Maximising Performance resource packThis pack contains resources which can be used to support Maximising Performance conversations. They have been designed to be used by either the member of staff or line manager in preparing for Maximising Performance meetings.

Contents

Resources for managersMaximising Performance Form – the form to record brief notes from the meetingsFlow Chart to Get Started – how to put Maximising Performance in placeFrequently Asked Questions – questions you may have about Maximising PerformanceExample Supervision Structure – support for managers about how to structure supervisions

Resources for supervision/1:1Reflection of the past month – identifying where the individual has excelled and lessons to be learntThe East Sussex Way - use to discuss how individuals have gone about their workQuad report - to outline achievements over past month and projections for month to comeCoaching questions – some helpful prompts for use in supervision/1:1The Grow Model - useful in supporting team members develop an action plan for their work

Resources for Golden Thread Quarterly ConversationGolden thread goals – outline goals for the coming yearWhat you contribute - understand the contribution you make at work

Resources for Wellbeing Quarterly ConversationThe Wheel of Life - a tool to see how you can achieve greater balance in your lifeOne Simple Thing – exploring what one thing you can do to increase your wellbeingWellbeing intranet page – look here for more wellbeing resources

Resources for Development Quarterly Conversation Development goals – agree what you will achieve in 6 and 12 months’ timeThe performance wheel - a tool to see where you can further develop at workSupport and stretch discussion – useful in reviewing where more/less support or stretch is needed

Resources for Reflective Practice Quarterly ConversationCritical reflection - useful for reflecting on a particular eventReflecting on the past year – helpful to reflect on a wider scaleThe ‘What’ model – use to learn from a particular event

Resources for Team Maximising Performance MeetingsTeam priorities exercise- review where team member's work can support each otherTeam solutions – a resource to help you come up with solutions as a team

1

Resources for managers

2

Maximising Performance Name of employee:

Date of meeting:

Meeting type (delete as appropriate): Supervision / 1:1, Quarterly Conversation

Name of manager:

Part 1 – looking back(Reflection from both the manager and team member of individual’s performance/progress since last supervision/1:1)

Part 2 – looking forward(A space to update/review/refresh the individual’s objectives and note actions to be taken before next supervision/1:1)

Part 3 – generalItems for discussion/reminders (4-6 weekly meeting) Quarterly conversations Wellbeing Behaviours (East Sussex Way) Workload & Caseload Issues Training and Development/CPD Annual Leave/Flexi Feedback

wellbeing ‘the golden thread’ development & career reflective practice

Discussed Actions to be taken

Notes Agreed by: DateEmployee:            

Supervisor:            

3

4

Implementing Maximising Performance, how to get started:

r Complete the 12:4:2 manager learning pathway which should take you approximately 1 hour 20 minutes, the pathway is split into sections so you don’t need to complete it all in one go. To complete the pathway you will need to log onto the East Sussex Learning Portal, if you need any help with logging on please contact Corporate Training on 01323 747102.

r Consider whether you need to do the one day ‘Appraisal and Supervision – Getting the most from the new model’ course. This course covers how to coach an underperforming member of staff to improve their performance as well as how to use coaching techniques to get even more out of high performing members of staff. It can be booked via the East Sussex Learning portal.

r Review the other support available (coaching pool, online resources, contact corporate organisational development team for support if required).

r Set up 12:4:2 meetings with your staff and team. An example of how this might look is shown below. Please note the Golden Thread conversation should take place in June unless your team has a business reason for it taking place at another point in the year.

r After each meeting, record brief notes using the appropriate form for your department.

Here is an example of what your year might look like, although not necessarily in this order:

JanSupervision/1:1

FebSupervision/1:1

Use team meeting to discuss team objectives (required)

MarSupervision/1:1

Extended conversation (optional)

AprSupervision/1:1

MaySupervision/1:1

JunSupervision/1:1

Golden Thread Extended conversation (required)

JulSupervision/1:1

AugSupervision/1:1

Use team meeting to discuss team objectives (required)

SeptSupervision/1:1

Extended conversation (optional)

OctSupervision/1:1

NovSupervision/1:1

DecSupervision/1:1

Extended conversation (required)

