Law School Senior Managers Development Programme...Appreciative Inquiry. The training needs analysis that helped to identify and shape these objectives involved: participant input

Law School Senior Managers Development ProgrammeProgramme ReportBy Alison Laithwaite Development & Training Officer

The University forWorld-Class Professionals

Law School Management Programme Evaluation Report | 2 Law School Management Programme Evaluation Report | 3

Background to the programme

Following the development of the Law School strategic plan, the Associate Head of Law initiated a Law School Senior Managers’ Development Programme designed by the Organisation Development and Training (ODT) Team.

The Law School Senior Team consists of the

Head of Department, Associate Heads and

Principal Lecturers, all of whom took part in the

Programme.

The key driver for the Programme was the

delivery of the Strategic Plan, developed to

support an improvement in the Law School’s

NSS scores and overall performance. To deliver

the strategic objectives, it was essential for

senior managers in the Law School to work

closely together, as a team, leading on whole

School initiatives. The aim was to change

the culture to one where staff could feel more

empowered to step up and make a difference,

establishing the School of Law as

“a trusted and inclusive learning community that values and realises the potential of every student and member of staff” (Law School Vision).

Following a discussion with ODT, a tailored but

flexible approach was agreed, allowing the use

of best practice from other programmes ODT

have delivered while adapting the approach to

meet the individual needs of the Law School

Senior Management Team (SMT).

SUCCESS

Teamwork Motivation

Inspiration Leadership

Vision

Objectives

The main objectives of the law school

management development programme were to:

• Address MMU’s staff development priority:

developing management and leadership

capability.

• Provide a focused opportunity for

staff to assess themselves against the

MMU Leadership and Management

Competency Framework, identifying areas

for development to succeed as a leader/

manager at MMU.

• Support succession planning requirements

for the School of Law.

• Make a real and measurable difference

to the student experience by delivering a

challenging Strategic Plan.

• Develop successful team working

relationships within the Senior Management

Team.

The objectives were identified in discussion

with the Associate Head following an initial

session on building the strategic plan using

Appreciative Inquiry. The training needs

analysis that helped to identify and shape these

objectives involved: participant input from this

initial session, the results from the NSS and the

Targeted Programme Improvement (TPI) process

and action plan.


The Programme took a blended approach

which responded to the needs identified by the

team at each stage. The aim was to provide

the greatest stretch for those involved within

a supportive environment. The blend included

using the ASTA 9 Team report to identify how

well the “team” were working together initially.

This identified a core issue that participants

in practice did not identify themselves as a

team. Thinking about this and other areas

that the team needed to focus on then helped

to shape the rest of the Programme. The

TMSDI team management profile was also

used. This allowed candidates to understand

themselves, each other, and how they could

best work together as a team to deliver the

strategic plan. The MMU Leadership and

Management Competencies were also built into

the Programme and coaching was offered using

an external provider.

Margerison-McCann Team Management

Wheel

Law school management programme approach

Cath Little, then Associate Head, was the

lead contact for the Programme. Development

was discussed and agreed between ODT and

Cath, in consultation with the then Head of

Department. The approach was very organic,

reacting to the needs and requirements of

the team both in supporting them to deliver

the requirements of the strategic plan and in

supporting their own personal development. A

full outline of the sessions delivered is provided

in Appendix A.

MMU Leadership and Management

Competency Framework

® The Team Management Wheel is a registered trademark. Reproduced by kind permission of TMS Development International Ltd, 2015

Translatesandcommunicatesdirection

Developsselfandothers

Manages others

Fosters teamwork

Champions studentandservicefocus

Achievesresults

Leadership integrity

The Framework

2

Development programme process

individual coaching

support with an external

coach

leadership & management

training modules

psychometric testing & team

diagnostics


The evaluation used the principles of

Kirkpatrick to identify the following:

1. Reactions – what did participants feel about

the training sessions?

2. Learning – what did participants learn from

doing this development (facts, knowledge,

etc.)?

