No going back! Implications of the pandemic for leadership practice and organisation development in health and care

Bolden, Richard

Abstract

This keynote address will outline findings from two recent studies of leadership practice and organisation development (OD) in the UK health and care system during the COVID-19 pandemic. The first study looks at the lived experience of NHS staff and leaders in London. Reflective conversations with frontline and operational staff revealed themes, including the physical and emotional costs of working through the pandemic; seeing inequality unmasked; navigating ambiguity and uncertainty; stepping up to the challenge, responding to urgency; and no return to business as usual. Similar issues were raised through interviews with senior level, strategic leaders although, rather than emphasising the challenges, there was an overwhelming focus on what had been achieved and the ‘remarkable’ way in which the London health and care system had come together to respond to the pandemic and provide quality patient care. The second study supports the development of an OD community of practice for the Integrated Care System (ICS) in Nottingham and Nottinghamshire. A mixed methods approach was taken, including an online survey, in-depth interviews, collaborative workshops and a review of theory and evidence. A range of important issues were identified, including organisational innovation; systems leadership; shared purpose; relationship building; power and politics; fostering inclusivity; working systemically; planning, resourcing and goodwill; investing in OD; implementing appropriate metrics; and facilitating system change. Together these studies provide a rich range of practical, conceptual and developmental implications regarding the effectiveness and sustainability of health care service delivery, transformation and change over the coming years.

• Presentation Conference Type: Keynote
• Conference Name: International Conference on Social Research and Innovation (ICSRI)
• Start Date: Nov 6, 2021
• End Date: Nov 7, 2021
• Deposit Date: Sep 5, 2022
• Keywords: COVID-19 pandemic, COVID-19, Health and care, Social Research and Innovation
• Public URL: https://uwe-repository.worktribe.com/output/9948577
• Publisher URL: https://villacollege.edu.mv/icsri/2021/