5

Frequently Asked Questions

The move to Maximising Performance...........................................................................................7

Does Maximising Performance replace APAR/the annual appraisal?............................................7

What are the biggest changes I can expect from this new system?..............................................7

Why has the appraisal system changed?.......................................................................................7

Is this just another system that will be changed again in another few years?...............................7

Who was consulted about the changes?.......................................................................................7

It says that objectives should be set and reviewed for staff as part of regular conversations. When should this start?.................................................................................................................7

Manager and staff responsibilities..................................................................................................8

Will this process be in addition to my supervision/1:1?................................................................8

As a staff member, what is my responsibility for the new process?..............................................8

As a manager, what is my responsibility for the new process?.....................................................8

Documenting and monitoring of the process..................................................................................8

Will anyone be monitoring whether Maximising Performance is done?.......................................8

Will records of this conversation be completed electronically in the future?...............................8

Can I keep on using the old form and grading system?.................................................................8

Coaching........................................................................................................................................9

Coaching is talked about a lot with Maximising Performance. What do you mean by this?.........9

My member of staff isn’t responding well to coaching and doesn’t seem to want to change. What should I do?..........................................................................................................................9

The link to other people processes.................................................................................................9

Will Maximising Performance affect recruitment processes?.......................................................9

Will Maximising Performance affect redeployment?....................................................................9

Will Maximising Performance affect formal performance management processes?....................9

Should staff on ‘supported introduction to employment’ have Maximising Performance meetings with their manager?.......................................................................................................9

What should I do if a member of my team underperforms?.........................................................9

Has the East Sussex Way been scrapped?...................................................................................10

I heard that management and leadership competencies are going to be developed for East Sussex. How will these fit with Maximising Performance?..........................................................10

Extended conversations................................................................................................................10

6

Both my manager and I have requested an extended conversation but we want to discuss different topic areas. What should we do?..................................................................................10

My staff member has asked to discuss development several times in the extended conversation but I can’t see them progressing in the near future because there are no senior posts available/they don’t have the skills/behaviours needed to progress. What should I do?...........10

Feedback about the new system...................................................................................................10

If I have any comments/feedback about the new process, who should I contact?.....................10

What happens if my manager doesn’t adopt the new approach or if I’m not happy with the way my manager does it?...................................................................................................................10

Professional/department specific information..............................................................................10

As a social worker who has to adhere to Professional Capabilities Framework, how will the new system affect my pay progression?..............................................................................................10

I am a teacher – how does this relate to teachers’ performance evaluation and appraisal?.......11

Should key targets from service performance improvement plans be included in objectives?...11

Will East Sussex school staff adopt the new process?.................................................................11

7

The move to Maximising Performance

Does Maximising Performance replace APAR/the annual appraisal? Yes it does.

What are the biggest changes I can expect from this new system? The new system is founded on the ratio of 12:4:2 and this may change some of the meetings you have with your manager/staff member over the year. 12 - Reflection on performance and objective setting will happen as part of regular supervisions/1:1s (up to 12 times a year) instead of taking place once a year. 4 - Managers and staff will have the chance to extend supervisions/1:1s quarterly to have more time to reflect and discuss important topics, such as wellbeing or development2 - Two team meetings a year will be used to discuss how the work of the team contributes to the Council/Departmental/Service Priority Outcomes.

Why has the appraisal system changed?We asked for feedback about the appraisal in all departments and from different levels of staff. It was widely felt that the old appraisal system needed to be changed; goals quickly became out-of-date and the paperwork and process was felt to be a burden with limited return for both the manager and staff member. In addition, there is a lot of research to support the move to the new approach. For example, regular goal setting and feedback are shown to be of more benefit to staff than an annual performance review and it is shown that we all get more from an appraisal when the focus is on the conversation and not on the completion of detailed paperwork.

Is this just another system that will be changed again in another few years? This process has been designed in partnership with all departments in the Council and we hope it will be used for many years to come. We can’t promise this approach will be kept forever but we hope it will be fit for the foreseeable future as every department has contributed thoughts and ideas to its development.

