Action_Learning_Sets

HEALTH SERVICES MANAGEMENT CENTRE Postgraduate Office Assignment Cover Sheet |1 |0 |6 |9 |3 |0 |3 | Student ID Number: |Name: (Leave blank if your submission is by pdf) | |Banner Code: |M – 08 19200 |H – 08 19201 | | |(Please delete Banner Code which does not apply to you). | | |[MSc & PG Dip=M; Grad Dip = H] | |Module Title: |ALL2 | |Module Tutor(s): |Deborah Davidson & Merv Conroy | |Full Assignment Title: |Drawing on specific examples from your practice, critically analyse what you have learned about your | | |leadership style and approaches and how this learning has translated into enhanced leadership practise. | | | | | | | |Required Length: |3000 |Actual Length: |2799 | |Date Due: |26-02-2011 |Date Submitted: |25-02-2011 | Plagiarism Declaration: I confirm that this assignment is all my own work and that I have properly attributed all my sources and other people’s work. If submitting electronically, please enter YES in the signature box to confirm this statement. |Signed: 1069303 | Please ensure that you submit ONE hard copy of your assignment to the postgraduate office within 48 hours if you have not been able to convert your assignment to pdf IMPORTANT NOTE to students who commenced their studies from 29 September 2008; Please note: Student Handbook, section 5.8, Deadlines, Extensions and Penalties, states ‘Assignments submitted after the module deadline, without good reason, will incur a penalty of a deduction of 5% per working day late’ If you require a RECEIPT for your assignment please enclose with your assignment, a stamped, self-addressed envelope. (No stamp is required if the receipt is to be sent to a University of Birmingham address) 1069303 Drawing on specific examples from your experience, critically analyse what you have learned about your leadership style and approaches and how this learning has translated into enhanced leadership practice. In this essay I am going to explore what I have learnt about my leadership and the changes I want to make to my leadership style through the Action Learning set while at university. I am going to do this in the following way. Context, how I came to choice this course, the organisation I work for, some key themes that will enhance my leadership through the experience of action learning sets, in particular power and authority, communication and listening. Context By profession I am a child care social worker so my training was to work from an anti-oppressive empowerment values. Solomon (1976) Group work was a theoretical framework we would have used working with families and client groups. My present job is a development consultant working within an organisation that had been commissioned by the department of Health but had recently before I started my job been reconstituted and was primarily commissioned by the South West strategic Health Authority whose primary (SHA) role was to performance manage Primary Care Trust. (PCT) Improving Health In the South West (2010/2011) My role was to work within the system development team to support the PCTs to improve services through integrated care pathways. Improving Health in the South West (2010/2011). As part of my personal development it was decided by my manager and myself I would start a master in Leadership and Service Improvement. Having looked at all the universities the course at Birmingham stood out for its practical approach to leadership. I felt I learned the best within that approach by learning to do and reflect. It is important to acknowledge that I was also coming to university at an interesting time within my organisation where how we worked was completely being changed by the SHA expectation; I had dual role as a performance manager and an enabler for services improvement which was difficult to balance. The leadership style of our commissioners was Coercive I watched the team change from being inspirational and relaxed to anxious and worried as to how we pleased the SHA. French and Raven (1959) The budget pressures created extra pressure to constantly evidence what we were doing. My issue was not the accountability or evidence but the false assumption that constant performance management through fear would bring improvement. Deming (2002) I started university with a work situation that was changing and my values of empowerment and client centred service being challenged. I was questioning whether I wanted to remain within the organisation or continue working for them. Within my action learning set I was the only student from a social care background and the rest were from health background understandable as it was Leadership and Service Improvement within Health Service. I was bringing with me the different cultural experience of having worked within a social care model and others where from a health background. Ref The set was made up of 6 individuals all form health organisations as providers, commissioners and Foundation Trusts. They held various positions some experienced and some not so experienced. The facilitator ensured we had ground rules and explained how the set could work. We all decide who would be sharing their complex problems and the focus would be on the others asking questions and help the understanding of the problem and identify an action plan for handling it. We were not to share direct advice or experience. McGill& Brockbank (2004) My learning from action learning sets Power and Authority and how it has impacted my Leadership. There is often confusion about power and authority. Heifetz (1994) suggests authority is seen as possessing power on formal bases, this could be seen in our action learning set. The facilitator was very clear his role was one that was not of a leader but only a facilitator. What I observed was that the group still was looking to him for leadership within the group. I could relate to this as in my work situation as a consultant I had no formal power within the organisation but was still seen as a leader who had come to bring change. What was obvious if I did not delivery then the authority they had given me to work within their organisation would not last, my commissioners would certainly not continue using our organisation' Authority can be removed from leaders which is not a comfortable position for leaders. Within our learning set I was able to observe that people had informal authority there were arrangements for social events outside of the set arranged by a few people. They carried on this informal authority through the life of the course, I observed people sitting together with them at all breaks and when we joined other modules with different students there was no confidence to separate and get to know new students. There was a powerful cohesion of the group which I at times found difficult to challenge. Brown (1994) What I was observing was the development of a culture as the development of a mind-set that distinguishes one group from another. Hofstede (1990) When working with PCT, I would usual met the official leaders but I now spend time looking for the informal leaders who have the potential to bring change or hinder the process because of their informal influence. Mehrabian (1972). These are usually very passionate clinicians who have a client centred approach in the services they provided. It is worth noting that the present Collation government recognizes the importance of clinicians and we have the new paper on GP commissioning DOH (2010). What do we mean by power' Macillian (1978) uses some interesting definitions. Power is the capacity to restructure actual situations. Influence is the capacity to control and modify the perceptions of others. One of the most famous references to power comes from the Chinese communist leader Mao Zedong Political power grows from the barrel of a gun. Max weber describes three types of power people will follow, traditional such as the rule of royalty "contractual relationships between leader and subordinate." Ritzer, (1981: 133). Secondly the charismatic with the sole basis of charismatic authority is the recognition or acceptance of the claims of the leader by the followers. While it is irrational, in that it is not calculable or systematic, it can be revolutionary, breaking traditional rule and can even challenge legal authority. Giddens (1971: 160-161) Legal or rational authority, Grabb (1991:65) points out how this can happen. In early societies, a group may exercise power by using economic and physical force to dominate a territory. Within the learning set we had all chosen to be there and we had a situation where we were all working together on an equal base. We had agreed to our own ground rules and self-monitored our behaviours and commitment. The leadership within the group was given to the facilitator. The facilitator had been designated as the leader and had perceived authority and power. I found the relation tenuous as did not really know what type of leadership we would have French and Raven (1967). In my position as a development consultant there is already perceived power due to being commissioned by the SHA who have a performance role by organisations I go to work with. This is something I am not always confortable with as they are on the defensive and I have to work hard to put them at ease. Fiedler and Garcia (1987) go further and suggest an organisation can confer power on a leader by the mere fact they are coming to do a job. As a leader using a coercive style only alienate people so it is important to empower organizations. In simple terms empowerment is about supporting them to take greater control over their circumstances Gomm (1993)It was interesting to notice where the clients I worked with may have felt I had power yet I felt powerless, the way I was expected to work was not how I wanted to. The concept that some are powerful and others powerless is not simple we can feel both at the same time Fook (2002). Within the learning set I felt a mixture so power and powerlessness. My learning was that power and position does not always produce the desired results. As leaders we have to win trust and be authentic it was important to take responsibility for what I did rather than blame my commissioners for not allowing me to work how I knew was right to. As a leaders we are was going to be leading change at a most difficult time where budgets are under pressure and organisations re looking for quick results. In leadership change management is the most vulnerable time. Machiavelli (Moullin 2002) It is important to have conviction of ones beliefs and even be open to walk away from ways of working that would damage you. Sadly in this day and age financial pressure and lack of jobs leaves people vulnerable to remaining in difficult work situations. As a social worker i have had to deal with conflicting needs of clients and the wider society. In an ideal situation the two needs should be one and the same but often that is not the reality. The Strategic Health Authority and the Primary Care Trusts had to meet targets weather