Let’s be ambitious in the face of adversity – Strive to thrive, don’t just survive.
Tight Budgets And Tough Decisions | The Impact Of NHS Financial Decisions | The King’s Fund
I recently read this article from The King’s Fund, and I have to say it did not fill me with ‘Joy-Joy’ feelings!
I have survived a number of significant NHS transformations over the last 40 years, each focused on efficiency, productivity and financial balance, however, the challenges that need to be addressed currently make it feel like this is the ‘mother’ of all NHS shake ups because there is a real risk to jobs.
The report states that providers have already been driven to freeze recruitment of new staff, reduce overtime payments, and limit their use of bank and agency staff. Furthermore, many organisations are also having to make cuts to substantive staffing to meet financial plans.
This is a significant journey for all organisations and given that in the NHS Staff Survey 2024 over half (56%) of staff reported attending work when they were not feeling well enough to perform their duties and 32% reported accessing mental health services for support, our workforce is already operating under immense personal pressure.
In any large-scale change process, the level of anxiety driven by rumour, speculation, and negative self-talk is exhausting. On top of that, we believe we need to be seen to consistently excel in our job so we get viewed positively. Within this context, we are also required to undertake a complicated and intense formal process of restructuring and consultation. For our leaders, they also have the burden of being the interface between staff and strategic directors, these are the people charged with operationally delivering the strategic objectives. All this is on top of doing the day job and trying to have a home life.
As a coach, I am curious what is within our gift to ensure our workforce thrive through this transformation as opposed to just surviving it? How do we make it positively personal?
I believe there are a small number of values-based activities that could enable people going through this process to thrive so we retain our best talent; those who are displaced maintain their motivation, self-belief and a positive mindset, which in turn may help retain their knowledge and skills within the organisation and/or NHS.
- One to one coaching – unhook from negative self-talk and limiting beliefs, identify your sphere of influence to maximise the opportunities of the moment.
- Career coaching – recognise skills and achievements, identify career trajectory, develop a practical plan to achieve career goals.
- CV and personal statement review – prepare to make the most of your experience and skills; enhance opportunities for success in formal review.
- Interview preparation & practice – optimise your preparation, identify your key leadership examples and gain confidence in interview techniques.
The focus of these simple restorative investments in our people is to maintain professional self-confidence, resilience and sense of belonging that can only be achieved by feeling that you are valued.