Abstract
This paper proposes grounded optimism as a leadership approach to communicating and engaging with staff during organisational change. Grounded optimism is based upon the value of leaders constructing a hopeful, realistic and plausible organisational vision which is anchored by recognition of the challenges associated with change. It is rooted in a commitment to engage with all staff perspectives regarding change proposals, and informed by a sophisticated understanding of the emotional impact of organisational upheaval upon those affected. Grounded optimism offers an antidote to the problematic nature of excess leadership positivity, a phenomenon whereby leaders become disconnected from the wider workforce when their vision for change is received as being unrealistic, overly optimistic and out of step with staff experience. The concept of grounded optimism is explored through an empirical investigation of the experience of Chief Executive Officers (CEOs) within the United Kingdom’s National Health Service (NHS), involving semi-structured interviews with a cohort of 20 research participants. This phenomenological investigation sought to go beneath the surface of participant’s experience to understand about what it feels like to be a leader in a pressurised public sector environment, how CEOs conceptualise their relationship with staff and how they consider the emotional responses from these staff to organisational change.
Presenters
Daniel CharltonChief Communications Officer, Communications and Engagement, Sussex Partnership NHS Foundation Trust, United Kingdom
Details
Presentation Type
Paper Presentation in a Themed Session
Theme
KEYWORDS
Change, Leadership, Communication, Engagement
