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Chapter 3 Contents
Chapters
1
Welcome and introduction
An introduction to the Health CIO Handbook, its aims, objectives and intended audience.
4
Transition guide to becoming a Health CIO
A transition guide to becoming a Health CIO, what should you expect, what mistakes should you try to avoid.
6
Partnering with CCIOs and other clinicians
How can CIOs most effectively partner with clinicians?
8
Future challenges
An examination of some of the ‘near future’ disruptive challenges that Health CIOs should think about preparing for; big data, genomics and the digital patient.
9
Breaking through the silicon ceiling
As a successful Health CIO, you have a lot of skills. How do you use them to secure the next step in your career? And what, exactly, do Health CIOs bring to the executive table?
Leadership behaviours
By Owen Powell
Be big, be hairy, be audacious.
The difference between leadership and management
Within most NHS organisations, the chief information officer role is a leadership position and requires a particular set of skills and behaviours to be effective. Typically, these skills and behaviours would be very different from those which are normally found in IT management role.
This chapter explores the difference between management and leadership, and suggests a number of actions to support the transition into a leadership position.
What does a good IT manager look like?
IT managers come in all shapes and sizes but, in my experience, those that are most effective tend to be focused on running an efficient operation
They emphasise slick processes (such as accounts and kit for new starters being delivered on time) and strong governance (documentation and paperwork in place – for example hard disk destruction certificates neatly labelled and filed).
I would expect to see rigorous supplier management in place, with third-party IT companies held to account for their performance, and a strong emphasis on financial and commercial aspects. It wouldn’t be unusual for IT to sit within a finance directorate, so tight maintenance of budgets would be expected.
In short, a good IT manager is well organised, task orientated and focused on delivering a consistent, high quality IT operation.
How is leadership different?
In a leadership role, I would argue that there is much less emphasis on operations (doing the same things consistently and well) and a much greater emphasis on innovation and development.
The role becomes much more outward looking, more future focused, and less structured. A different approach to relationships is needed too, since a CIO will need to work with a much broader range of stakeholders.
Better to ask for forgiveness than permission
One of the important characteristics of leadership is a broader scope of responsibility. There is an expectation that leaders are pro-active, bold and have the authority to make decisions which affect the whole enterprise.
It is accepted that more senior roles have a different risk profile; as an IT manager, it would be reasonable to assume a risk-averse mentality, since the priority is keeping the operation running smoothly. In a more senior role, it is likely that calculated risks will need to be taken.
Ultimately, being a CIO is about effecting organisational change; just keeping the ship steady will not be sufficient for long term success. Clearly, this depends on the culture of the organisation, so it is very important to understand the parameters of the leadership role at the outset.
Nevertheless, it should be recognised that this may be very different from the philosophy of operational IT management where stability is sought after, so a change in mindset may be needed.
Action:
Think about how you approach risk. What approach will you take to adjust your mindset from risk averse to taking controlled risks? What are parameters of your role? What authority do you have? Where will you get support from?
BHAGs
Following the theme of change, it can be useful to set yourself Big Hairy Audacious Goals. Be ambitious. If you can see something that can be improved – and as CIO you are in a perfect position to spot opportunities – act on it.
Also ensure that your goals are aligned with organisational targets; improving quality and efficiency are key issues for many trusts. As part of your leadership role, you will need to be aware of the scale of the change required across the whole piece.
Also ensure that your goals are aligned with organisational targets; improving quality and efficiency are key issues for many trusts. As part of your leadership role, you will need to be aware of the scale of the change required across the whole piece.
Action:
Think about what organisational changes may be needed. How can you help define and articulate these? What skills and knowledge do you have that can make these changes happen? Who will you need to work with to develop delivery plans?
Being outward focused
One of the components of the NHS leadership model is systemic thinking. This means having a deep understanding of your place in the overall system; within the context of this model, “system” may refer to the management team, the organisation, the local health community or the NHS as a whole.
As a CIO, knowing where you fit in to the broader agenda is essential, and I would say that an appreciation of the organisational context – and your position in it - is an essential critical success factor.
CIOs have a distinct perspective, which will be valuable to other leaders. However, it is important that your role doesn’t become narrow, and overly focused on technology.
Maintaining a strategic, business-oriented view of the wider health economy will be key. For example, many NHS organisations are looking at integrated care organisations and information sharing to support risk stratification.
Be aware that there will be a “political” aspect to this work, and as such will be much more complex than a typical IT project.
Action:
Map out your place in your local system. Work out who the key stakeholders and influencers are. Think about what it is that you bring to the party, and what other peoples’ expectations of you might be, both inside and outside your organisation.
Relationships – up, down and across
One of the consequences of a more outward-focused approach is a much wider network of relationships. To be effective you need strong links with people across (and outside) the business – irrespective of hierarchy.
Putting together a stakeholder map would be a very worthwhile exercise, but that’s only the start. Making a real effort to get to know stakeholders will be essential.
It is also very important to understand and acknowledge other peoples’ challenges and the context of their roles; if you can pro-actively offer help to senior colleagues (and deliver on it!) then this will be a sure way to cement your position in the senior management team.
It is important also not to make assumptions about other people; the best approach is to find time to sit down with them and chat with them, making clear that you are here to help.
Action:
Find time to meet senior stakeholders, over a coffee if possible, and let them tell you about their perspective. Induction meetings are an ideal time to this.
Be clear about what you can and can’t offer. At the end of each meeting, try to come up with at least one deliverable that you can commit to, and ensure that you deliver on it.
Personal Branding
Given that you will be working with a broader range of people, give some thought to what you would like to be known for; your personal brand. Try to reinforce this brand at every opportunity.
Action:
Consider the following attributes; which three would you most like to be known for by your senior management peers?
Approachable, Friendly, Technical Expert, Delivery-focussed, Strategic, People Skills, Problem Solver, Well-organised, Supportive, Decisive, Politically Astute, Innovative, Financially Literate, Excellent Judgement.
What other attributes might be appropriate? And to what extent are these likely to be valued by your senior management colleagues?
Summary
Moving into an NHS IT leadership role can be confusing; initially, at least. Gaining an early understanding of 1) the parameters of your role, 2) other peoples’ challenges and 3) the expectations on you will be crucial
Thinking about how you approach work will also be important, and it would be sensible to consider how comfortable you will be in a riskier, less structured position, with a broader and more complex range of relationships to manage.
You will notice that in all of this there has been no mention of technology; clearly, the strategic use of technology will be key, but my view it is less important that the softer skills that I have outlined above.
A final action is to think about what personal development will be needed to be successful in this new role. What sort of training and support will help you make the transition, and gain the new skills needed to be a success in an NHS Leadership role?
Owen Powell
Owen Powell has worked in IT for more than 20 years, in a variety of technical, project and senior management roles.
More recently, he has been focussing on organisational change projects, has led major IT service redesigns for the Arts Council and within the NHS, and is leading a programme of change within Surrey and Borders Partnership Mental Health Trust.
In addition to this experience in the IT field, Owen has gained a number of qualifications in psychology, and is currently working towards chartered occupational psychologist status.
He is very interested in the communication and behavioural skills of IT staff – particularly IT leaders - and has a firm belief that IT teams will only deliver real value when they improve the quality of their business relationships.