Who was consulted about the changes?We spoke to individuals in all departments through a variety of channels, including:

Meeting with the employee representative group in ASC Individuals in CSD were invited to meet with Jenny Gaitskell Focus groups in CET A survey was sent out to all Governance Service and ASC&H staff Trade Union Representatives An article on the intranet asking for thoughts and views

In addition to this, the working group that created this new approach was made up of representatives from each department.

It says that objectives should be set and reviewed for staff as part of regular conversations. When should this start? Objectives should be set for staff in their first supervision/1:1 meeting as part of Maximising Performance. They can then be reviewed and altered as necessary in subsequent supervision/1:1s.

8

Manager and staff responsibilities

Will this process be in addition to my supervision/1:1? All staff should have supervision/1:1 with their line manager on a 4-6 weekly basis. These meetings are included in the new approach and should be used to reflect on performance over the past month, discuss wellbeing and refresh objectives/goals.

As a staff member, what is my responsibility for the new process?We all have the responsibility to prepare for the Maximising Performance conversations to get the most out of each conversation. There are resources on the intranet to help you prepare in advance for each meeting. Before each supervision/1:1, consider what you have achieved in the past month and what new goals you may need to work towards in the coming month. Each quarter, you have the opportunity to request an extended conversation to discuss a particular topic with your manager (such as wellbeing, development etc.) - you have a responsibility to consider whether you need an extended conversation and, if you do, to prepare for it using the resources online to get the most out of the time set aside with your manager.

As a manager, what is my responsibility for the new process?All line managers have the responsibility to be well prepared for the Maximising Performance conversations with their staff to enable them to get the most out of each meeting. There are resources on the intranet to help managers and staff prepare in advance for each meeting. Before each supervision/1:1, consider what your member of staff has achieved over the past month and areas of development or things that haven’t gone well in order to give them feedback. You have the opportunity every quarter to request an extended conversation with your staff member to discuss a particular topic (such as wellbeing, development etc.) so you also have a responsibility to consider whether an extended conversation is needed and to prepare adequately.

Documenting and monitoring of the process

Will anyone be monitoring whether Maximising Performance is done? We expect managers to discuss team performance in supervision/1:1 with their line manager and this may include how Maximising Performance is going. If teams are underperforming, one of the questions that will be asked of the manager is what process they are using to appraise and keep updated with their team’s work. In addition, the golden thread quarterly conversation will be uploaded online in the future, which will allow some monitoring to be undertaken.

Will records of this conversation be completed electronically in the future?We hope to get a system for recording main points from the conversations online as soon as possible. Until then, a simplified form available on the intranet can be used to record the main points from the conversations. Some services have forms that will need to be used to adhere to professional standards – if you need to keep on using a particular form, you will be made aware of this.

Can I keep on using the old form and grading system? Maximising Performance is the new recommended approach; it has been developed based on the feedback from staff and managers and we encourage all teams to adopt it. Our focus is on the outcome – having teams that are high-performing and engaged. If your current process enables your team to be high performing and engaged, you can choose to continue with your current approach. However, we believe that all employees should have access to the new, recommended approach if they request it and that teams should have a discussion about what approach they are going to take.

9

Coaching

Coaching is talked about a lot with Maximising Performance. What do you mean by this? Coaching is unlocking a person’s potential to maximise their own performance. It is helping them to discover answers by themselves rather than teaching them. This usually happens by the manager asking questions of their employee to elicit answers instead of directing the staff member about what course of action to take. We believe that all managers can and should act as coaches for their staff and know that this will have a positive impact on the performance of all staff as well as improving engagement, wellbeing and resilience levels.

My member of staff isn’t responding well to coaching and doesn’t seem to want to change. What should I do? It is important to understand why this is. Consider whether you need to raise their desire to change; help instil the belief that change is possible or help them develop a strategy for change. There are resources online if you need support with your approach to coaching and there is a two day ‘coaching for managers’ course available on the corporate training directory that you might find helpful.

The link to other people processes

Will Maximising Performance affect recruitment processes? The old appraisal system had no link to recruitment processes. This will continue to be the case with Maximising Performance.

Will Maximising Performance affect redeployment? The old appraisal had no link to the redeployment process. This will continue to be the case with Maximising Performance.

