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Hello, I'm Michael West.
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I'm Senior Visiting Fellow
at The King's Fund in London...
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..and Professor of Organisational
Psychology at Lancaster University.
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I want to share with you
some thoughts...
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..about why compassionate leadership
is so important in a crisis.
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We've learned a lot
from the last months...
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..when we've been coping with a
terrible pandemic around the world.
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It's been really important...
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.that at times of fear,
uncertainty and anxiety..
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..people have the sense of safety...
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..that's provided when leaders
behave compassionately.
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They do this by attending to them...
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..seeking to understand
the challenges they face...
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..by empathising with them
and by helping them.
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Removing obstacles that get in the
way of them doing their jobs...
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..or ensuring they've got
the resources they need.
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We know that at times of difficulty
and major change...
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..the role of leaders
is to focus even more...
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..on providing support for staff.
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That's what enables them to cope...
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..and manage change and uncertainty
effectively.
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It's very easy for leaders
to almost forget the importance...
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..of increasing support during
those times for those they lead.
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I think the third
really important reason...
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..is that in times of
great uncertainty and crisis...
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..we need all the creativity
and adaptability and innovation...
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..we can muster from the staff...
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..who make up our social care teams
and organisations.
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They are, after all, amongst the
most skilled and motivated people...
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..anywhere in the workforce
in Wales.
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So, by managing them
compassionately...
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..through listening, understanding,
empathising and helping...
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..we release that innovation
and creativity.
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This enables us to adapt
to times of crisis and change.
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It's also about compassionately
focusing on the core needs...
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..of those we lead at work,
especially during times of crisis.
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The three core needs we have of
the need for autonomy and control...
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..the need for a sense of
belonging.
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We feel that we are cared for,
valued and respected...
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..by our leaders,
our teams, our organisations.
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And the need for
a sense of competence...
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..that we're making a positive
difference through our work.
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So when compassionate leaders,
during times of crisis...
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..focus on the need people have
for autonomy and control...
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..so that they're not just victims
of command and control.
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We release their innovation.
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There's an understandable
tendency...
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..for leaders in crisis to revert
to a command and control style...
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..that inhibits innovation
and adaptability.
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And second, it's ensuring that we're
promoting that sense of belonging...
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..through reinforcing
teamworking..
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..ensuring that everyone is working
in a supportive team...
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..that has clear goals and meets
regularly to review performance.
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Because that's what is protective
of staff well-being...
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..and also associated with
innovation and adaptability.
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And third, it's about making sure...
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..that we're promoting that sense
of competence for people...
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..by ensuring
they're not overwhelmed...
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..by chronic excessive workloads.
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Good compassionate leadership
in times of crisis...
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..is about continually focusing
on work and work overload...
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..to ensure that we are caring for
and supporting those we lead.
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It's about having the courage to
take time out on a regular basis...
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..as teams, as leaders, to reflect
on how we're coping and adapting...
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..what we're trying to achieve,
how we're going about it...
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..and what we need to change.
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Because all of the research evidence
we have tells us...
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..that in social care settings...
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..times for reflection and review
as individuals with managers...
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..having supervision as teams,
taking time to reflect and review...
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..and as organisations...
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..to reflect and review
when dealing with crisis...
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..is critical to effectiveness,
innovation, productivity.
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That's how in times of crisis we can
most effectively deliver...
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..for the people and the communities
we serve across Wales.
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Diolch yn fawr.