So I just got back from the NHS Strategic Workforce Forum event, here is what I learnt and I think you should listen...
Often when people go to an event like this as an exhibitor they talk about how great it was to talk to those in the industry, in this case lots of Chief People Officers in the NHS. The main aim of attending, whether we want to admit it or not, is to get them interested in what we have to offer. We are no different....but....
I was more interested in what those attending wanted to get out of the actual conference. Was it finding new solutions, was it meeting with colleagues to share ideas, was it to be informed during the talks?
There was one overriding answer to my question for NHS leaders. I asked, what is the one thing you hope to achieve by attending this event?
The answer was deafening...but let me tell you what the answer's weren't first, as my assumptions were wrong and maybe yours are too.
They weren't primarily looking for:
- New systems or services to make their lives easier.
- Best practice and successes from colleagues
- Validation on what they were doing
- More money to support their goals
Of course these were important to them, but not the most important, not the thing they valued above all else.
They wanted one thing...
Action.
The biggest hope was that those speaking from authority would clearly define the decisions that had been made and outline the action they needed to take to achieve them. Nearly everyone I spoke to said, we want a decision on the way forward, and when we get it, we will fall in line and make sure we deliver it. Even if the decision may not work out, they still wanted it.
So less talk, less theory, more practice. This suggests either decisions aren't being made, or they aren't communicated clearly. Either way it is lacking.
This resonates with me, and I have talked about risk aversion before in a recent article. I’d rather see decisions made—even if they're wrong—than have leaders too afraid to act. Rarely is the first answer the perfect one, but it's a foundation to learn from and iterate towards better solutions.
If leaders don't make decisions, how can they expect others to? You want people to take ownership, but they need to take ownership of your intent. Someone has to be the guide, they have to be the visionary. This for most at SWF was missing.
Whether you agree with their take or not, this is how senior NHS managers at this event are feeling. Rudderless. Now I also agree that these senior leaders need to be taking their own action, but It needs to be tied to goals, anchored in clear intent. Otherwise everyone is just pointing fingers at each other saying....'are you dealing with this'?
So, what's next? If the NHS is going to move forward, it will take bold decision-making and clear communication from its leaders. Waiting for perfect solutions is a risk in itself—it's time to act.
#management #innovation #actions #intent #risk #nhs
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