Self control

The issue of empathy as a skill gap in the portfolio of managers ('You're not as good a boss as you think', CM Feb, p9) raises an important point with regard to what skills managers actually need, as opposed to the ones they think they need. In our ongoing research on managers' behaviours ('What makes a superior management performer: the identification of key behaviours in superior construction managers' Construction Information Quarterly, 5, 2, pp 6-9) we have found that two behaviours are key indicators of a construction project manager's performance level.

Superior performers have higher levels of ability with regard to leadership (as per the industry stereotype, so no real surprise) and self-control, which is definitely not part of the stereotype. The self-control behavioural description includes negative evidence, such as losing control and exhibiting negative emotions, through to strongly positive evidence such as calming others in very stressful situations.

Thus the evidence to date indicates that the development of self control behaviour, with its close affinity to empathic behaviour does have a positive impact on individual and, by association, team performance. The problem then becomes one of how the industry is going to provide training or education to develop this skill. CPD units in Construction Empathy and Self Control, anyone?