Do managers cause health problems at work?

A recent management article suggests that managers with poor social skills actually cause stress to their subordinates through their approach to handling staff. The need for approachable, sensitive and tactful skills are recognised. The article suggests that when recruiting managers a rigorous selection procedure is used, including psychometric tests, and it is the task competencies which receive more recognition than social or interpersonal skills, which may be of equal or greater importance. Poor people management skills cause undue stress to staff and are responsible for low performance. 


It is also suggested that emotional issues in employees' personal lives are likely to impact on their performance and that this should be recognised rather than ignored. 


Both of these situations require appropriate and sensitive management skills which may be lacking in many managers today.