Innovation


equal measure gave the cohort confidence to research and build innovative solutions.


Into the den Three solutions to the identified challenges were presented to the board in a Dragon’s Den style pitch. Each team delivered a rigorous business case which was examined carefully by the Hallmark executive leadership team. Care Accelerator participants were then subsequently rewarded for their contributions attending a graduation ceremony in June. For many of the teams, this was the first time they had met in person. Due to the arrival of the new Covid variant, it was impossible to bring people together in one room therefore the entire programme was delivered online.


Ten top tips for encouraging innovation and leadership


1. Build a strong network of people who can share and inspire. New ideas often result from conversations and observations with others. If you are looking for new ways to improve products and processes, it is likely your network will be a good starting point.


2. Have a clear idea of where you are heading and types of innovation you need to help you on this journey. A focused approach will help you to reach the goals you aspire to.


3. Be alert to changes in your market. Keep a critical eye on changes in the market and assess opportunities to be acted upon or not.


4. Keep your customer’s needs central to all decisions.


5. Be passionate about what you do and how you do it. Otherwise, how can you expect others to be? Passion creates leadership energy and it is wonderfully infectious.


6. Seek to be the leader no-one wants to leave! How? By listening to your team, by learning together, by valuing the unique contribution each person makes and by supporting others to grow, develop and overtake you.


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7. Be generous with your coaching and mentoring time - make every conversation count as part of your leadership legacy.


8. Trust the people you employ – have the confidence in your employment decisions to give them the freedom to do the role you have recruited them for. The right team members will reward your belief and confidence in them and your organisation will be the better for it.


9. Communicate, communicate and then communicate some more – especially during times of change. Be ready to repeat key messages several times in different ways. Remember, communication is not what we intend as senders but what is received the other end!


10. Define and live by your organisational values – this is a constant and evolving process that is far more than sharing your vision and values during induction. It is agreeing the behaviours that underpin the way you do things and the company you aspire to be and them embedding those behaviours across the employee lifecycle at every touch point.


The winning idea Hallmark and Savista will be implementing the three solutions, which include a suite of low-carbon alternatives to change practice and products used at our current and future homes and construction sites. A dedicated person will also be recruited to review, design and implement low-carbon practice in accordance with environmental and strategic guidelines.


Meanwhile, in an attempt to resolve the


recruitment and retainment of nursing challenge, a nursing academy will also be established to progress care team skills and create a career pathway. Steps have already been taken towards implementing these solutions with plans to appoint a sustainability manager for the business early this year and begin mapping out a nursing academy. The Care Accelerator kicked off the 2022


programme in January. Hallmark will be actively recruiting for our next crack team ready to start the new programme and address a new set of challenges this month.


www.thecarehomeenvironment.com February 2022


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