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Communication Skills For Doctors


The Healthcare Leadership Model

The Healthcare Leadership Model replaced the Medical Leadership Competency Framework (MLCF) in early 2014. The new framework was jointly developed by the NHS Leadership Academy, working with the Hay Group and the Open University. It is described as an evidence based research model that reflects;

• “the values of the NHS • “what we know about effective leadership • “what has been learned from the MLCF • “what patients and communities are now asking from us as leaders”

The model can be found at www.leadershipacademy.nhs.uk : “The Healthcare Leadership Model has been developed to help staff who work in health and care to become better leaders. It is useful for everyone – whether you have a formal leadership responsibility or not, if you work in a clinical or other service setting and if you work with a team of five people or 5,000. It describes the things you can see leaders doing at work, and is organised in a way that helps everyone to see how they can develop as a leader. It applies equally to a whole variety of roles and settings that exist within health and care.” So, leadership is not something that team or departmental leaders do, nor is management something that is solely the role of those people in positions that

www.tomorrowsconsultant.com contain the word “manager” in their job titles. Any doctor, at any level within the NHS is responsible for leadership and management within the NHS. “We want to help you understand how your leadership behaviours affect the culture and climate you, your colleagues and teams work in. Whether you work directly with patients and service users or not, you will realise what you do and how you behave will affect the experiences of patients and service users of your organisation, the quality of care provided and the reputation of the organisation itself..”

The new Healthcare Leadership Model has also incorporated one of the key findings of the Francis enquiry regarding leadership; “The leadership framework should be improved by increasing emphasis given to patient safety in the thinking of all in the health service. This could be done by, for example, creating a separate domain for managing safety, or by defining the service to be delivered as a safe and effective service” Patient safety is now explicitly identified as a part of the Leadership model (Leading with care) The Healthcare Leadership Model identifies 9 “leadership dimensions” each with 4 levels of development, as follows.


Leadership Dimension

Essential Proficient Strong Exemplary

• Inspiring shared purpose

• Staying true to NHS principles & values

• Holding to principles and values under pressure

• Taking personal risks to stand up for the shared purpose

• Making courageous challenges for the benefit of the service

• Leading with care

• Caring for the team

• Recognising underlying reasons for behaviour

• Providing opportunities for mutual support

• Spreading a caring environment beyond my own area

• Evaluating information

• Gathering data • Scanning widely

• Thinking creatively

• Developing new concepts

• Connecting our service

• Recognising how my area of work relates to other parts of the system

• Understanding the culture and politics across my organisation

• Adapting to different standards and approaches outside my organisation

• Working strategically across the system

• Sharing the vision

• Communicating to create credibility and trust

• Creating clear direction

• Making long-‐term goals desirable

• Inspiring confidence for the future

• Engaging the team

• Involving the team

• Fostering creative participation

• Co-‐operating to raise the game

• Stretching the team for excellence and innovation

• Holding to account

• Setting clear expectations

• Managing & supporting performance

• Challenging for continuous improvement

• Creating a mind-‐set for innovative change

• Developing capability

• Providing opportunities for people development

• Taking multiple steps to develop team members

• Building longer-‐term capability

• Creating systems for succession to all key roles

• Influencing for results

• Engaging with others to convince or persuade

• Adapting my approach to connect with diverse groups

• Developing collaborative agendas and consensus

• Building sustainable commitments


The NHS Structure from April 2013 The Following diagrams can be accessed through the links. These sites will give you full information on the NHS in 2014

http://www.nhs.uk/NHSEngland


http://www.kingsfund.org.uk


Tips For Interviews: what are interviewers looking for?

Ability and Suitability

• Every working professional has a combination of skills that broadly

defines his or her ability and suitability

• Itemise your technical, professional and interpersonal skills as they

parallel the requirements of the job, then recall an example to illustrate

each of those skills

• Demonstrating professional, technical and interpersonal skills will set you

apart from the vast majority of candidates, show that you understand

these combinations and you will stand out

Manageability and Teamwork

Manageability is defined in different ways:

• The ability to work alone

• The ability to work with others

• A willingness to work with others regardless of their sex, age, religion,

physical appearance, abilities or disabilities, skin colour or national origin

• The ability to take direction and criticism when it is carefully and

considerately given

• The ability to take direction when it isn't carefully and considerately

given, maybe because of a crisis

You're a team player, someone who gets along well with others and has no

problem tolerating other opinions or beliefs. Demonstrate that with your every

word and action.