Will Maximising Performance affect formal performance management processes?The old appraisal had no explicit links to formal performance management processes, although individuals may not work towards their annual objectives whilst being monitored to achieve short term objectives/targets as part of a formal performance management process. This will continue to be the case.

Should staff on ‘supported introduction to employment’ have Maximising Performance meetings with their manager?During their first year of employment, staff should have monthly supervisions with their manager as well as a set schedule of reviews at regular intervals. They will therefore partially follow the Maximising Performance cycle by having regular supervisions and being involved in team meetings. It is not expected that staff will have quarterly conversations during their probationary year due to the regular appointment support reviews taking place.

What should I do if a member of my team underperforms?If you have a member of staff who is underperforming, you should usually raise the performance issues informally with them during supervision/1:1s in the first instance. This might include exploring why their performance has not met expectations, clarifying goals and discussing any support they need for their performance to improve. We believe that Maximising Performance will support us all to maximise performance by managers and staff having continuous conversations about performance. There is a formal process for the management of unacceptable performance which you should refer to if the team member’s performance continues to be unacceptable. If this is the case, you should speak to your HR Advisor to discuss next steps.

10

Has the East Sussex Way been scrapped?The East Sussex Way was developed following engagement sessions with staff a few years ago. We believe they can be used more effectively, underpinning discussions; forming the basis of reflections on past performance; and determining development needs going forwards.

I heard that management and leadership competencies are going to be developed for East Sussex. How will these fit with Maximising Performance?They will fit with Maximising Performance in the same way as discussions about the East Sussex Way; forming the basis of reflections on past performance and determining development needs going forwards, essentially underpinning the process for managers.

Extended conversations

Both my manager and I have requested an extended conversation but we want to discuss different topic areas. What should we do? If this happens, there are several options available to you. If time permits, you might decide to have a longer extended meeting to allow both conversations to take place. If this is not possible, you should decide together which topic to cover and agree to discuss the other topic at the next quarterly extended conversation.

My staff member has asked to discuss development several times in the extended conversation but I can’t see them progressing in the near future because there are no senior posts available/they don’t have the skills/behaviours needed to progress. What should I do? As a manager, you will need to be clear with your member of staff about opportunities for development within the team, whilst remembering that a move up is not the only form of development (i.e. there is also the option of broadening experience or deepening knowledge and expertise). Taking a coaching approach to conversations about development with staff will enable them to identify where they need to develop, in terms of skills and behaviour, to be in a position to progress within the organisation where possible.

Feedback about the new system

If I have any comments/feedback about the new process, who should I contact? Please contact the Organisational Development Team in Personnel and Training – corporate.organisationaldevelopment@eastsussex.gov.uk to give any comments or feedback.

What happens if my manager doesn’t adopt the new approach or if I’m not happy with the way my manager does it? You should discuss this in the first instance with your line manager or your line manager’s manager. If you are unable to do this, you can call the corporate Organisational Development Team: corporate.organisationaldevelopment@eastsussex.gov.uk for further advice.

Professional/department specific information

As a social worker who has to adhere to Professional Capabilities Framework, how will the new system affect my pay progression? The portfolio required for social work progression is not changing. The guidance for social workers on progressing from single status 10-11 in particular is for the PCF to be discussed in the appraisal.

11

Maximising Performance involves regular conversations about performance and the PCF should form part of these conversations for all social workers.

I am a teacher – how does this relate to teachers’ performance evaluation and appraisal? Teachers working within East Sussex County Council have an annual teacher’s appraisal as defined by the Education (School Teachers’ Appraisal) Regulations 2012. This will continue to be the case for all teachers covered by School Teachers’ Pay and Conditions. All teachers will continue to have a teacher appraisal to discuss performance and agree any pay progression.

Should key targets from service performance improvement plans be included in objectives?Key targets from service performance improvement plans can be included in team and/or individual objectives where appropriate and discussed as part of the ‘golden thread’ quarterly conversation we should all have around June.

Will East Sussex school staff adopt the new process? The new process is being rolled out across corporate departments in East Sussex County Council and there are currently no plans to extend this to schools.

