The problem All healthcare organisations strive to deliver high quality and appropriate care to patients. Achieving and maintaining consistently high standards across all ward/departments areas is the challenge and measuring the quality of care delivered by individuals and teams is not an easy task.

Aintree’s solution: The Aintree Assessment and Accreditation (AAA) framework is based on the ‘Essence of Care’ benchmarks, the Care Quality Commission’s ‘Essential Standards of Quality and Safety’ and other key clinical indicators. In use since April 2014, it assists clinical leaders to understand how they deliver care, identify what works well and where further improvements are needed. The framework comprises 14 standards used to assess wards and theatres on an annual basis, as a minimum, to ensure the relevant standards are implemented and maintained.

Aintree’s Outcomes: This approach to improvement has been a great success. Since April 2014, 7 wards have achieved ACE status.

The evidence suggests that this approach has greatly improved standards and quality of care; we have seen

– A decrease in pressure ulcers

– A decrease in falls with harm

– We have improved our patient experience ratings and now feature in the top 20% of Trusts nationally

– Our inpatient family and friends test (FFT) score has been higher than the Merseyside and national average for over a year

Other aspects of working at Aintree have been enhanced by the AAA and include

– Significant improvements in assurance reports to the Board

– Team cohesion on wards

– Team pride

– MDT involvement in achievement of ACE

– Focussed and individualised plans for the ward/department for improving standards

– The opportunity for the Trust to recognise and celebrate hard work and achievement on the part of individuals and teams.

http://www.fabnhsstuff.net/2016/03/23/raising-standards-nursing-care-aintrees-assessment-accreditation-aaa-system/

How many times did your teacher say that to you at school? Or perhaps it was a university professor’s favourite line? And I’m sure we’ve all read “Must be able to demonstrate initiative” in pretty much every job advertisement since then.

Of course, we all know that thinking for ourselves and being proactive is important. But “showing initiative” can mean so much more…

https://www.mindtools.com/blog/2016/02/26/break-the-rules-sometimes/

 

It’s a manager’s dream to work with a happy, engaged and motivated team. But happiness is so subjective, and people’s motivations are so varied, that building a happy team is more down to luck than design, right?

And even if you do your best to create a positive environment, you can’t control outside issues that people may bring into the workplace that impact their morale and productivity.

There is a wealth of advice available on how to build a happy team, and we have numerous resources devoted to the issue, which you can explore here. But we were sure that you had your own proven strategies, too. So, we asked our friends and readers on social media, “What are your top tips for building a happy, engaged team?”

Here is a selection of the many responses we received:

https://www.mindtools.com/blog/2016/03/15/secret-of-a-happy-team/

 

You probably know the feeling all too well: You arrive at the office with a clear plan for the day and then, in what feels like just a moment, you find yourself on your way back home. Nine or 10 hours have passed but you’ve accomplished only a few of your priorities. And, most likely, you can’t even remember exactly what you did all day. If this sounds familiar, don’t worry. You’re not alone. Research shows that people spend almost 47% of their waking hours thinking about something other than what they’re doing. In other words, many of us operate on autopilot.

Add to this that we have entered what many people are calling the “attention economy.” In the attention economy, the ability to maintain focus and concentration is every bit as important as technical or management skills. And because leaders need to absorb and synthesize a growing flood of information in order to make good decisions, they’re hit particularly hard by this emerging trend.

The good news is you can train your brain to focus better by incorporating mindfulness exercises throughout your day. Based on our experience with thousands of leaders in over 250 organizations, here are some guidelines for becoming a more focused and mindful leader.

 

https://hbr.org/2016/03/how-to-practice-mindfulness-throughout-your-work-day?cm_sp=Article-_-Links-_-Top%20of%20Page%20Recirculation

 

No one likes a toxic coworker. Even the most difficult people themselves would probably be the first to agree.

