We created and delivered a tailored management development programme of training for South Sefton and Southport and Formby CCGs, designed to support the adoption of best practices in managing and leading.

Background

South Sefton and Southport and Formby CCGs requested MLCSU’s Organisational Development (OD) services to improve leadership and management skills within their organisations. The aim was to provide critical understanding of theory and practical application of key aspects of being a manager and a leader, focusing on compassion, staff wellbeing, motivation, achieving results and managing people remotely.

Action

We created a tailored management development programme of training, designed to support the adoption of best practices in managing and leading others. There was a great emphasis on soft skills, such as communication and empathy, which enable better teamwork and more progressive relationships with the people they manage.

The programme was delivered as a virtual package of six web-based sessions covering:

• Management and leadership – motivate and engage your staff
• Effective communication and difficult conversations
• New starters induction, staff development and coaching
• Performance management
• HR policy overview
• Resilience and wellbeing.

All training sessions were delivered jointly by OD and HR experts, to ensure balance between legal framework and soft skills, required to build strong and high-performing teams.

Impact

The management development programme received overwhelming positive feedback from participants and the CCG’s senior leadership team.

All delegates agreed that the structure, content and delivery of the programme were excellent.

The implementation of the programme and the training of all managers resulted in:

• Creating a culture of compassioned leadership, and highly-engaged and motivated staff
• An understanding of work pressures so that those can be managed effectively
• Better communication and engagement at team level
• Focus on strategic goals, objectives and benefits, ensuring they are clear and optimised
• Developing more resilient leaders capable to manage change and uncertainty
• Equipping all managers with the skills and knowledge to manage in a virtual environment.

“It all really worked and showed perspective from both sides – staff and management ”

“I found the whole course excellent; it makes you think about how to have those (difficult) conversations”

“The whole course was really informative, and I will apply what I have learnt”

“I found the content to be useful and it is a good foundation to develop my coaching skills”

– Feedback from management development training attendees