12

Example Supervision StructureThis document provides a framework to guide maximising performance conversations. Before the session: Gather relevant documents listed in the resources column. Review areas requiring preparation before the conversation

Time (M)

Activity Objective Potential coaching questions Resources

10 Wellbeing (including AL and flexi): Checking in with individual about how they are

To understand how the employee is and if they require support any from you.Could link to a wellbeing quarterly conversations

How are you doing?Is there anything you’d like to share with me?What do you think would help you with…?

- FirstCare records- AL and flexi recording forms

20 Workload (including looking back and forward): Reflection by employee of performance/progress since last supervision. Update/review/refresh objectives and discuss actions to be completed before next supervision.

To reflect upon work load, note if there are any performance concerns and agree any changes to work objectives.Could link to a reflective practice quarterly conversations

What progress have you made with…?What milestones and activities are coming up?Where are things going well/not so well?Are there changes needed to your objectives?What will your focus be over the next month?

- Previous supervision form/s- Work list

10 Feedback: Review and discuss feedback received in relation to the employee and feedback the employee may have.

To celebrate successes, note where changes may be needed and establish any learning needs.

What positive feedback have you had?What does the feedback tell you about…?How could you improve…?

- Feedback from customers/colleagues- Own observations

10 Behaviours: Compare current behaviours and working styles to the East Sussex Way

To create a clear outline of where the East Sussex Way behaviours are met and where development is required.Could link to a golden thread quarterly conversations

Have you considered how you could find a better way of doing…?Where could we improve our team’s service?Are there other people in the Council you could link with?Can you give me an example of…?

- The East Sussex Way- Team standards

10 Training and development: Discussion of any training or

To assess whether there are any training and development needs.

What would help you to do your job even better?

- Training records- Previous

13

development the employee may need to perform their role to a high standard. Review of any training already undertaken.

Could link to a career/development quarterly conversations

Where do you think you need to develop?What are your aspirations for the coming year?What impact has X training had on…?

supervision form/s- Previous appraisal

14

Resources for supervision/1:1

15

Reflection of the past month

Name:

Areas for improvement from past month(Think of specific examples where performance could improve; including goals missed, interpersonal issues, general quality of work. Focus on two or three key words/areas.)

Where you’ve excelled over past month(Think about highlights, goals achieved, great work, recent accomplishments, good feedback from clients or team members Focus on two or three key words/areas.)

Fill this in and discuss what you’ve written with your manager

16

The East Sussex Way

Behaviours MeasuresWe are customer drivenThis behaviour is about creating a dialogue of equals between the organisation and its customers and creating a shared commitment and way forward. It’s not about satisfying the customer at any cost – as this may sometimes be in conflict with the organisation’s needs. It is about establishing common ground first and working together to find the best solutions.

We seek to understand our customers’ concerns and needs by putting ourselves in their shoes

We avoid one way interactions in which we tell things without listening. We check for understanding and seek to find common ground

We speak positively to and about our customers We deliver on our promises to customers

We deliver a great serviceThis is about the need to remember what we are trying to do. We can spend a lot of time doing things without always knowing its real value. This is about helping staff have a clear focus on the outcomes they are looking for and understanding the resources they have available to deliver them. It’s about challenging ourselves and others to do the best we can with the resources we have and to challenge others when they’re not delivering at the standard we expect.

We make sure we are clear about what we’re trying to deliver for our customers and the resources we have to deliver them

We ask ourselves and others “why we are doing this and what results do we want?”

We act when things are not being done in the right way or done at all

We take responsibilityThis is about people making decisions in “real time” without waiting for a formal meeting or pre-scheduled event and doing what needs to be done to deliver for our customers, without using “the organisation” as an excuse for doing nothing. It’s not about doing everything oneself, but about ensuring that a problem/need is going to be sorted. It’s about seeking clarity on what we can do and then getting on with it. It’s also about defining realistic timescales, being certain about the promises we make and not committing others to promises we can’t keep for them.

If I spot a problem or need I sort it out, even if it’s not in my job description I do what I say I’m going to do, when I say I’ll do it I seek clarity on what’s in my remit and do it without referring to my manager

We work together as one CouncilThis is about people building relationships and thinking about other colleagues in delivering for customers – and about proactively seeking opportunities to do this both through the processes we use, and how we work. When we are at our best we work as One Council, strongly networked across the organisation, judging our success against the outcome for the whole population and the organisation not just against the interests of a particular group, team or department.

