If you’ve ever seen an emergency medical team in action – or just watched the TV programme ‘ER’ – this question is never far away. This was Tracy Hampson’s dilemma. As General Manager at Huddersfield Nuffield Hospital, Tracy had to be sure that the Senior Management team was working as a fully coordinated and cohesive unit. This need took on greater significance when the Chief Executive announced that Nuffield Hospitals were to become “simpler, faster and fitter” – a shift in culture that had to be achieved alongside a drive for ever stronger, stakeholder partnerships.
Tracey turned to The Leading Business (Lfi) for help. Her brief to Anne was ‘to embed the right mindset amongst Senior Functional Managers’. Anne recommended a development programme in leadership skills and techniques, implemented in three phases:
- Phase One – Senior Managers defined preferred work styles, identified others’ expectations of them and considered group dynamics.
- Phase Two – Managers’ thinking styles were assessed via a ‘Lifestyles’© profile, with results shared within group and debated individually with Anne.
- Phase Three – The whole Senior Management Team came together to assess progress and ‘top up’ leadership and management skills, a practice that is repeated every three months.
Tracy Hampson is “delighted” with programme. ” Managers have a much clearer understanding of their role, which empowers them to act.” Further endorsement comes from the Hospital’s Investors in People Assessor, who considers Nuffield’s leadership and staff development programme is one of the most robust he has witnessed, putting the Hospital “ahead of the game”.