2024 Leadership Programme: More Ease in Challenging Conversations

The British Society of Echocardiography (BSE) engaged The Kairos Project to equip NHS team leaders with practical tools to strengthen their communication skills and confidently manage challenging conversations. The aim was to enable leaders to better support their teams in meeting patient commitments while continuing to develop their own leadership capabilities.

A further objective was to create structured group spaces for reflection, skill practice and constructive peer exchange, fostering a stronger sense of community, connection and mutual support among participants.

• This programme was designed to be an efficient and structured way of offering experiential learning and practice to leaders. To meet the needs of the participants a brand-new online platform was used to offer flexible, self-paced learning as well as offering the previously known benefits of connection to peers.

• The programme consisted of 5 pre-recorded webinars, designed with the context of ECHO leaders in mind (based on our understanding of the pressures and challenges from the previously run Resilience in Leadership Programmes). Webinars were pre-recorded in shorter “bite-size” sessions to accommodate busy schedules and difficulties in finding a mutual time that worked for all to meet.

• Each webinar uploaded every 2 weeks to our new 2024 online learning platform started with an introduction to the fundamental principles of the webinar theme, which was then reinforced and supported through experiential exercises, reflective learning, and action planning. Each webinar was supported with a detailed learning guide and homework to complete and submit.

• Previous programmes included peer learning. However, due to the nature of this self-paced programme, we replaced those sessions with two Action in Learning sessions – where participants worked together through aspects of the material to deepen their learning and confidence with the models.

• At the end of the programme, 4 group mentoring sessions with reduced group size were offered, providing an opportunity to get personalised feedback and guidance from the Kairos facilitators on specific topics that participants brought. To deepen learning and connection, we incorporated the well-established buddy system to foster relationship building and community.

A revised program delivery approach, incorporating flexible remote learning, resulted in significantly higher participation rates compared to previous “live” programmes. Recognizing the scheduling constraints faced by many participants, the shift away from exclusively live sessions allowed for greater accessibility and engagement. Participants consistently praised the convenience and flexibility of this new model. This delivery method will be further developed and integrated into our 2025 program offerings.

Furthermore, participant feedback highlighted a significant gap in leadership training within the NHS. Current promotion practices, largely reliant on length of service and clinical qualifications, often leave individuals unprepared for the demands of leadership. Our programme directly addressed this need by providing targeted training in essential leadership competencies, including problem-solving, managing difficult conversations, and resolving conflict within a high-stress environment. Participants reported increased confidence and competence in navigating these challenging situations, attributing this growth to the practical tools and strategies provided.

A unique and impactful aspect of the programme was its focus on self-regulation during difficult conversations. Beyond providing tactical communication strategies, the program emphasized the importance of self-awareness. Participants engaged in exercises designed to enhance their understanding of their own emotional responses and how these responses influence communication outcomes. This focus on self-awareness and self-management was highly valued by participants, enabling them to lead more effectively and navigate challenging interactions with greater composure.