Succession planning is a key task in most organisations and it can play a crucial role in helping to change the culture in organisations which are trying to develop new ways of thinking and working.
Summer 2010:
- We are part way through a series of Development Centres for Alder Hey Children's NHS Foundation Trust supporting the organisation to select clinical leaders and general managers to head up new business units.
- Earlier this year we were recommissioned for the second year to design and deliver the development centres to select participants on the Great Ormond Street Hospital's 'Developing Leadership Potential' programme.l
"We have found working with Fiona Reed Associates a really productive experience. Their understanding of the NHS and our objectives has led to the DLPP becoming one of the blue riband learning events within our prospectus. They have worked continuously with us to ensure the programme develops and continues to meet our needs, whilst ensuring we have some hard measurements by which to evaluate its impact." Geoff Speed - Head of Training and Development, Great Ormond Street Hospital
We have extensive experience of designing and delivering both assessment and development centres. Assessment Centres are primarily concerned with identifying key competencies and finding the right staff who demonstrate experience of those competencies or who show evidence of the potential to develop them. It is an evolved form of selection process. Development Centres do the same but go a bit further in terms of highlighting the development needs of staff and identifying their training needs and suitability for future career development. The process involves feedback to participants and the experience of taking part can in itself be a valuable intervention, raising awareness, clarifying perceptions and needs and heightening aspirations.
"The assessment Centre conducted for The Health Foundation Leadership Fellows Award promoted a forum for learning and development in its own right. The assessment centre was slick and, whilst daunting, the topics from the presentation helped indidviduals to relax and get to know others around them. Individuals were split into small groups which lessoned the stress yet maintained the sense that a selection event was in progress. Group work and individual interviews were conducted professionally and I felt I was able to demonstrate my abilities. Overall I came away feeling whether I was selected or not, learning had occurred and it was not wasted time. The timely feedback of results has a strength."
Rebecca Pulford, Head of Nursing, Colchester Hospital