2 Responses

1. definitions
   what would be quite interesting would be to see how much divergence there is amongst the delegates at the event as to:

   1.what does “management development” mean?
   2.who benefits from it?
   3 whose responsibility is it?
   4. how can it be done in a low impact way ?
   5.why do it at all?
   6. when should it be done (in someones career, or at what time of year/week/day)?
   7. are we bad at it and if so why?

   Armed with the answers to these questions the organisation can assess it’s readiness for internal/external development, it’s acceptance or rejection of responsibility and so on.(incidentally you haven’t mentioned whether the hospital is state run or private, which might have some bearing on things)

   It would be really useful to send out the questions in advance and present the findings but that may not be an option.
   I hope this helps

2. mgt devt talk
   If you can have them sitting at tables your job is easier: but even in a Lecture Theatre, people can talk in threes.

   It would be useful to ask them to say what the hardest part of management is for them. Possibly have a list of the hard ones for most people and get them to vote.

   “How do you like to be managed? What’s the perfect manager for you? How could a person learn this?”
   might also get them going.

   And “how did you learn to manage?” is another good one.

   Get the threes or the tables to talk for not more than 5 minutes, then randomly select a few to reply would be what I’d do.

   Once you’ve got all that, you could go on to outline how management development is delivered, what works and what doesnt. (Be sure to include self-managed learning, my favourite and the hardest to do!)

   Then get them to write their own management development plan!