What is Hampshire Own Grown?

Introduction

This is a real opportunity for staff to develop their potential to become our Senior managers of the future. This programme aims to encourage innovative, outside of the box/blue sky thinking; question and challenge individuals about current practices in order to improve services and systems and assist individuals to consider new or different ways of working. Through Hampshire Own Grown, leadership and management capacity will be enhanced and with the growth of these skills, excellent working practices will be embedded and shared across the organisation and cross departmental, collaborative working will become a natural way of working both internally and externally as we identify, develop and refine our services.

Working with like minded individuals and sharing best practice, the programme will allow practical learning using real life situations - working on real challenges and problem solving real issues will ensure added value back in the workplace.

The Hampshire Own Grown programme links to Individual Performance Planning (IPP) and for those individuals who demonstrate the desire for management and leadership, this programme should become part of a personal development portfolio, linked to their future development plan. Hampshire Own Grown is about developing key skillsets and participants will receive feedback on management judgement, leadership skills, political understanding and process working, all areas that are critical strengths for a Senior Manager working for Hampshire County Council. The development and feedback gained from the programme will significantly contribute to preparing individuals for future key internal positions as succession planning is developed across the organisation.

Where Did Hampshire Own Grown Come From?

Councillor Ken Thornber, the leader of the County Council, initiated the idea of Hampshire Own Grown, to help recruit, retain and develop Hampshire County Council’s leaders of the future.  The Future Leaders and Graduate programmes challenge individuals from middle and lower management to discover new ways of thinking, different ways of problem solving and develop fresh ideas to challenge established ways of working. These are the skills that senior County Council managers of the future will need to be effective leaders & drive performance to ensure Hampshire County Council's services and processes are the best.

We must become the change we want to see

The Council knows that disabled people, women and staff from ethnic minority backgrounds are underrepresented at senior levels of its organisation. Hampshire Own Grown aims to provide the opportunity for all staff to participate in the selection process for the Future Leaders and Graduates programme. By enabling all staff to apply for the programme the Council will encourage a more diverse workforce at senior levels that will then be better able to respond to the diverse needs of our community. The Hampshire Own Grown Programme will not discriminate on grounds of age, disability, race or ethnic origin, gender, sexual orientation, religion, belief or on any other unjustifiable grounds.

The project has been designed to assist the organisation to:

• Maximise the potential and corporate capability of members of staff.

  

  • By ensuring appropriate development takes place, participants will gain the skills and experience to fill current and future skill gaps within the organisation. This links to the proposed succession planning.

  • Ensure a continued supply of high calibre and well-experienced individuals for future leaders roles.  In light of the retirement figures for senior managers in the next 5 – 10 years, this development will be proactive in its approach, preparing managers for the next level within their career and ensure continuity of services.

• Widen the appeal and accessibility of our jobs to a more diverse range of potential recruits.

  • By encouraging cross departmental working and discouraging silo working, participants will have a more rounded experience, and work for the whole of Hampshire County Council rather than only experiencing only one department.

• Support the development of our image as the employer of choice for Hampshire.

  • By supporting staff and developing the skills and the behaviours required to become leaders of the future. We will do this by module development, coaching , mentoring and sharing best practice.

One of the best parts of the programme has been working with my colleagues from other departments, I will continue to do so following the programme

What can I expect from the programme?

Effective management and leadership skills - increased business knowledge, increased management and leadership capacity, development of skills and experience so that critical thinking and new ways of problem solving become second nature for both the participants and their team.

Enhanced development – coaching and feedback from colleagues, peers, line manager and external consultants will highlight strengths and areas for development and will be worked on as part of the programme. On completing the programme a discussion on how the individuals action plan aligns with IPP will take place, so that development continues after the completion of the programme with support from the Line Manager.  This programme provides a development opportunity in preparation for future roles, an opportunity to build a network of colleagues across Departments and opportunities for collaborative working and knowledge building across the organisation.

Hands on – Along with increased knowledge by way of skills, models and theory, the programme encourages participants to try out techniques, work on real Hampshire County Council issues and use their own case studies – by doing this there is the opportunity to talk through concerns, work with colleagues and develop possible solutions to take back into the workplace.

Challenge - A variety of projects, tasks and experiences will give the programme a real element of challenge.  Individuals will receive feedback from colleagues and peers, work through complex and potentially difficult situations, be faced with issues that CMT deal with, work on assignments that are outside of their current knowledge and experience.  They will be supported with tools, techniques and coaching, to enable them to rise to the challenge and learn from all experiences.

You gain strength, courage and confidence by every experience in which you really stop to look fear in the face. You must do the one thing you think you cannot do.