3. Behaviours – what skills did participants

develop? What are they now doing differently

in the way they work?

4. Results – what results have been seen

because of the development participants

have engaged in?

Evaluation was completed in a number of ways:

• All participants completed a feedback

questionnaire based on the fours areas

outlined (the feedback questionnaire is

included in Appendix B).

• Participants were asked to identify three

words to summarise their experience on this

development programme. The larger the

word in the image below the more often it

apperared in the feedback

• A team review was carried out as part of

a SMT meeting (ODT did not attend this),

where the team could identify progress

made and follow on actions.

• The NSS feedback was analysed before and

after the intervention.

Individual outcomes for candidates from feedback questionnaireLevel 1

What did participants think about the training modules? Candidates were asked which sessions worked best for them and why.

(Below are some of the responses provided)

Offered new perspectives and

was directly relevant to the Law School

environment

The culture web session really

challenged our thinking, and we have been able

to act on outcomes from the day

TMSDI - Helped me to understand what

different people bring to the team

Leadership- I could directly apply things to my daily work and was able to focus on

the difference between operational and

strategic

The MAD days using appreciative inquiry to focus on achievements and celebrate success as well as identifying what we need to build

on going forward

ASTA 9 – getting feedback on how we all

felt the team was working. This was important to this

team, as we were not working as a team at the

start of this processManaging conflict – interesting and

useful ideas

EvaluationParticipants were asked to identify three words they would use that would summarise the process. The larger the word within the image below the more often it was used.


Level 2 What did participants learn from this development?

• “An awareness of teams and an

understanding of how to create and develop

them”

• “Understanding of my own characteristics

and behaviours and those of others in the

team”

• “Ability to use project management tools”

• “Self-awareness”

• “The need to consider others and their

perspectives when we are working as a

team”

• “Greater understanding of leadership

models and what leadership and

management is. More interested in the

different concepts and styles of leadership”

• “Recognition of my role and my value to the

team”

• “Strategic planning skills”

• “Project management skills”

• “Skills in leading change”

• “More creative in my role and more

solutions focused”

• “I now have a wide range of tools available

to me to lead and manage teams. I feel

much more confident in my abilities”

• “An understanding of everyone’s preferred

way of working and the ability to respond

appropriately”

• “How to work better as a team”

Level 3 What skills did participants develop? What are they now doing differently in the way they work?“

• “Plan for things in a much more structured

way”

• “See and consider a wider range of

viewpoints and I am able to handle

disagreements more confidently”

• “I take a training and development approach

with colleagues –supporting them to

achieve objectives”

• “I have started to use appreciative inquiry

on team days and this has led to some

positive outcomes”

• “I talk to people more and involve them in

decisions”

• “ I am more aware of why I do things in a

particular way and hence more confident”

• “I am more conscious of the team and that a

team does not just happen. Also I am aware

that it’s not enough to just bring people

together but they need to be nurtured and

supported to ensure bigger picture issues

are progressed”

• “Showing greater self-awareness of my own

skills, knowledge and behaviours”

• “Strategic leadership skills and planning

skills”

Level 4 What results have been seen as a consequence of the development participants have been engaged in?

Candidates were asked to summarise the results that they have observed.

• “This team is now working as a team”

• “The team is working more effectively”

• “There is increased support for other

individuals in the team”

• “A change in the ethos of the team. We are

still working on this change in practice”

• “We have a clear strategic vision which we

have developed as a team”

• “Team days with my own team have had

more positive outcomes”

• “Improvements in the NSS scores across all

categories as a result of the short, medium

and long term actions, meaning that a

significantly enhanced student experience

in all areas is sustainable”

The key driver for the Programme was the

delivery of the Strategic Plan, which had been

developed to support an improvement in the

Law School’s performance. This included

improvement in the NSS scores and overall

performance. The chart below shows the

performance of the Law schools NSS results

during the period of the development that

began in 2012.


