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3 Not so easy but powerful steps to create trust in your Primary Care Network
I was recently speaking with a Primary Care Network (PCN) Clinical Director who shared that she was working on a new financial management policy as members within the network continuously confronted and questioned her about how financial decisions were made.
Despite having a financial management policy which had already been agreed by the network, and all decisions made by committee, it struck me that it wasn’t a new policy that was needed. It was a conversation about trust and behaviours.
In a small network or organisation, a policy without the trust behind it is just a piece of paper.
My advice to her was that we could use the next board meeting to:
Share her observations and how this is making her feel, and inviting others to do the same.
Discuss with the network what additional measures need to be put in to place so people feel the financial management policy is fair and transparent.
Collectively agree with the network what behaviours and strengths the leaders of the network would like to display moving forward to help them with decision making. The behaviours discussed taken from the Core Strengths, Strengths Deployment Inventory include behaviours such as trusting, supportive, fair, helpful, inclusive and option orientated.
I think we can all relate to situations like this where we are trying to tackle an issue looking at the surface behaviours versus looking a little closer at what’s underneath. What’s underneath are our values, culture, motives, past situations and misunderstandings etc. Without sharing this with each other, all is not what it seems, and you never really get a resolution.
The outcome
An open and frank conversation
Members in the network sharing a little more about themselves and what they feel the network needs to move forward
Some new network principles to aid decision making
A team that feels more connected
The reason I titled this blog 3 not so easy but powerful steps to create trust in your Primary Care Network is that this stuff isn’t easy. It's hard and nerve-wracking to raise an issue in front of a group of people.
It's hard to be the one to step forward and air an issue that others may not want to discuss or directly oppose you, BUT with the support and a bit of planning, this will generate powerful results.
If you would like more information on how the Strengths Deployment Inventory can be delivered or if you need support to help your team or network and assist you in becoming more effective, please contact tara@thcprimarycare.co.uk or take a further look at the support we provide - Primary Care Network Support.
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Tara Humphrey is the founder of THC Primary Care, a leading healthcare consultancy. Tara and her team work with GP Federations and Primary Care Networks implementing their; projects, clinical contracts and network fundamentals, with the aim of saving them time, money and stress.
Tara has over 20 years of project management and business development experience across the private and public sector.
Tara also has an MBA in Leadership and Management in Healthcare, is a Certified Core Strengths Facilitator, is published in the London Journal of Primary Care and is the author of over 150 blogs.
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