Our Shared Agenda

Earlier I mentioned the work that we did at Guys & Tommies that led to the creation of a Performance & Planning Process that became known as the Trust's Shared Agenda. The achievement of corporate objectives depended on the skills and personal competencies of individuals across the Trust and especially those of its Senior Cadre.

 

In addition to their technical expertise in their chosen profession, be it surgery, nursing, finance, etc., those in the Senior Cadre each needed skills in some or all of the following areas:

 

• strategic planning, culture and change management

• business and marketing planning and forecasting

• project planning and management

• operational management and process re-engineering

• negotiating and managing contracts and service level agreements

• human resource planning and management

• revenue and capital planning and budgetary control

• managing information system and associated technology

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Many of these skills are generic and most, if not all, are probably needed by you and others in senior positions.

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Whilst developing the planning process, the Hay Group consultants and I also identified core competencies which would also lead to effective or outstanding performance.  The different emphases of different jobs in the Senior Cadre meant that different people needed different competencies but - across the Senior Cadre - the core competencies were:

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Team Player - works co-operatively as a member of a team committed to overall team objectives rather than own interests

 

The Trust needed to provide fully integrated services, and also to realise value from team working, where the totality of what the team delivered was greater than the sum of individual contributions. The Senior Cadre needed to inspire subordinates and to set and hold individuals and teams accountable for the achievement of high standards of performance.

 

In addition to leading part of the Trust, individuals in the Senior Cadre also worked as members of a variety of teams and needed to see themselves as part of the Trust as a whole.  Each needed to be capable of taking decisions as effective team members rather than solely as representatives of their Directorate or functional interest.

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Achievement Focus - sets and achieves goals, makes continuous improvements, and aims to be at the 'leading edge'

 

The Senior Cadre needed to set and meet challenging standards for quality and service levels, and to achieve 'leading edge' practice in all areas of the Trust’s work.  Intellectual analysis was not sufficient.  Effective implementation also demanded a bias for action, the rapid taking of decisions and the energy, tenacity and resilience to overcome obstacles.

 

Judgement - develops accurate, objective assessments of what needs to be done even in complex and difficult situations

 

Those in the Senior Cadre would face many complex, multi-dimensional problems demanding high level analytical skills to make sense of, and consider, the implications of complex and often ambiguous information.  Difficult, often emotionally charged problems would demand objectivity and judgement.  

 

Strategic Perspective - takes a wider view and plans ahead, and aligns own actions with the Trust strategy

 

Those in the Senior Cadre needed a strategic perspective so that “big picture” thinking, that has breadth, a focus on the future and perspective, gave clarity and direction to planning effort and the delivery of services.  They needed to step back from operational imperatives so that they could see and help others to understand where the Trust was going and what was critical to success.  They would seek to ensure that resources and effort were aligned with Trust strategy.

 

Communication - communicates clearly with others, willing and able to listen, share and ensure the free flow of information

 

The Trust was a complex organisation with complex interdependencies between different parts of the organisation, partners and stakeholders.  Those in the Senior Cadre needed to ensure the free flow of information.  This meant actively seeking views and listening to others at all levels in the Trust, and ensuring that information got to the right people at the right time so that people knew what was going on and had the information they needed to ensure that action was coherent.  Especially at times of uncertainty, the quality of communication would have a critical bearing on staff morale, and the extent to which people felt that they were part of shaping change.

 

Outward Focus - has a deep understanding of developments elsewhere and capitalises on best practice to meet the needs of patients and other customers both inside and outside the Trust

 

In their drive to optimise the Trust’s services and performance, those in the Senior Cadre needed to have a sure grasp on what was going on in their area, elsewhere in the Trust, and outside. They needed to be able to anticipate and capitalise on new developments whether originating from within Guy’s & St. Thomas’ or externally.  By benchmarking good practice and keeping a finger on the pulse, they could significantly enhance the quality of decision making, create superior innovative approaches and leverage resources to provide the best possible service.

 

Influencing Others - able to persuade, convince and influence others to a point of view or to give support

 

In a complex organisation such as the Trust, a wide range of people across boundaries need to be persuaded and convinced. Those in the Senior Cadre needed to work across the Trust with individuals and groups within and outside any formal line relationship.  They therefore needed to be able to positively influence others so as to achieve their objectives.  At times this would include challenging others or received wisdom.  The same went for many external groups and bodies that they may need to be able to work alongside.

 

Managing Diversity - recognises and optimises diverse contributions

 

Those in the Senior Cadre needed to ensure that the Trust realised the value of diverse contribution, and that expertise or distinctive approaches were drawn into the drive to provide a portfolio of services that were distinctly those of Guy’s and St. Thomas’ and at the 'leading edge'.  This meant that they needed to encourage the mutual recognition and valuing of expertise across the Trust, and that there was genuinely collaborative working towards clearly articulated and shared goals.

 

Stakeholder Awareness - understands and works with stakeholder interests to achieve positive outcomes for the Trust

 

In the Trust, as in all large organisations, individuals and groups compete for resources, for attention, for influence.  There will be differences of opinion as to priorities and objectives to be attained.  Clashes of values and beliefs occur frequently.  All these factors lead to the formation of pressure groups, vested interests, cabals, personal rivalries, personality clashes, hidden deals and bonds of alliance.

 

Those in the Senior Cadre needed to be aware of these and be able to work effectively in this environment, understanding who were the key influencers, the basis for their influence, who needed to be involved in decision making, and how to work with different interests to get things done.

 

Leadership - inspires individuals and teams to achieve high standards of performance and personal development

 

However complex the Trust may have been, however many interfaces that existed, the most powerful influence on the performance of the Trust or any part thereof was the leadership capabilities of those in charge.  In such a multi-faceted organisation, those in the Senior Cadre needed to set high standards for performance and build skills and capabilities of those in their team.  In such a multi-cultural organisation, they also needed be sensitive to and respect cultural differences and individuality.

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And here's a leadership model that the NHS Leadership Academy produced a few years after our work at Guy's & Tommies. I think that it's an excellent consolidation of much that I have written about in this website and well worth taking a look at whether or not you're in healthcare. I'd suggest that the ideas work in any setting.

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