Management practices have a powerful impact on workforce wellbeing across all sectors. Research suggests a strong correlation between good management practices and psychological wellbeing, leading to positive working cultures and high levels of productivity. Conversely, poor or neglectful management practices are strongly correlated with negative outcomes such as bullying, burnout and ‘toxic’ work cultures. These negative outcomes are equally prevalent where management strategies are actively destructive or tyrannical, where they are simply passive or negligent.   

Researchers largely agree that good practice in this respect the approach often termed ‘transformational management’ in the literature. ‘Transformational management’ is characterised by  

• providing a positive, values- led role-model, 

• communicating a positive vision, alongside high expectations,  

• encouraging initiative and creative engagement with work 

• responding to the needs of individuals within a team, through active coaching, skills development, and compassion 

Unfortunately there are a number of obstacles to good management in the screen industries. These largely fall into three overlapping categories: professional identity, management training, and the structural and cultural context of most screen work. 

Most screen professionals do not see themselves as ‘managers. People find themselves promoted to these positions on the basis of their creative track record. They often have no meaningful preparation for their management responsibilities – whether in terms of their basic legal obligations or an understanding of ‘good work’ principles or organisational best practice.  

Until very recently, this has been practically non-existent in many areas of these industries. Where available, it has often been inaccessible to freelancers, who make up a high proportion of Heads of Department, Producers and other de factomanagers.  Freelancers are largely expected to fund their own training, and undertake it in unpaid time, and so are unlikely to engage unless they see clear career benefits. Employers, meanwhile, who are hiring most of their managers on short term contracts, have no motivation to invest in providing them with expensive training.  

With increasingly ambitious production briefs and ever-shrinking productions budgets, many managers feel they have neither the time nor the resource to engage with their team members’ welfare or development, while individuals on precarious contracts are not in a position to complain. Meanwhile those managers who do attempt to make adjustments to schedules or other production details in order to protect the well-being of their teams too often encounter resistance form their employers. 

At a cultural level, an ideology of exceptionalism is too often used to justify working practices  that would be deemed unacceptable in any other sector, while individual managers know they will win no brownie points for good management practice in an industry that does not value management skills.  

Our research identified a number of specific challenges to good management practices : 

• They find it impossible to clearly communicate goals to their teams when they themselves receive mixed messages from above.
   

• They struggle to give regular constructive feedback due to time constraints but also limited experience or training in this respect.
   

• They often feel they lack the necessary expertise to support individuals (under equal opportunities legislation, for example) – but even in areas where managers are more confident, they sometimes find their attempts to show consideration for their teams  thwarted by their own superiors. 
   

• Fair and open recruitment is logistically impossible on factual productions that are greenlit at the last minute with days to crew up – but at the same time a culture that supports a policy of hiring who you know makes it difficult to push back even where schedules allow and managers are minded to do so.
   

• Once hired, there is no room to work developmentally with team members given the combination of ever shorter  contracts and production pressures that require everyone to hit the ground running.
   

• Frazzled managers feel they have neither the time nor the expertise to engage in the kinds of timely conflict resolution within their teams that researchers have flagged as critical to avoiding bullying and the development of toxic working cultures.
   

• Effective performance management is rare. Lack of capacity in terms of either time of expertise meant that, for the most part managers find ways to work around poor performance until the end of an individual’s contract and simply don’t renew the contract or rehire them – with that individual kept completely in the dark as to why.

On a more positive note, the industry has seen a lot of positive developments in recent years, with a lot of powerful voices making the case for change. The Workwise initiative is one of these, offering a wider range of resources to professionals at all levels of the industry – and particularly for those who wish to make a positive impact on the wellbeing of others and on the sustainability of these great British industries through their management work. 

Research indicates that the following pro-active management strategies are particularly associated with maximising positive mental health outcomes and minimising bullying and harassment include: 

• Clear (and ongoing) communication of goals and challenges 

• Fair and equitable treatment – particularly in terms of recruitment and rates 

• Regular constructive feedback 

• A developmental approach to contracting and oversight 

• Timely resolution of conflicts within teams 

• Consideration and support for the needs of individuals 

• Effective performance management where required 

While none of these are straightforward to deploy in a complex working environment, hopefully mangers and prospective managers will find some resources on this site to help you. And where you don’t, please get in touch and tell the Workwise team what it is you need to be a good manager in your areas of the screen industries.