NSS improvement trends data covering the period of the developmentThe dark blue line shows a strong incline, therefore improvement in all the areas the NSS covers

during the timeframe of this development. The green line is a sector comparison.

Improvement was achieved in all areas of the NSS.

Differences cannot be applied solely to the programme, the programme should be considered a

positive catalyst for change as are most interventions. Other catalysts have included the targeted

programme improvement initiative and the external coaching staff members received.

Team reviewAt a SMT meeting, the team discussed and identified progress made whilst on this development

programme, as well as clarifying and agreeing next steps for the SMT. The comments recorded

are set out below.

Successes of the Senior Management Team# Pulling together in the strategy planning/Christmas & New Year period

# Leadership development/team development

# Progressing certain frameworks e.g. embedding PDRs

# Quality of recruitment and processes that we have had input on.

# Clarity of terms of reference of SMT

# More strategic thinking and planning

# Team development/training/coaching

# Great sense of collegiality

# Working through coaching and seeing positive benefits – greater collegiality

# Surviving difficult times

# Better organisation of meeting schedules and agenda

# Participated in a number of team/personal development activities

# Management training sessions

# Support

# Managing crises collectively

# Strategic Plan development

Vision for the Senior Management Team following this engagement# More cohesive working together to get results which can be evaluated.

# Set out measures of success to monitor against

# Know what our remit and roles are

# Move to be a strategic board

# Hitting all targets and KPIs

# Being proud of our work

# Being valued by and relevant to all colleagues and students

# Space to think creatively together

# Working together as a team on both operational issues/delivery and strategic direction in the next year.

# Efficiency, Communication and Transparency

# Co-operation

# Focussed approach

# Driving forward – not getting bogged-down (stuff getting lost/not progressed)

# Knowing who is responsible for what

# Sufficient delegation to operate successfully

# Working together on staffing

# Strategic planning

# Working as a team, planning projects and overseeing them and seeing results.

# Managing own area effectively


Appendix A Events for the School Law

Date Event Overview Required objectivesNov 2012 Appreciative Inquiry Event Introduction to AI with sessions looking at the strengths in the team and where

to focus to build on this strength.• Identification of a tool for building the team • Produce/identify ideas/projects for the strategic plan • Engage the team in working together

Jan 2013 ASTA 9 diagnostic All exec team members to complete ASTA 9 team diagnostic. • All members of the team have a say in how they feel they work together as a team • Exec team to have a good understanding of how they are working towards the 9 factors measured • Able to see how their team compares with other teams that have completed the diagnostic

April 2013 ASTA 9 feedback to MB &CL Overview of the report. Discussion on timescales and approach for feeding back to team.

• Management have a good understanding of the report and what the team thinks about itself • Areas for team development are identified

29/4/13 Workforce planning session with Reward, Resourcing & HR systems

Session held by Reward, Resourcing and HR systems. • Identification of the areas individuals will be leading on for the strategic plan

7/5/13 Feedback ASTA 9 report to the exec team

All the team will be presented with the report- different areas discussed including raw scores and benchmark scores.

• The team will have an overview of everyone’s thoughts on their performance as a team • The team will understand how to read the report so they can then go away and reflect on ideas for taking the team forward • Areas for team development will be identified

9/9/13 & 13/9/13

Team building diagnostic and session Team Management Profile diagnostic. • Individuals to recognise what they bring to a team and where there strengths and development areas are • Understanding of what makes a team successful and individual personal preferences in work style and roles • Understanding of others in the team and consideration of how to link better to get the best from people

5/11/13 Leadership and management competencies and achieving objectives

Review of management competencies.

Identifying objectives to be completed and how these can be approached.• Individuals will have undertaken a self-assessment against the management competencies • Candidates will understand how the competencies can help to deliver objectives • Candidates will have reviewed objectives and linked them to the 50:50/20:20 vision • Candidates will have identified steps to help them complete their objectives

10/1/14 Culture web session Reviewing the culture currently and identifying how the management team would like it to change.