I actively seek to work with colleagues and partner organisations to get the best results for our customer

I make myself available to others, when asked to share ideas, provide help or work on common goals

We always ask “who else do we need to talk to about this, who else needs to know?”

We find better way of doing thingsBehind this behaviour is the idea of creating an environment where people are not stuck in “the way we have always done things.” Creating the conditions for innovation can be done by promoting curiosity and enquiry, by seeking “unpredictable” answers. It’s not just about breakthrough products or quantum leap innovation but the day to day improvements that come from a critical view of things.

We ask the question: can it be done better or differently? We look outside the team, department, and organisation for ideas and examples

of how things can be done When designing systems or processes we avoid predictable answers by involving

diverse people, not just our close circle We welcome challenge from peers and share learning – both positive and

negative

17

Quad Report

Achievements over last month Issues and risks for escalation

Outlook for next week/month Expected working locations

18

Coaching Questions

Exploration of ideas – questions to broaden thinking and explore different optionsWhat other angles can you think of?Can you think of just one more possibility?May we explore that some more?What are your other options?What are the possibilities?If you had your choice, what would you do?What are possible solutions?What options can you create?

Outcomes – questions to get to the heart of what the team member wantsWhat is your desired outcome?How will you know you have reached it?What would success look like?

Implementation – questions to outline the steps needed to achieve a goalWhat is the action plan?How you would like to see things happening?What will you have to do to get the job done?What support do you need to accomplish…?What will you do?When will you do it?What is it to be complete?What’s next?What will keep you on track?What barriers can you see to getting this done? How can they be removed?

Reflection – after an event, questions to consider what could be improved next timeIf you could do it over again, what would you do differently?If it were you, what would you have done?How else could a person handle this?If you could do anything you wanted, what would you do?What did it take to get here?What have you learned about yourself?What acknowledgement would you like to give yourself for the work done?

19

Using The GROW model

When using The Grow model, you usually start with one or two of the first set of questions and move through each of the stages, taking a step back where necessary.

The GROW model questions

TOPICWhat would you like to think / talk about?Tell me about your subject?Give me a flavour in a few short sentences.Do you have a particular issue you’d like to discuss?

REALITYWhat is happening now?Please describe the current situation?What made you realise that you need to do something different?Who is involved and what is their role?

GOALWhat do you want to move forward with?What can we achieve in the time available?How would you like to see things happening?What does success look like?What specific outcomes/impact do you want to achieve?What would be the most helpful thing to take away from this session?

OPTIONSWhat are your options?What is the impact of doing nothing?What could you do to move yourself just one step forward?How far towards your objective will that take you?

WILLWhat will you do next?How, when and whom?What do you need from me?

20

Resources for Golden Thread Quarterly Conversation

21

Golden Thread Goals

The staff member is to consider what goals they should be working towards and discuss/agree with manager in the ‘Golden Thread’ quarterly conversation. Discuss & review these at regular intervals at each supervision. (Adapt this form as necessary)

The Council/Departmental/Service targets I contribute towards are:

The Team Goals/Targets I support are: The Personal Goals/Targets I will be working towards are:

Timescale for personal goals

Target status (e.g. completed/pending)

1. 1.

2. 2.

3. 3.

4. 4.

5. 5.

6. 6.

The Personal Development I will need to achieve the above is:1.

2.

22

What You Contribute

23

What are the main goals of your role?

What are your team’s goals and how does you role contribute to your team’s goals?

What are your service/department’s goals and how do you/your team contribute towards them?

What are the Council Priority Outcomes and how do you/your team/service/department contribute towards the achievement of them?

Complete the questions in advance of the ‘Golden Thread’ quarterly conversation and discuss your responses with your manager.

Given all the information above, what thoughts do you have about the contribution you and your role makes to East Sussex County Council? Is there anything you should do more/less of? What areas of your role do you think are the most important and how can you prioritise them more?

Resources for Wellbeing Quarterly Conversation

24

The Wheel of Life

Print out and complete the wheel above. The centre of the wheel is zero; the outer point of the spoke is 10. Put a small cross on the line to indicate where you are at present on each spoke (if the headings aren’t applicable change them to something that is). Now join up the crosses. How round is your wheel? What do you

need to focus on?

