How to assess leadership potential

Assessment centres are increasingly being used to assess people’s potential and identify development needs as well as during recruitment. They are not a “place” but an “approach”.

Bespoke assessment and development centres can address specific issues in an organisation or assess a person’s potential to meet new challenges.

In 2007, North East London mental health trust (now North East London foundation trust) was preparing to apply for foundation status. Five organisational development themes were agreed, one of which was to implement management standards at team and ward level.

The trust felt that frontline managers would be the most influential in leading the change needed to show service users that NELFT would deliver the services they were asking for.

A cultural change was needed. Challenges included:

• How to achieve consistent, equitable feedback about staff ability to perform against the new performance requirements.
• How to measure competency gaps and draw up a cohesive, consistent development plan to address them.
• How to bring teams together and encourage them to cooperate.

Team leaders were crucial to this. They needed to know what was expected of them and be given the opportunity to close any gaps in their competence.

An assessment centre approach was decided on as an efficient method of giving team leaders objective feedback on their strengths and identifying development areas.

NELFT commissioned Zenon to define a role profile and competencies linked to the NHS leadership qualities framework and the trust’s expectations of team leaders and ward managers.

Once the role profile had been agreed, we designed a two day bespoke assessment centre. Day one included small and large group exercises, written work and a presentation. Day two included a competency based interview and one to one sessions to discuss and agree development needs.

Around 70 ward managers and team leaders were identified for assessment. Their line managers - the assistant operations directors - were briefed on how to prepare staff.

After assessment, NELFT received reports that included detailed development needs of each participant, overall themes and the distribution of the level of skills across the participants. High flyers were identified as well as staff who had significant development needs that needed to be addressed urgently.

The participants were, understandably, apprehensive before being assessed, but the briefing and careful selection of the assessor team meant their feedback was very positive.

An assessment centre can put the spotlight on to day-to-day performance in the workplace. On occasions, assistant operations directors did not recognise the descriptions of their staff’s performance at the assessment centres. Individual coaching was provided to determine the causes, and to discuss “difficult conversations” or how to use positive results as a catalyst for change.

NELFT implemented a management skills development programme that covered areas such as financial and strategic awareness and political astuteness. Key performance indicators were introduced to help with performance management.

Another benefit was that the “role profile” could be used in recruitment.

An evaluation was carried out, with participants and line managers completing anonymous questionnaires, and a focus group discussion held with assistant operations directors.

These directors were unanimous that the assessment centres had been worthwhile. They said that team leaders were now clear about what was expected of them and performance was easier to manage at all levels.

The majority of the participants found the assessment centres to be a positive and challenging experience. The feedback they received helped them to consider their personal and career development.

Many found it empowering to receive feedback on their strengths and weaknesses. Some considered how this would inspire them to strengthen and develop their ability to perform in their current role, while others were considering their career path and whether on reflection it was time to look for their next opportunity or promotion within NELFT or externally.