Medicine, Dentistry and Veterinary Medicine Leading in a Complex Environment Medical Education Workshop Faith Hill School of Medicine University of Southampton

Aims of the workshop To consider approaches to education leadership To identify the skills needed for leadership roles in medical education To explore and develop an adaptive approach to education leadership, appropriate to complex environments To share and learn from participants’ leadership experiences

Leadership theories: Transformational Leadership Focuses on relationship between leaders and followers Encourages facilitation of shared meanings, values and goals Leader provides the vision, supports the team and looks out for individuals

Leadership theories: Adaptive Leadership Based on complexity theory and whole system science Takes account of complex interactions within dynamic systems Accepts uncertainty and works from the bottom up Leaders seen as catalysts for complex, emergent change

Activity 1 Leadership Skills In groups, please identify the knowledge, skills and attitudes needed for education leadership

[This slide contained a triangular diagram (‘Leadership Skills’) from Empey et al (2002) which requires copyright permission in order to reproduce it. See their references below ] Characteristics and behaviour

Complexity [This slide contained a rectangular diagram (‘Complexity’) taken from Stacey (1996) which requires copyright permission in order to reproduce it. See the references below ]

Activity 2 Simple, complex or anarchy? In pairs – please discuss examples of each zone from your own experience. Where is most of your activity concentrated?

Adaptive leadership Complex systems need adaptive leadership Adaptive leadership works with the whole system and the component parts

Adaptive Leadership – 4 levels The whole system – values, goals, parameters Pathways – structures Connections – relationships Activities – skills and behaviours

The whole system level Identify values Share vision and set goals Manage the holding environment ‘Shape the container’

Activity Three What are the values that underpin education leadership in your institution? Please spend about twenty minutes in groups talking about leadership values and trying to identify any shared values

Level 2 - Structure the pathways Determine organisational structure Distribute responsibility Decide who does what for whom Allocate resources

Activity 4 Activity sheet on structures

Connections – Level 3 The quality of the relationships is the most important thing Focus on the exchange

Work with diversity  Maximise the potential from diversity  Work with conflict

Relationships Add a cartoon or joke of your choice

Activity 5 Teambuilding

Component activity – level 4 Specific individual tasks Skills and behaviours What people actually do

Activity 6 Role play on negotiating tasks

Acknowledgements These activities are based on materials originally devised by Faith Hill and Chris Stephens for use at the School of Medicine, University of Southampton

References and reading Empey, D. Peskett, S. and Lees, P. (2002) Medical leadership BMJ 2002; 325: 191. Goleman, D. (2002) The New Leaders. Little, Brown: London Harris, C. (2003) Building Innovative Teams. Palgrave Macmillan. Basingstoke, UK. Hill,F and Stephens, C Building leadership capacity in medical education. Medical Teacher 2005; 27; Mennin, S.P and Richter, D. M (2003) ‘The Nature of Curriculum Change: Complicated and Complex’, AMEE Conference Presentation: Berne. Stacey, R.D. (1996) Strategic management and organisational dynamics. London; Pitman Zimmerman, B., Lindberg, C., Plesk, P. (1998) Edgeware: Insights From Complexity Science for Health Care Leaders. VHA Inc. Irving, Texas