Which raises a question: If you were “toxic,” would you even know it? Is it possible that you are the one wreaking havoc on your team, making everyone else less productive and more miserable?

Of course not, you say. Because that’s what we all say…

 

https://hbr.org/2016/03/signs-you-might-be-a-toxic-colleague?referral=00563&cm_mmc=email-_-newsletter-_-daily_alert-_-alert_date&utm_source=newsletter_daily_alert&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=alert_date

 

The first step is to understand that productivity means optimizing your entire life, not just work. A well-designed personal life supports your efforts at work, and being strategic about when and how you work is what lets you have a rich personal life. So figure out ways for them to complement each other. Wharton professor Stew Friedman has developed the concept of the four-way win, a framework that asks us to consider how one activity can, ideally, influence us positively in multiple areas: our personal life, professional life, community or civic relationships, and health (mental, physical, and spiritual). Read more.

https://hbr.org/2016/03/3-productivity-tips-you-can-start-using-today?referral=00563&cm_mmc=email-_-newsletter-_-daily_alert-_-alert_date&utm_source=newsletter_daily_alert&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=alert_date

Sometimes you have too much on your plate or you’re just not interested in taking on a project you’ve been asked to work on. You might not have a choice in the matter, but if you do, how do you turn down the opportunity in a way that won’t label you as “not a team player”? First, assess the request. Determine how interesting a new project is, and whether it’s actually feasible for you to help. Think about whether priorities can be shuffled, or whether a colleague could step in to assist you on other projects. If you realize you have neither the desire nor the bandwidth to help, be honest and upfront about your reasons. Say something like, “I wouldn’t be able to do a good a job on your project and my other work would suffer.” Ask whether there are small ways you can be helpful, but don’t leave your counterpart with false hope that your no could eventually turn into a yes. Finally, practice saying no out loud — eventually it will become easier.

Adapted from “How to Say No to Taking on More Work,” by Rebecca Knight

It’s important for managers to be a resource to those they lead. But it’s easy for teams to take advantage of this. Over time, they can develop “manager dependency.”

So how can you train team members to take more responsibility for their own tasks, instead of running to you for “hand-holding” through every step? In this article, we’ll examine how to decrease manager dependency, and how to get the members of your team to “stand on their own two feet.”

https://www.mindtools.com/pages/article/preventing-manager-dependency.htm?utm_source=nl&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=01Mar16#np

 

Encouraging initiative in your team might seem difficult, but making some changes to your workplace culture can have positive effects that extend far beyond individuals. When people think and act for themselves, it can help teams and organizations to rediscover their spark.

In this article, we’ll explore the importance of fostering initiative in your team, and we’ll look at how you can achieve it.

https://www.mindtools.com/pages/article/fostering-initiative-team.htm?utm_source=nl&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=01Mar16#np

 

What is Cognitive Restructuring?

Cognitive restructuring is a useful technique for understanding unhappy feelings and moods, and for challenging the sometimes-wrong “automatic beliefs” that can lie behind them. As such, you can use it to reframe the unnecessary negative thinking that we all experience from time to time.

Bad moods are unpleasant, they can reduce the quality of your performance, and they undermine your relationships with others. Cognitive restructuring helps you to change the negative or distorted thinking that often lies behind these moods. As such, it helps you approach situations in a more positive frame of mind.

Cognitive restructuring was developed by psychologist Albert Ellis in the mid-1950s, based on the earlier work of others, and it’s a core component in Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT). You can use CBT to control and change negative thoughts, which are sometimes linked with damaging behaviors.

Applications

Cognitive restructuring has been used successfully to treat a wide variety of conditions, including depression, Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD), addictions, anxiety, social phobias, relationship issues, and stress.

For example, a 2007 study found that cognitive restructuring helped participants who experienced severe grief, while a 2003 study discovered that it reduced the symptoms and effects of PTSD.

These uses are beyond the scope of this article, and you should consult a qualified medical practitioner if you are experiencing issues like these. However, you can use the technique yourself to reframe less serious, day-to-day negative thoughts.