they severed the service user was not always evidenced. Clarke (1993) As Leaders we have to live and work with this reality and find ways of ensuring service users are heard and work in partnership with peers, subordinates and service users. “Partnership is about managing power; and requires constant attention and is always work in progress”. Taylor et al (2006:103) Skills I have learnt and reinforced through the learning set as a Leader/Manager One the main thing I learnt was that control is an illusion, within the set I had to learn to open up and share, trusting people I hardly knew. The process at the beginning was very uncomfortable and had to learn to stay with the process. The use of life lines within the group was a very powerful exercise that caused a real cohesion and trust within the group as we shared important life events with each other. “which has to do with control: “Control is an illusion and rationality an afterthought….Organizational life is always full of simultaneous events that can be interpreted in a variety of ways” (1991:266). The way to succeed in management is not to hold tightly to one’s own framework or perception, but to consider the multitude of ways of seeing any given issue; there are numerous divergent perspectives Bolman and Deal (1991 266). These authors say: "Their frame- not yours-determines how they will act" Bolman and Deal (1991: 270)”. As Bolman and Deal suggest letting go of control was the first step to my learning. I will certainly spend time to find out more about the people I work with as understanding their life experience gives context to their motivation at work. Action learning sets are a powerful way of leading change in organisations. It requires leaders to risk staff to work together in finding solutions to complex problem. Communication/ Listening My training as a social worker and as a development consultant I always prepared myself before seeing clients. I would prepare the questions and research the areas I needed to cover. Nicolson and Bayne (1984). In the learning set I needed to give attention to my responses and others as I was aware of anxieties as people began to share. Nelson (1983) and O’ Hagan (1991). It was important for me to acknowledge my anxiety but I was not able to do as the learning set was a new situation. My response was showing me how when I am leading change the anxiety people working with me must feel. I needed to ensure I kept to the times and ground rules we had made so that there was confidence in my commitment to the process Egan (1986). Within my work situation the significance of being on time and keeping my word needs to be very important. Non-verbal communication was an important part of the set, giving eye contact, nodding of head and encouraging noises were crucial for members to feel heard. Priestley and McGuire (1983.) Mehrabian (1972) suggests if there is conflict between verbal and non- verbal messages the non-verbal is more important to observe as it will give away anxiety, hostility or angry. It reinforced to me the importance of the non-verbal communication as a leader. Henley (1997) emphasises that symbolic and non-verbal behaviour represents powerful aspects of our communication. They convey messages about class, ethnicity, power, gender, control and authority. It also shows genuineness, concern, respect and caring. As a leader I ignore verbal or non-verbal communication at my peril. Group Work Brown (1995) I found the action learning sets no different to group work. Through the process I was able to see all the normal group processes of forming as we got to know each other and established ground rules, storming where I observed jostling for position and an inner circle being formed of those who socialised outside of the group. There were feelings of anxiety and apprehension about how it was going to work in the group this led to exclusivity where the group stuck together in all the breaks not really mixing with other students at the university. Norming was the stage where we all got into working on the complex issues being raised by individuals. There were also questions about the ability of the facilitator to ensure we all gained the best from the group. There was an expectation of guidance and a level of challenge from the facilitator to support the group to get the best out of each other. This sadly did not occur to the quality that people wanted. Our lack of honesty to challenge the facilitator led to some very uncomfortable conversations between group members about what to do. It was interesting to observe that the storming behaviour was not just about the group members but involved the facilitator which suggests the concept that facilitators are not members of the group as a falsie. The facilitator as a leader has a crucial impact. There were some excellent outcomes for some of the members in their work situation, e.g. promotion, more able to deal with difficult bosses, performance management issues, change of careers and some close friendships formed outside the group Mullender and Ward (1991). The learning set was a means to an end and not an end in itself The learning set I would say did not follow the linear Tuckman (1965) model but Schutz (1958) cyclical model. Group members were looking for inclusion conversations were about bridge building and sharing experience wanting to sit together outside the group sessions. Control was the next stage where there was socialisation outside the group and criticism of the facilitator’s