• Current culture identified using the culture web and examples both positive and negative discussed • Future culture explored and agreed. Clear identification of what we are working towards • How do we bridge that gap. Ideas explored and identified that link into the strategic plan areas • Identification of key leads on areas of the strategic plan

6/5/14 Leadership session Reviewing leadership & management, recognising the differences. Applying a leadership model approach.

• Identify differences between leadership & management • Understanding the Steve Radcliffe- Future Engage Deliver model • Link back to strategic plan areas review your leadership approach using the model • Identify next steps

17/7/14 Project Management Reviewing the process of project management using the tools and techniques from intro to projects course and a real live example.

• Understand the process of project management • Have tools and techniques that can be used to deliver projects successfully • Work as a management team looking at one particular project • Identify next steps for projects from the strategic plan

28/10/14 Managing Conflict Understanding conflict management, and Identifying different approaches to conflict.

• Complete the Thomas Kilmann diagnostic • Understand own conflict management style/approach • Understand the way the brain works and the options it offers • Consider ways to manage emotions and deal with conflict successfully

9/1/15 Making a Difference Day Identify priority areas for change for the Law School for the next 12 months.

Develop a culture of shared responsibility and shared ownership.

Identify key projects that will impact on the student experience.

Cement the position of the Law school ahead of the game in response to LETR.

• Staff identify their MAD moments from the last 12 months a celebration of what has been achieved and who and what has made a difference • Using appreciative inquiry techniques to start the day and embed the practice of AI • Identify good news stories to pass onto staff and stakeholders • Refocus on appreciative inquiry and the work done on the culture web complete a SOAR analysis on the work needed to deliver the 3 key strategic objectives • Identify the key challenges the Law school will face to deliver these and identify ways that these can be approached and deal with • Reminder of the FED leadership model. Time to identify what they will each be doing in their own teams

Time line of events – Focus being to build the exec team and to focus the whole school on the

strategic plan getting understanding, buy in and commitment from all staff


Dear All,

I have been working with you as a senior team for nearly two years now, it seems appropriate that

we should do some evaluation of the work covered so far. This will allow us to review the support

provided. The finished evaluation report will sit on the ODT website and be used as a guide in

discussion with other teams/departments about available support. Although all comments made

will remain anonymous.

The evaluation will take place in two parts. This is part one where I would ask you to

consider your individual answers to the following questions and then return this form to

[email protected] by the end of October.

Part two will be a team discussion, as part of one of your management meetings, looking at the

impact on the team as a whole. At this discussion, there will also be consideration of next steps

forward for the team.

Please complete your answers on this form and return them by the end of October. All responses

will be confidential.

Thank you in advance for your support in completing this.

Alison

Level 1 Reactions to the training/ development?

1. Specifically focusing on the development with ODT using three words only,

what 3 words would you use to describe the work we have done together.

The 3 words I would use are:

i ii iii

2. What session/s worked best for you and why?

Appendix B Law School Mid Term Evaluation

Level 2 Learning: what have you gained from doing this?

If there have been no changes for you, please feel free to leave this section blank.

1. What knowledge and skills do you feel you have now that you didn’t have two

years ago?

2. What knowledge and skills do you feel you have developed further and

enhanced?

Level 3 Behaviours: what are you now doing differently?

If there have been no changes for you, please feel free to leave this section blank

What are you doing differently now in your work and with your teams because of

what you have learned/developed?

Level 4 Results: what is happening now what has changed?

If there have been no changes for you, please feel free to leave this section blank

1. What do you feel the training has done for you in terms of actual results you have

seen?

Part 1 - Questions

This report is available online at: www.mmu.ac.uk/humanresources You can give us feedback on the report by sending an e mail to [email protected]. We welcome and look forward to reading your comments.

Organisation Development & Training This publication is available in alternative formats. Please telephone +44(0)161 247 6430

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Law School Senior Managers Development Programme...Appreciative Inquiry. The training needs analysis that helped to identify and shape these objectives involved: participant input