25

Attitude

Finances Personal Development

Home – family

Social Life

Health

Self-esteem

Career

One Simple Thing

Our personal wellbeing can increase/decrease by the choices we make and actions we take on a daily, hourly and minute-by-minute basis. Whilst service delivery is our first priority at work, this exercise is designed to explore with your manager one simple thing you can commit to doing in order to improve your wellbeing/sense of balance at work. You can see an example of this activity on the next page.

Time (mins)

Activity Potential Questions (to use if you need a prompt) Notes section

10 The line manager chooses relevant questions and takes down notes

When does your wellbeing feel at its best at work? What makes you feel less balanced at work? What do you do during your lunchbreaks? Does this

help you to feel at your best? What time do you arrive at/leave work? Can any

changes be made in this area? Do you take regular breaks from your computer? How do you take care of your physical health at work?

Manager to note down the main points from the discussion here:

5 The line manager reads back the main findings from the first activity and together the manager and employee agree the one area where improvements can be made to the individual’s wellbeing/sense of balance. Note, not all areas can be taken into consideration – some roles cannot adapt for home working or flexible hours etc. – so it’s important you both agree on an area where you can make a change to improve your wellbeing.

The main areas where changes can be made are:

The one area I can make a change to improve my wellbeing/balance is:

5 The line manager asks questions to test and finalise the one simple thing

What could you do to improve your wellbeing in this area?

What would have the biggest impact? How would this work with service delivery? Do we need to make other people aware of this

commitment/change you’re making? Is there anything that might stop you from doing this? How will you know it is a success? Do we need to review this?

The One Simple Thing I commit to doing is…

26

Why not put this on your agenda for every 1:1/supervision to make sure the commitment to your one simple thing remains a priority?

One Simple Thing - example

Time (mins)

Activity Potential Questions (to use if you need a prompt) Notes section

10 The line manager chooses relevant questions and takes down notes

When does your wellbeing feel at its best at work? What makes you feel less balanced at work? What do you do during your lunchbreaks? Does this

help you to feel at your best? What time do you arrive at/leave work? Can any

changes be made in this area? Do you take regular breaks from your computer? How do you take care of your physical health at work?

Manager to note down the main points from the discussion here: I feel at best when I’m rested, have variety with my work and know

deadlines I’m working towards. I feel less balanced when I don’t take a lunch break and when I work a

late night followed by an early start. I usually eat my lunch at the desk, working through my break. I usually arrive at work at 8:30 and leave at 5:30. When I have a lot of

work, I might get in at 7:30 and leave at 6pm.5 The line manager reads back the main findings from the first activity and

together the manager and employee agree the one area where improvements can be made to the individual’s wellbeing/sense of balance. Note, not all areas can be taken into consideration – some roles cannot adapt for home working or flexible hours etc. – so it’s important you both agree on an area where you can make a change to improve your wellbeing.

The main areas where changes can be made are:Taking lunch breakReviewing deadlines at supervision meetings

The one area I can make a change to improve my wellbeing/balance is:taking a lunch break whenever possible

5 The line manager asks questions to test and finalise the one simple thing

What could you do to improve your wellbeing in this area?

What would have the biggest impact? How would this work with service delivery? Do we need to make other people aware of this

commitment/change you’re making? Is there anything that might stop you from doing this? How will you know it is a success? Do we need to review this?

The One Simple Thing I commit to doing is…

Taking a 10 minute break away from my computer at lunch each day and using this time to go for a walk.

27

Resources for Development Quarterly Conversation

28

Development Goals

To help us both clarify what goals you have, take a few moments to fill in the following. Please write up to four goals for each time period. Keep the goals achievable (see the information about ‘SMART’ below) and be honest with yourself.

By 6 months’ time

2.

3.

By next year

2.

3.

SMART goals

SMART goal setting brings structure to your goals and objectives. Instead of vague resolutions, SMART goal setting creates verifiable trajectories towards a certain objective, with clear milestones and an estimation of the goal's attainability. Every goal or objective, from intermediary step to overarching objective, can be made S.M.A.R.T. and as such, brought closer to reality. See http://www.yourcoach.be/en/coaching-tools/smart-goal-setting.php to learn more about setting SMART goals.