skills and comparing these with the other group taking place at the same time. The affection stage was certainly evidenced where a lot of the group members became friends at the end of the group. As a leader my learning from the learning set group was that we all work in groups starting from our family as the first experience to our work. My understanding of groups and the dynamics has grown. I reflected my reluctance to get involved in the process at the beginning, was it that I feared failure Breton (1985) or was I concerned about the leadership of the group' I viewed the style as laissez- faire Lippitt and White (1953) which left me feeling very vulnerable. Conclusion What is leadership' How will it change my practice' Through the action learning set I have learnt leadership is a theoretical concept that is constantly changing. Within the complex world we manage I have concluded leadership is a developing concept that requires change of style depending on the group and circumstance Lang (1972). Heap (1988) suggests we cannot always have Lang’s continuum of shared leadership as he identifies two roles of the leader ‘situational’ and ‘emotional’, even if the leader shares the leadership role they may not be able to enable the group members to give up the emotional dependency on them as a leader. The acknowledgement of the emotional dependency in learning set was not something that was acknowledged. As a leader/manager it is important to be aware of this emotional impact on any situation not just learning sets. As a leader I have a responsibility to not only achieving the goal but the emotional impact of my leadership style on the people that I may be working with. Blake, R. R. & Mouton, J. S. (1985). The Managerial Grid III The Key to Lea(1993) dership Excellence. Houston: Gulf Publishing Co. Bolman, L. & Deal, T. (1991). Reframing Organizations. San Francisco: Jossey-Bass. Clarke, J. (1993) A crisis in Care: Challenges to Social Work, London, Sage. Deming, W. Edwards, (2002), The New Economics: For Industry: Government, Education. MIT Press, Massachusetts, p. XV. Egan, G. (1986) The skilled Helper :8888 A systematic Approach to effective Helping, Monterey, California, Brooks/Coles. French, J. R. P. and Raven, P. (1967), ‘The Bases of Social Power’, D, Cartwright (ed), Studies in Social Power. Fiedler, F. E. and Garcia, J. E. (1987) New Approaches to Effective Leadership, New York: John Wiley. Fiedler, F. E. (1997) ‘Situational control and a dynamic theory of leadership’ in K. French, J., and Raven, B. H. (1959). "The bases of social power." Studies of Social Power. Cartwright, D. (ed.) Ann Arbor, MI: Institute for Social Research. Fook, J. (2002) Social Work: A Critical Introduction, London, Sage Giddens, A, (1971) Capitalism and Modern Social Theory: An Analysis of the Writings of Marx, Durkheim and Max Weber, Cambridge, Cambridge University Pres. Grabb, E, G. (1990), Theories of Social Inequality: Classical and Contemporary Perspectives, second edition, Toronto, Holt, Rinehart and Winston, 1990. Grint (ed.) (1997) Leadership. Classical, contemporary and critical approaches, Oxford: Oxford University Press. Gomm, R. (1993) ‘Issues of Power in Health and Welfare’, in Walmsley et al. (1983). Heap, K. (1995) The Practice of Social work with Groups London, George Allen & Unwin. Hofstede, G. (1990) Cultures and Organisations: software of the mind (London: McGraw-Hill). Heifetz, R. A. (1994) Leadership Without Easy Answers, Cambridge, MA: Belknap Press. Herzberg, F. (1966). Work and the Nature of Man Cleveland: World Publishing Co. McGill, I& Brockbank, A. (2004). The action learning handbook. London, Routledge MacMillan I.C. (1978) Strategy Formulation: political concepts, St Paul, MN, West Publishing; Lang, N. (1972), ‘A Broad-Range Model of Practice in the social Work Group’, Social Service Review, 46, 76-89 Lippitt, R. and White, r. K. (1953), ‘ Leader Behaviour and Member Reaction in Three Different Climates’ in D. Cartwright and A. Zander (eds, 1968), Group dynamics, 3rd edn New York, harper and row. Mehrabian, A. (1972) Non Verbal Communication, Alberta, Aldine Moullin, M. (2002) Delivering Excellence in Health and Social Care: Open University Press. Buckingham. Nicolson, P and Bayne, R. (1984) Applied Psychology for Social workers, Basingstoke, Macmillan. Nelson-jones, r. (1983) Practical counselling skills, Eastbourne, Holt, Rine-hart and Winston. O’ Hagan, K. (1991) ‘Crisis Intervention in social Work’ in Lisham (1991). Priestley, P. and McGuire, J. (1983) Learning to Help: Basic Skills Exercises, London, Tavistock. Ritzer, George, Sociological Theory, third edition, New York, McGraw-Hill. Solomon, B. (1976) Black empowerment, New York; Columbia university Press. Schutz, W. C. (1958), FIRO. –A Three Dimensional Theory of Interpersonal Behaviour New York, Rinehart. Taylor, I., Sharland, E. Sebba, J., Leriche, P., with Keep, E, and Orr, D, (2006) the Learning, Teaching and Assessment of Partnership in Social Work Education, London; SCIE Tuckman, B. W. (1965), ‘Developmental Sequence in Small groups’, Psychological Bulletin, 63(6), 384-99 The Strategic Framework for Improving Health in the South West 2010/11 Weber, M. (1968) Economy and Society: An Outline of Interpretive Sociology, New York, Bedminster Press, 1968. Word Count 2799   ----------------------- 1st Marker:………………….………………..……… _____/_____/_____ Moderator:………………………………………..… _____/_____/_____ Agreed Mark Returned to Postgraduate Office by _____/_____/_____ For Office use only