Professional Behaviour

• There are a number of universally admired behavioural traits common to

successful people in all fields

• Simple statements don't leave any lasting impression on potential

employers, examples of experience and anecdotes that prove a point do

Problem-‐Solvers

Regardless of job or profession, we are all, at some level, problem solvers. Think

of your profession in terms of its problem-‐solving responsibilities beyond the

purely clinical. Identify and list for yourself the typical problems, beyond the day

to day diagnosis and management of patients, that you have faced on a daily

basis. Come up with plenty of specific examples and recall specifically how you

overcame them.

Here's a technique to help people develop examples of their problem-‐solving

skills and the resultant achievements:

1. State the problem. What was the situation? Was it a typical situation or

had something gone wrong? If the latter, be wary of apportioning blame

2. Isolate relevant background information. What special knowledge, skill or

experience were you armed with to tackle this dilemma?

3. List your key qualities. What personal behaviour traits did you bring into

play to solve the situation?

4. Recall the solution. How did things turn out in the end? (If the problem

did not have a successful resolution, do not use it as an example)

With an improved understanding of what the interviewers are seeking, you will

have a better understanding of yourself and what you have to offer in the way of

www.tomorrowsconsultant.com specific problem-‐solving abilities. If you follow the steps outlined above, you will

develop a series of illustrative stories for each key area. Stories help the

interviewers visualise you solving their problems, as a valued member of the

team. Not all of the problems you will need to solve will be clinical in nature;

particularly as you become even more senior many more will be of a managerial

nature, e.g. motivating junior staff.

TYPICAL INTERVIEW QUESTIONS

During an interview people may ask you many searching questions -‐ questions

that test your confidence, poise and desirable personality traits. Questions that

trick you into contradicting yourself. Questions that probe your quick thinking,

experience and skills. They are all designed so that the interviewer can make

decisions regarding some critical areas.

• Can you do the job?

• Will you complement or disrupt the department?

• Are you willing to take the extra step?

• Are you manageable?

Notice that only one of the critical areas has anything to do with your actual job

skills. Being able to do the job is only a small part of being successful and many of

the candidates will be as technically proficient as you. Whether you will fit in and

make a contribution or not and whether you are manageable are just as

important to the interviewer. Those traits that interviewers probe for are the

same that will mark a person for professional growth when in role.


Four traps:

1. Failure to listen to the question

2. Annoying the interviewer by answering a question that was not asked

3. Providing superfluous information -‐ you should keep answers brief,

relevant and to the point

4. Attempting the interview without preparing for it

The effect of such blunders is cumulative, and each reduces your chances of

being successful.

Common Questions

• Tell me about yourself

• What do you enjoy most in your current role?

• What is the biggest challenge you’ve faced at work?

• Why do you want this job?

• What do you understand is the importance of this role?

• What do you know about our department / NHS Trust / Hospital?

• What do you feel you can bring to this role?

• What are your greatest strengths?

• Where do you see yourself in 5 years time?

• How would your colleagues describe you?

• How would your friends describe you?

• What outside interests do you have?

www.tomorrowsconsultant.com More Difficult Interview Questions

• Describe a situation where your work or an idea was criticised.

• Have you done the best work you are capable of doing?

• What problems do you have getting along with others?

• I'm not sure you're suitable for the job.

• Tell me about something you are not very proud of.

• What aspects of your job do you consider most crucial?

• How do you get the best from people?

• How do you resolve conflict in your team?

• What would your Consultant say about you?

• What do you dislike most in your current role?

• What were your most significant achievements in your current role?

• If you could start again, what career decisions would you make

differently?

• Do you consider your career has been successful so far?

• How long would it take you to make a useful contribution to this team?

• What motivates you?

• How do you handle criticism?

• Do you enjoy routine tasks?

• Are you a natural leader?

• How do you work in a team?

• How do you operate under stress?


Questions inviting you to criticise yourself

• Describe a difficult situation which, with hindsight, you could have

handled better.

• What sort of decisions do you find difficult?

• Describe a situation in which your work was criticised?

• What is your biggest weakness?

Can you answer all the above questions off the top of your head? Can you do it in

a way that will set your worth above that of the other candidates?


Top Tips for Avoiding Stress

The following link from the NHS is an excellent place to start in avoiding / handling stress;

http://www.nhs.uk

The following information is copied from that site.

