We have developed a range of interventions to help organisations to maximise their potential. Where new and changing imperatives affect an organisation the old structures and processes within that organisation may no longer be appropriate or effective in delivering what is needed now.
Systems and thinking can all too easily become rigid and inflexible and there may be a need for a culture change where the major resource of any organisation – its people – are helped to free themselves of rigid and outmoded ways of thinking and acting and are encouraged to find the most effective ways of meeting current needs.
We deliver an innovative Culture-Change Workshop for organisations and Quality Improvement Workshops. In many cases these are linked to and reinforced by other ongoing interventions such as Action Learning Sets and coaching which collectively can have a major impact on those involved and on the ways their organisations function.
Much of this work is about leadership development – identifying and encouraging the qualities that staff need to lead individuals and teams.
In the Health Service, where we have developed much of this work, the key outcome is seen in terms of quality improvement; the patient’s experience in the hospital or surgery becomes easier, quicker, less fraught, more informed, and health professionals are better focussed on safety, care and outcome. These apparently simple and obvious objectives may involve new sorts of thinking and communication between professionals, new ways of organising work, new ways of using buildings, new ways of managing staff. But the transformations that result can lead to remarkable quality improvements.
The same techniques can be used with equal effect in other work settings - business, industry, local government, or education.
We are currently working (Summer 2010) with the Lake District National Park Authority to develop an updated appraisal system supported by appropriate appraisal training and also working with Senior Team Leaders administering 360s and assessments.