For example, you can use it to overcome negative thinking before you speak in public , or to improve your mood when you have a bad day. You can also use it to think positively before you go into a performance review or a job interview, or before you engage in a difficult conversation. It’s also helpful for overcoming fear of failure and fear of success , and for beating self-sabotage .

How to use Cognitive Restructuring

Download our free worksheet, and follow the steps below to use the cognitive restructuring technique.

This framework is based on the steps in Drs Dennis Greenberger and Christine Padesky’s book, “Mind Over Mood,” which is well worth reading for a deeper understanding of this technique.

Step 1: Calm Yourself

If you’re still upset or stressed by the thoughts you want to explore, you may find it hard to concentrate on using the tool. Use meditation or deep breathing to calm yourself down if you feel particularly stressed or upset.

Step 2: Identify the Situation

Start by describing the situation that triggered your negative mood, and write this into the appropriate box on the worksheet.

Step 3: Analyze Your Mood

Next, write down the mood, or moods, that you felt during the situation.

Here, moods are the fundamental feelings that we have, but they are not thoughts about the situation. Drs Greenberger and Padesky suggest an easy way to distinguish moods from thoughts: you can usually describe moods in one word, while thoughts are more complex.

For example, “He trashed my suggestion in front of my co-workers” would be a thought, while the associated moods might be humiliation, frustration, anger, or insecurity.

Step 4: Identify Automatic Thoughts

Now, write down the natural reactions, or “automatic thoughts,” you experienced when you felt the mood. In the example above, your thoughts might be:

“Maybe my analysis skills aren’t good enough.”

“Have I failed to consider these things?”

“He hasn’t liked me since…”

“He’s so rude and arrogant!”

“No one likes me.”

“But my argument is sound.”

“This undermines my future with this company.”

In this example, the most distressing thoughts (the “hot thoughts”) are likely to be “Maybe my analysis skills aren’t good enough,” and, “No one likes me.”

Step 5: Find Objective Supportive Evidence

Identify the evidence that objectively supports your automatic thoughts. In our example, you might write the following:

“The meeting moved on and decisions were made, but my suggestion was ignored.”

“He identified a flaw in one of my arguments.”

Your goal is to look objectively at what happened, and then to write down specific events or comments that led to your automatic thoughts.

Step 6: Find Objective Contradictory Evidence

Next, identify and write down evidence that contradicts the automatic thought. In our example, this might be:

“The flaw was minor and did not alter the conclusions.”

“The analysis was objectively sound, and my suggestion was realistic and well-founded.”

“I was top of my class when I trained in the analysis method.”

“My clients respect my analysis, and my opinion.”

As you can see, these statements are fairer and more rational than the reactive thoughts.

Step 7: Identify Fair and Balanced Thoughts

By this stage, you’ve looked at both sides of the situation. You should now have the information you need to take a fair, balanced view of what happened.

If you still feel uncertain, discuss the situation with other people, or test the question in some other way.

When you come to a balanced view, write these thoughts down. The balanced thoughts in this example might now include:

“I am good at this sort of analysis. Other people respect my abilities.”

“My analysis was reasonable, but not perfect.”

“There was an error, but it didn’t affect the validity of the conclusions.”

“The way he handled the situation was not appropriate.”

“People were surprised and a little shocked by the way he handled my suggestion.” (This comment would have followed an informal conversation with other people at the meeting.)

Step 8: Monitor Your Present Mood

You should now have a clearer view of the situation, and you’re likely to find that your mood has improved. Write down how you feel.

Next, reflect on what you could do about the situation. (By taking a balanced view, the situation may cease to be important, and you might decide that you don’t need to take action.)

Finally, create some positive affirmations that you can use to counter any similar automatic thoughts in the future.

 

https://www.mindtools.com/pages/article/newTCS_81.htm?utm_source=nl&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=23Feb16#np