Rochdale Public Health Development Session
The Rochdale Council Public Health Team evolved and adapted during the pandemic, which has included developing a new strategy, responding to the cost of living crisis and other social pressures, and changes in the staff team and partners.
Now the short term contracts have been completed and the staff team has been established, the team got together for a development day, to support the internal culture development, spend some time together, build relationships and prioritise ‘how we work together’
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Tools we used
Dyad – repeated paired conversations identifying what matters at work
Culture mapping – mapping our induction experiences in pairs, then in groups using metaphor and creative materials to consider a systems view of team culture
Further reading on system mapping approaches:
System and journey mapping – a brief overview of what, why and how here
In Practice -empathy and journey mapping the healthcare experience: exploring women’s access to primary health services within Melbourne’s Arabic-speaking refugee communities blog
Facilitator Reflections
Values (connection, supportive, sense of purpose, warmth) and activity (informed by strategic priorities) feel robust
Areas to focus on are ensuring internal structures (particularly around time) support the patterns of behaviour that we want and reflect our internal values
Energy and sense of activation within team, around addressing external influencers that are misaligned with our values and purpose
Importance of protecting unstructured time, to enable team members to reflect, connect and soar
Emphasis on safe non judgemental space -no wrong questions
Exploration of what it means to ‘welcome’ people in. Welcoming provides and opportunity to communicate values, norms and expectations, role modelling (i.e. understanding what is ‘podworthy’, knowing who can help with specific tasks, sharing knowledge)
Need to build in structures to help us regularly recognise, value and celebrate work/team members, even when it isn’t our natural way of being
Celebrate being team of the year!
Values
We value connection and togetherness
We provide learning opportunity to enable everyone to develop and soar
We encourage people to help and support each other
We have a culture of clarity and openness, we know who to turn to when we don’t know the answer
There are no wrong questions
We are comfortable challenging and being challenged
We are adaptable in a changing world
We are welcoming
External Influencing Factors
Family
Health effects of environment on health
Expectations of politics
Personalities
Capitalism
Outside influences that we cant control
Other external organisations and partners
Wider RBC dynamics
People moving roles and organisations or retiring
Patterns (of behaviour)
Time for reflection – post mortems
Safe non judgemental space
Influencing steering
Blue sky thinking space to learn protected time Adaptable workflows
Leading by example
Encourage 1-1 catch ups eg coffee walks
Getting a brew ‘Bean’ kitchen
Shadowing
SMT – safe space non judgemental problems raised
Leading by example
Adaptable
Modelling a work/life balance
Opportunities (to react differently, anticipate, redesign, transform)
Focus on creating connectivity
Performance and Development delve
Explore pathways opportunities
Focus on regular recognition and valuing individuals, team and work
Structures
Policies and Processes
Open door policy
Clear governance structures -explicit expectations
Flexible hybrid working policy
Online process to book workspaces
Use group email to cascade information
Relationships
Plan induction and inclusion days RBC
Bonding sessions – escape room and meals
How we use our time
Regular team meetings and development days
1-1 reflection time
Team meetings – 2 parts including informal discussion
Protected learning sessions and times
Recognition and Visibility
Structure to recognition achievement
Structure to make portfolio visible
1-1 walks to sell/explain PH
Day 1 to 1 month experiences
Experience 1
In office V covid ‘measures’ Locality plan
Office space
Proactive
Friendly, curious
Online intros
Hurdles and red tape
Learning ‘fast track’
who/what? people are accessible
Flexibility, Intrigued, Excited, supportive
Council badge and communication bible
Unsure
Modern
Ordered expectations and boundaries
Public health family tree and friends -trust
Relationships
Confidence
Opportunities
Experience 2
Intense awkward
Photoboard of team
New people new names
Understanding job role
Extra time with line manager Competition
Systems IT
governance/HR processes
Expectations culture in team /time
Lots of commitment/dedication in team
induction /RBC values
Building tour
Work shadowing
Informal chat times/coffee
Understanding TUPE
Team meetings/lunches
Getting to know team
Still learning about job role
Experience 3
LIanne- initial pitch – welcoming
Peer support – laptop collection
Chaos Covid
Intro meetings(start to build relationships)
Virtual ‘Che CH-MS’ doesnt have to be line manager – open access Transition from GM with virtual coffees
Starting to understand the scale of the job
Open plan environment dynamics
What is pod working
Be early to get a desk
Meeting pods
Team meetings
Tour of rochdale with Andrea D
Xmas party
Experience 4
IT induction
Equipment
Meet manager
Key people in office
Induction meetings
Sharing personal spiel
First team meeting
Who does what remember names
Learn who to go to for what
Previous much clearer hierarchy
Missing organogram + roles who does what
Matric management approaches were new
Had to learn new ways of working
Missing key stakeholder mapping meetings systems structures Balance between greater influences and stretching Hybrid working good balance but needs greater rigor
