We spent some time with Sally Austin, Divisional Managing Director, to talk about how the chance to have a wider impact on patient care led her from a clinical role into an operational management role. Sally discusses the importance of collaboration, supporting successes and failures, setting clear expectations and how she incorporates the Trust Values into her everyday work.
3 Quotes to lead by...
1. SET CLEAR EXPECTATIONS
‘One of the key things I’ve taken in terms of the different leaders I’ve worked with is being clear about setting expectations. I think where teams know what is expected, they can perform, and we can support them… I think if there isn’t that clear expectation, the clear determination of what’s required and where we’re going, it’s very hard for people to do well or equally hold them to account.’
Q. Do your team know what’s expected of them and why? When did you last share your objectives with your team to ensure they know where you’re heading?
2. LOOK OUTWARDS
‘One of the other things that I have learnt as part of my different experiences with different leaders is about looking outwards and looking at how other teams do things differently. Whether it’s in the Midlands, whether it’s in this country, whether there is a great solution in another part of the world. That opportunity to benchmark but really to drive towards the best solution is how I see bold playing out in the way that I work.’
Q. Are you maximising your opportunities to observe or reach out to other teams? You might find a different solution or way of doing something which improves the care that we provide to our patients.
3. SUPPORT SUCCESS AS WELL AS FAILURES
‘I hope that the coaching that I give my team allows them to think about what went well but equally what didn’t go so well and make the changes that might change the outcome the next time they do that particular task or face that particular problem.’
Q. Are you creating an environment that supports success as well as failures? How do you manage situations where things don’t go to plan?
External Resources
Setting Clear Expectations: Leadership Essentials
It’s Not About You: Why Leaders Need To Look Outward
7 Powerful Ways to Turn Every Failure Into Success