What you can do to address stress

These are Professor Cooper's top 10 stress-busting suggestions:

Be active

If you have a stress-related problem, physical activity can get you in the right state of mind to

be able to identify the causes of your stress and find a solution. “To deal with stress

effectively, you need to feel robust and you need to feel strong mentally. Exercise does that,”

says Cooper.

Exercise won’t make your stress disappear, but it will reduce some of the emotional intensity

that you’re feeling, clearing your thoughts and enabling you to deal with your problems more

calmly.

Take control

There’s a solution to any problem. “If you remain passive, thinking, ‘I can’t do anything about

my problem’, your stress will get worse,” says Professor Cooper. “That feeling of loss of

control is one of the main causes of stress and lack of wellbeing.”

The act of taking control is in itself empowering, and it's a crucial part of finding a solution that

satisfies you and not someone else. Read tips about how to manage your time.

Connect with people

A problem shared is a problem halved. A good support network of colleagues, friends and

family can ease your work troubles and help you see things in a different way.

“If you don’t connect with people, you won’t have support to turn to when you need help,”

says Professor Cooper. The activities we do with friends help us relax and we often have a

good laugh with them, which is an excellent stress reliever.


“Talking things through with a friend will also help you find solutions to your problems,” says

Professor Cooper.

Have some ‘me time’

The UK workforce works the longest hours in Europe. The extra hours in the workplace mean

that people aren’t spending enough time doing things that they really enjoy. “We all need to

take some time for socialising, relaxation or exercise,” says Professor Cooper.

He recommends setting aside a couple of nights a week for some quality "me time" away

from work. "By earmarking those two days, it means you won’t be tempted to work overtime

on those days," he says.

Challenge yourself

Setting yourself goals and challenges, whether at work or outside, such as learning a new

language or a new sport, helps to build confidence. That in turn will help you deal with stress.

“By constantly challenging yourself you’re being proactive and taking charge of your life,” says

Professor Cooper. “By continuing to learn, you become more emotionally resilient as a

person. It arms you with knowledge and makes you want to do things rather than be passive,

such as watching TV all the time.”

Avoid unhealthy habits

Don't rely on alcohol, smoking and caffeine as your ways of coping. "Men more than women

are likely to do this. We call this avoidance behaviour," says Professor Cooper. "Women are

better at seeking support from their social circle."

Over the long term, these crutches won’t solve your problems. They’ll just create new ones.

"It’s like putting your head in the sand," says Professor Cooper. "It might provide temporary

relief but it won’t make the problems disappear. You need to tackle the cause of your stress."

Do volunteer work

Cooper says evidence shows that people who help others, through activities such

as volunteering or community work, become more resilient. “Helping people who are often in

situations worse than yours will help you put your problems into perspective,” says Professor

Cooper. “The more you give, the more resilient and happy you feel.”

On a more basic level, do someone a favour every day. It can be something as small as

helping someone to cross the road or going on a coffee run for colleagues. Favours cost

nothing to do, and you’ll feel better.


Work smarter, not harder

Good time management means quality work rather than quantity. Our long-hours culture is a

well-known cause of workplace illness. “You have to get a work-life balance that suits you,”

says Professor Cooper.

Working smarter means prioritising your work, concentrating on the tasks that will make a real

difference to your work. “Leave the least important tasks to last,” says Cooper. “Accept that

your in-tray will always be full. Don’t expect it to be empty at the end of the day.”

Be positive

Look for the positives in life, and things for which you're grateful. Write down three things at

the end of every day which went well or for which you're grateful.

“People don’t always appreciate what they have,” says Professor Cooper. “Try to be glass

half full instead of glass half empty,” he says.

This requires a shift in perspective for those who are more naturally pessimistic.

“It can be done,” he says. “By making a conscious effort you can train yourself to be more

positive about life. Problems are often a question of perspective. If you change your

perspective, you may see your situation from a more positive point of view.”

Accept the things you can't change

Changing a difficult situation isn't always possible. If this proves to be the case, recognise and

accept things as they are and concentrate on everything that you do have control over.

“If your company is going under and is making redundancies, there’s nothing you can do

about it,” says Professor Cooper. “There’s no point fighting it. In such a situation, you need to

focus on the things that you can control, such as looking for a new job.”

Documents

Communication Skills For Doctors (Handouts)tomorrowsconsultant.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/06/Communication... · TheHealthcare!Leadership!Model!replaced ... 9!“leadership!dimensions”!each!with!