Anna Markovits, Head of Learning & Development at the MHRA, talks about the cultural challenges they face embedding learning into an organisation where technical expertise is valued more than leadership.

1. #talentbites

2. Embedding learning into an
expert organisation
#talentbites
Anna Markovits
Head of L&D,
Medicines and Healthcare Products Regulatory Agency

3. Regulator
Executive
Agency
Civil
Servants
Trading
Fund
Experts /
specialists
1300
people
Who we are…

4. Cultural Challenges: Organisational
#talentbites
Motivated by
specialism not
organisation
Public sector /
commercial
Task orientated
Economic climate and
EU legislation
Culture

5. Cultural Challenges: Behavioural
#talentbites
Leadership
not
recognised or
valued
Reluctance
for openness
Little attention
to behaviour
keen to
learn…expert
knowledge-based
organisation
BUT…

6. Where we want to get to
#talentbites
Technical ‘experts’ vs. leadership
100
90
80
70
60
50
40
30
20
10
0
Expert Leader/manager
Proportion of time (%)
Where MHRA were...
100
90
80
70
60
50
40
30
20
10
0
Expert Leader/manager
Proportion of time (%)
Where MHRA want to get to

7. #talentbites
Our journey
2002:
•Management
programmes
piloted and
rolled out
2003/4:
•Executive
Masterclasses
introduced
2007:
•More focus
on leadership
as well as
management
2008:
•Programmes
revised and
updated;
•Target
audience
extended
•Leadership at
all levels
2009:
•Bi-annual
managers’
conference
introduced
2010:
•Peer coaching
network
introduced
2012:
•Programme
re-design
•Modular
approach
•Coaching a key
part
•E-learning
2013:
•Senior
Leadership
Group
2014:
•Managers’
newsletters
•Yammer
communities

8. 70% Learning on
the job
20% Mentors,
coaches and
experts
10% Formal
learning
#talentbites

9. #talentbites
Leadership at all levels
Transformational
Leadership
Effective Management &
Leadership Skills
First Steps for New Managers
Personal Leadership

10. #talentbites
Why coaching?

11. What else is helping?
#talentbites
Behaviours
and
competencies
Embedding
learning
Visible
Leadership
Performance
Management
recognising &
valuing
leadership
Induction
programme
Coaching
Team briefing
Cross-Agency
Working
Participative
“All Staff”
meetings

12. “Overall this leads to
us working better as
“My manager is a team”
getting much better
at managing people”
#talentbites
“The Management &
Leadership programme
is fantastic. It’s brought
about a lot of change”
“Managers seem more
aware of the need to
support. They’re more
approachable”
Evidence of progress
74% of staff agree their
manager is open to
their ideas
85% of staff understand how
their work contributes to the
Agency’s objectives

13. #talentbites

14. #talentbites
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