On November 13th, Akumen's team ventured to the Health Innovation West of England annual conference at Enterprise Park in Bristol. While the event was a fantastic opportunity to connect with academia, healthcare professionals, and innovators, we were particularly excited about the workforce panel discussion featuring our own Behavioural Analyst, Suzanne Bailey.
The central question of the panel was: How can we foster an innovative, collaborative culture within the NHS, enabling staff to embrace risk-taking and experiment with new approaches, while maintaining efficiency and patient safety?
This question is especially pertinent given the ongoing challenges faced by the NHS. Is it realistic to prioritise innovation when capacity and productivity are under immense strain? Or are these two aspects intrinsically linked?
The Power of Culture
The panel, which included Matt Hill, Consultant Anaesthetist at Plymouth Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust, and Marc Griffiths, Pro-Vice Chancellor for Health at UWE, delved into the complexities of organisational culture.
A key takeaway was that culture isn't something imposed from the top down. Rather, it's a shared responsibility, shaped by both leaders and employees. By modelling desired behaviours and values, leaders can set the tone. Simultaneously, employees can actively contribute by embracing curiosity and challenging the status quo.
Overcoming Barriers to Innovation
The panel identified several critical factors that can hinder or facilitate innovation:
Psychological Safety: A culture where individuals feel safe to share ideas, take risks, and learn from mistakes is essential.
Effective Leadership: Strong leadership can inspire and empower teams, creating a sense of purpose and direction.
Open Communication: Open and honest dialogue is crucial for identifying problems, sharing insights, and building trust.
A Growth Mindset: Encouraging a growth mindset, where individuals view challenges as opportunities for learning and development, can foster innovation.
Comments from Suzanne Bailey:
I have reflected since last Wednesday about culture in Healthcare. I draw from my experience in counselling and psychotherapy, especially the area of family cultures. Family dynamics can be complex and often hidden, requiring a deeper look at the past to understand how values shaped the culture. In my work with clients, I see how past generations continue to influence current values and behaviours. These values were often formed to protect the family, but sometimes also to control it. I believe this is true for many cultures and change usually falls on the shoulders of the younger generation. They are the ones who adapt the culture to make it relevant in a constantly changing world. When younger generations feel unable to challenge the older generation, they may experience inner conflict, low self-worth, and a sense of being stuck in hopelessness, and feel like they don’t belong. This can be incredibly painful; a result is the severing of connections.
I see this in large institutions like the NHS, where a hierarchical culture can feel outdated and disconnected from the cultural changes happening outside. If institutions are to progress, it’s important to encourage every employee to contribute. Creating a culture where everyone can bring their talents, skills, ideas, knowledge, and experience to work with them. This is when culture can impact productivity.
My question to leaders; Why would you not want every employee to bring 100% of themselves to work?
The Future of Healthcare
By cultivating a culture of innovation, the NHS can not only improve patient care but also enhance the working experience for healthcare professionals. By embracing change and challenging the status quo, we can unlock the full potential of our workforce and drive positive transformation in healthcare.
And we were of course thrilled to hear psychological safety being talked about by people other than our own team!
Watch a full recording of the panel discussion here.
Do you have any thoughts on how to foster a more innovative culture within healthcare? Share your insights in the comments below.
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