Teamwork makes the dream work

Having your own people trained to embed a management framework across your organisation can be a financial and management win-win.

Ian Georgeson 07921 567360 Emma Jones ( Press and Marketing Advisor) and Paul Sharples (assistant Restaurant Manager) model to illustrate an office meeting, Business meeting for story on unequal pay between Men and Women in Edinburgh Pic: Posed by Models

Using a management framework throughout an organisation means there is one holistic approach to managing the organisation. This can be particularly helpful for the leaders in the organisation. It provides not just a focus but also a common language and structure for meetings, projects and ongoing service delivery.

Building internal capacity in this way develops in-house consultancy type skills. Having your own people increasingly in this type of role can lead to significant cost savings. Not only does this approach save money, it builds the know-how and confidence of leaders and other people to take an increasingly pro-active role.

As the Scottish partner of the European Foundation for Quality Management (EFQM), Quality Scotland is the only organisation in Scotland licenced to deliver EFQM training. This training develops people to use the EFQM Excellence Model as a holistic management framework in their own organisation. This not only provides a management development opportunity, it also gives people the knowledge and skills to work in an internal consultant type role. As people become more familiar with the model it can be embedded into the work of any team or project. It can then increasingly be used as part of managing any service or delivery.

EFQM training and qualification as an EFQM Assessor also allows people to take part in an assessment team visiting another organisation. This provides the opportunity to gain an insight into good practice beyond their own organisation.

As part of your organisation’s management development, the opportunity for people to be part of an EFQM Assessment team could offer a win-win opportunity. People not only contribute to the work of a qualified assessment team, they also have a “live” opportunity to develop their own skills in a different environment. As people become more experienced, there is the opportunity to gain a wider insight and more global understanding of good practice and how the EFQM Excellence Model is used in other countries.

For any organisation, it can be tricky managing priorities while meeting the needs of all the various stakeholders. A management framework that looks at your organisation in a holistic sense can provide exactly that. Embedding a management framework into day-to-day working is free, as well as a focus for joined-up thinking. A collaborative approach can save time as well as money. If you are looking to have a more collaborative approach in your organisation, the EFQM Excellence Model supports and encourages this.

Where there is scope to avoid duplication or repetition in your organisation there is scope to save money. If different models and ways of working are in place, there is also scope to benefit from a more holistic, joined-up approach. If your organisation could potentially be missing opportunities through collaborative working, there could be scope to reduce costs as well as potentially generate new income.

At Quality Scotland we work with organisations across Scotland. To find out more about building the capacity of your organisation, get in touch on 0131 225 5765 or visit www.qualityscotland.co.uk.

Fiona Liddle, Account Director, Quality Scotland