Developing our leaders in the future

Leadership, complexity and the mental health professional. A report on some approaches to leadership training

BACKGROUND

Psychiatrists commonly take on a range of leadership roles. These responsibilities are complex because of an environment which is ever-changing, lack of training and competition between disciplines.

AIMS

This article outlines some of the issues facing the psychiatrist within the multidisciplinary team and describes a leadership programme initiated in the West Midlands.

METHOD

A programme of in-house leadership training and increased delegation of leadership roles within one NHS Trust.

RESULTS

These initiatives have been favourably received; but it is recognised that the approach can be further developed.

CONCLUSION

This basic strategy should be enhanced and delivered more widely.

Cultural and communicational traits of oral health care: results of a Finnish case study

PURPOSE

This paper aims to describe the cultural and communicational traits of Finnish oral health care. First, employees' views and experiences regarding their organization and their position within it are investigated and, second, relations between different individual and organizational factors are analyzed. Finally, a conceptual framework of organizational coherence is constructed.

DESIGN/METHODOLOGY/APPROACH

The paper shows that data collection (n = 58, 84 percent response rate) was carried out in 2002 at a Finnish dental clinic by using a semi-structured questionnaire. The data were analyzed statistically by using, among other things, non-parametric tests and a structural equation model (LISREL) and qualitatively by using content analysis.

FINDINGS

The paper finds that the organization was described as role-dependent and task-centered. Unidirectional chain of communication and responsibility for interaction were observed as the descriptive traits of communication, regardless of satisfaction or dissatisfaction with the communication. Developmental challenges involved opportunities to exert influence in the organization as well as giving and receiving feedback in leadership relations. It was found that a good sense of one's position in the organization was positively associated with several essential experiences (e.g. confidence, openness and equality), regarding organizational factors.

ORIGINALITY/VALUE

It appears in this paper likely that, by adopting the perspective of organizational coherence, it will be possible to approach the reality of an oral health care organization. As such a new and informative perspective is added.

Clinical leadership in health care: a position statement

PURPOSE

This paper aims to briefly review leadership within the contemporary UK National Health Services (NHS) including Department of Health and Royal College of Nursing (RCN) initiatives.

DESIGN/METHODOLOGY/APPROACH

It is argued that the concept of clinical leadership is a viable and important one, and is theoretically consistent with the contemporary social psychological literature on the importance of "local" leadership to effective organizational functioning. Field theory proposes that local influences (e.g. local management) on attitudes and behaviour will to a large extent mediate the impact of the organization (e.g. organisational structure and values) on (in this instance) health care delivery.

FINDINGS

The reality of clinical leadership must involve a judicious blend effective management in the conventional sense with skill in transformational change in order to make real difference to the care delivery process.

PRACTICAL IMPLICATIONS

For leadership initiatives to become truly culturally embedded into the "way we do things around here", they require more than just individual training and development.

ORIGINALITY/VALUE

A view is offered for the practical interpretation of the clinical leadership concept in relationship terms. This will involve management of the relationship between health care professionals, between health care professionals and the "organizations" to which they are accountable and between health care professionals and service users.

The importance of leadership in the development of an integrated team

AIM

To provide a personal perspective on the role of leadership within the development of an integrated team.

BACKGROUND

The government white paper Valuing People recently proposed that collaborative working is essential in service delivery for people with a learning disability. This has led to the development of the integrated team to respond the often complex needs of people with a learning disability.

METHOD

A situational analysis is used to outline the history, and the changes within learning disability services. The role of self, team development and leadership are then explored in achieving future change and objectives.

CONCLUSION

Transformational skills are essential in the development of team working, however, understanding and commitment to the process of collaboration is required by all agencies and at all levels in order to implement change. Nurses are placed in influential positions within the change process.