should be willing to justify in public why such roles add more value than additional medical or healthcare staff…’
Most equivalence arguments are the last resort of numpties and if that’s not bullying I don’t know what is.
It’s clear to me; Barclay lacks experience, is a poor leader, convulsed in surviving in the seedier side of politics and is an inappropriate person to lead the NHS through this punishing time.
In my opinion, he’s made a total mess of industrial relations and leads the NHS with all the deftness and elan of a JCB.
The Tories know they’re floundering, looking for political solid ground.
BB thinks diversity and equality isn’t worth investing in? Actually, as part of levelling up, it’s the only thing to invest in.
There could be an election in about 300 days.
The electorate can have a conservative government, run by Keir Starmer…
… they don’t need the odour of jingoism, the bullying bellicose and the whiff of ethnocentricity, that comes with the Tories.
News and Comment from Roy Lilley
Contact Roy – please use this e-address roy.lilley@nhsmanagers.net
Reproduced at thetrainingnet.com by kind permission of Roy Lilley.
