💙 Sharon Dennison 💙

I’ve recently been working with frontline NHS teams to explore the powerful role that “microcultures” can play as enablers of change. Research points to the importance of “cultural readiness” & “relational connection” in creating the conditions for large scale change & improvement. But if we have to wait for a organisational culture to change, it might be a long wait. Supporting frontline leaders & their teams to develop “microcultures” - distinct sets of norms, behaviours & values that emerge within smaller groups inside larger organisations - can have a significant & measurable impact on productivity & performance outcomes. Rather than being a sign of weak strategy or lack of consistency, there’s increasing evidence that strong microcultures are valuable assets that can drive engagement, innovation & adaptability across an organisation. Ways that leaders can support the development of microcultures for high productivity & performance: •Define a microculture by focusing on the work: by honing in on connection around the work to be done, teams & leaders can collaborate to define how and where they work together best •Provide strategic direction centrally but give team leaders freedom & support to develop cultures that align with their team's working style •Undertake “guided conversations” with frontline leaders to understand the drivers & barriers to doing their best work & action plan for improvement together •Create physical and virtual spaces for microculture gatherings and make these connections a priority •Invest time connecting with different groups to understand the unique dynamics of existing microcultures and build relationships with their members •Regularly connect team activities & achievements to broader organisational objectives to help teams see their value within the bigger picture •Always, always follow up as trust is the foundation of healthy microculture relationships One of the best leadership guides to supporting productivity & performance improvement through the development of microcultures is by @Deloitte: deloitte.com/us/en/insights/…

New research by @McKinsey states that when it comes to workforce performance/productivity, the working model (office based, working from home or hybrid) is far less important than other factors. What matters most is the work environment that leaders create. McKinsey sets out five core practices that drive performance & strengthen organisational health, whatever the working model: 1) collaboration 2) connectivity 3) innovation 4) mentorship 5) skill development. mckinsey.com/capabilities/pe….

I had a conversation today about the difference between "kindness" & "niceness" in leadership so I decided to post about it. The article & graphic explain why, as leaders, we should choose kindness over niceness. Kindness is about caring enough to push people toward greatness, even when it’s uncomfortable. It’s a harder path but better in the long run: learningandleadershipconsult…. By @emb928 Graphic: @thejustinmecham via @dangrimes1980

The strategic power of hope. New article in @HarvardBiz Negativity attracts attention. It gets equated with intelligence. Leaders focus on detecting problems/threats which quashes creativity & makes it hard for us to recognise opportunities. If we anchor our strategies in hope - a deliberate belief in shared goals & actions - we can steer our teams towards growth, connection & creativity. Three ways to cultivate a hopeful culture: 1) Set collective goals, grounded in shared values 2) Support people to build their sense of power/agency/autonomy 3) Pay close attention to progress & celebrate it: hbr.org/2024/12/the-strategi…. By @zakijam. Graphic: @OfficeGuyToons

NHS managers/team leaders at (Agenda for Change) bands 6-8a directly supervise up to 80% of our NHS people. These “frontline” team leaders have an outsize influence on NHS performance. Yet: - They don’t have a big collective voice in opportunities to improve NHS productivity - Only a small proportion of leadership development budgets in the NHS target them Tomorrow I'm spending the day with four NHS systems identifying potential opportunities to unleash the potential of frontline managers and team leaders to lead change. For more on the latent power of frontline leaders, see, eg: bcg.com/publications/2017/so… by @BCG.

As leaders we are role models: our words, deeds & the environment we create are massively amplified to those around us. New research evidence shows that people will take on more challenging tasks if they see others around them do so. It's like a form of social contagion. If, as leaders, we visibly engage in & embrace challenging tasks, we can influence our team members to do the same, encouraging a culture of growth, innovation & collective support. psycnet.apa.org/fulltext/202…. Via @CansuOgulmus. Graphic by @marissashandell.