DATE

PATRON HRH The Princess Royal

“The empires of the future are empires of the mind”

Thursday, 9 January 2014

Louise Frayne, Head of HR & Organisational Development

Dr. Steven Cranfield

Vision

“Vision is not enough. It must be combined with venture. It is not enough to stare up the steps, we must step up the stairs.”

— Vaclav Havel

Challenges

Leadership

Strategic Insight Project

Strategic Insight Project

• Funded by the University of Westminster• Focus on training and development needs of frontline

staff• In tandem with in-house workshops run by WBS• Agreed deliverables: draft template for full Training

Needs Analysis (TNA) (1) for Grades 1-5 linking to future CPD/training programme development

• Recommendations for other supporting requirements

Strategic Insight Project

Methods• A qualitative survey approach (1), based on action

research (2)• Methods included semi-structured interviews and

photographic image elicitation• Time frame: October 2012 to May 2013 (8 months)• Interviews: individual (x 6) and focus groups (x 3) with

CEO, divisional directors and frontline staff (May 2013) • Thematic analysis and coding (3)• Desk research, including previous staff surveys and

consultations

Strategic Insight Project

Findings (senior managers) (5)• Strong consensus on positive achievements of some

programmes • Different views of the role of middle managers and

training: not sufficiently involved OR too strict as gate-keepers

• More business-like ways of working needed• ‘Silo mentality’ an obstacle• TNA should adopt a whole organisation and system

perspective (1)

Strategic Insight ProjectStaff responses to managers

Senior manager’s comment Participants’ responses

‘Staff need to be trusted more, with line managers delegating more to them’ 

‘Works best from the top down. Senior management team has to trust front line managers.’‘There have to be open channels and green lights’‘Only works with a career development plan’‘So many levels, not that easy’‘A simple but important example. We have a division meeting, this can be chaired by different members of staff. You take self-nominations for the role of chair. I did it.’ 

Strategic Insight ProjectStaff responses: photo elicitation

Strategic Insight ProjectImpact (6)

The Next Phase of Our Journey

"The very essence of leadership is [that] you have a vision. It's got to be a vision you articulate clearly and forcefully on every occasion. You can't blow an uncertain trumpet."

— Theodore Hesburgh

Questions

References

1. McConnell, J. (2003). How to Identify Your Organization's Training Needs: A Practical Guide to Needs Analysis. AMACOM

2. Andres, L. (2012). Designing and Doing Survey Research. London: Sage.

3. Argyris, C. (1994). Knowledge for Action. San Francisco CA: Jossey-Bass.

4. Miles, M. B. & Huberman, A. M. (1994). Qualitative Data Analysis. Thousand Oaks, CA: Sage.

5. Cranfield, S. (2013). Strategic Insight Programme Report for Royal College of Paediatrics and Child Health. WBS, University of Westminster. September 2013.

6. Greenwood, R., Suddaby,R. & Hinings, R. C. (2002). Theorizing change: the role of professional associations in the transformation of institutionalized fields. Academy of Management Journal. 45 (1),158-80