29

1.

1.

Performance Wheel

Print out and complete the wheel above. The centre of the wheel is zero; the outer point of the spoke is 10. Put a small cross on the line to indicate where you are at present on each spoke (if the headings aren’t applicable change them to something that is). Now join up the crosses. How round is your wheel? What do you

need to focus on?

30

Time Management

Clear about role & duties Good with clients/customers

Being organised

Meeting targets

Positive attitude

Team player

Take responsibility

Support and Stretch Discussion Cloud

Make notes under each heading to bring to your next 1:1/supervision. Use each of the headings, and your notes, to have a discussion around how you can be supported and stretched within your role.

31

What motivates you at work?

What type/s of support do you think your role requires?

What feedback have you received recently? What have you done as a result of that?

Support and Stretch

How could you reach your full potential within the team/service/department?

Resources for Reflective Practice Quarterly

32

Critical Reflection

Critical Reflection is the bedrock of learning from experience. It involves a conscious revisiting of events and a careful consideration of what you have learned from them.

Analysis of the activity/event/interventionWhat happened? What went well and why? What were you thinking and feeling at the time? Were there any surprises? Were there difficulties and were they overcome?

What can you learn from this to further your development?

Client, Service User, Customer or Colleague feedback

Future DevelopmentWhat action do you need to take to develop yourself and your practice/approach to future work?

33

Reflecting on the past year

Answer the questions below and bring your answers along for discussion with your line manager at your quarterly ‘reflective practice’ conversation:

Has the past year been good/bad/satisfactory or otherwise for you, and why?

What feedback have you had from service users/customers? What, if anything, will you change about your working practice as a result of their feedback?

What do you consider to be your most important achievements of the past year?

What elements of your job interest you the most, and least? What elements of your job do you find the most rewarding and what do you find the least rewarding?

How do you think your performance could be improved? Think of what you could do and also what support your line manager could give you.

What sort of experiences/development would benefit you in the next year? Think about experiences to strengthen your job-skills and also your natural strengths and personal passions that your work can benefit from.

34

The “What” model

Consider these three simple questions to help you reflect on an event:

What...was my role? ...happened? ...were the consequences? ...was the problem?

So what ...was going through my mind? ...should I have done? ...do I know about what happened now?

Now what ...do I need to do? ...broader issues have been raised? ...might happen now

35

Resources for Team Maximising

36

Team Priorities Exercise

This exercise is good for teams doing project work or where you have team members who would benefit from learning from the experience/knowledge of each other. It’s also a really good activity to do when a new member of staff arrives to introduce them to the team’s wider work.

1. On a large sheet of paper, list the main areas of work being completed and who is leading the work:

37

2. Identify the links between the different streams of work. This will show where different team members need to be kept in the loop or included in work:

38

3. You may like to take this one step further, identifying what support different team members can give to each other, or where work needs to be prioritised given the bigger picture.

39

Team Solutions

This method is useful for teams to find solutions to an issue or challenge a team may face. A facilitator is helpful, but not essential if a team member takes responsibility for the process and timekeeping. People can take it in turns to do this.

The manager (or team member, with the manager’s agreement) starts by sharing the strategic issue or challenge facing the team – this may be as simple as how to maximise the impact of the team or where savings can be made.

5 minutes: The manager/team member gives a brief overview of the issue; they then talk about the situation which they want the group to consider and what they would like to get out of the discussion. No-one is to interrupt at this point. 5 minutes: The group ask the manager/team member factual questions to understand the context of the situation and to help the manager to think in a different way about the issue (however, there should be no disguised suggestions at this point, such as “Have you thought of doing X”). 15 minutes: The group brainstorms perspectives on the situation and possible ways forward. Generate as many perspectives and ideas as possible. The manager/team member does not comment at all during this section, they just listen. 5 minutes: Reactions from the manager/team member. It is their choice whether they use any of the ideas or not. They give their thoughts on what they will take from the discussion.

This can be followed by open discussion on the process and any learning for the team as a whole.

40