HMC trains Qatari staff in strategic management and leadership

The programme is developed for senior managers who are responsible for translating organizational strategy into effective performance.

It gives the participants key skills and competencies that will help them to run their department effectively and according to best-practice standards of quality performance.

Participants include mid-level managers from HMC's rehabilitation, pharmacy, radiology, social services, laboratory and admitting departments.

"The workshop is part of our Human Resources Strategy for qualifying and developing the caliber of Qatari staff at the middle management level. The course builds on the high level of clinical or administrative skills that the participants already possess," said Ms Hessa Al-Mannai, Assistant Executive Director for Human Resources Training and Development at HMC.

Ms Enas Malkawi, Human Resources Training Manager at HMC, said, "The Human Resources Training and Development Section has organized and outsourced this professional qualification to the Chartered Management Institute (CMI), the only chartered professional body in the United Kingdom that awards management and leadership qualifications."

"We have invited renowned British training consultants and coaches who possess distinguished skills, qualifications and experience in training and developing healthcare organizations in the UK and the Middle East," she added.

The CMI provides support and advice for key influencers in government and the management profession. Taking the course will allow the participants to become members of this institute and to be exempted from some required credits when taking master's programmes at certain British universities.

The diploma comprises six training modules, with each module consisting of several managerial skills that every competent manager should demonstrate. After each module, the participants are required to successfully complete work-related projects, which are aimed at enhancing their self-study skills as well as their ability to adopt the learned skills to the workplace. Lecturers from the CMI, including Mr Benedict Stanberry and Ms Jill O' Connell, used a variety of training techniques including group discussions, educational videos and presentations.

"The Level 7 qualification will help the participants to follow all of the best practices that are used by world-class, progressive hospital managers to lead their organizations. What is important about this course is that it is not merely academic but is taking real-life hospital performance management situations and getting the students to actually look at how they would improve these situations," said Mr Stanberry.

"For instance, as part of the course, the participants watched a video case study showing a patient being treated in a hospital with serious performance problems," he added.

"The video showed a number of ways in which the quality of the patient's care was of a low standard. The participants' task was to use what they have learned from the course to analyze the problems in the case and to make recommendations for how they would improve the hospital. So this is a very good opportunity for them to apply their learning to a real hospital," Mr Stanberry said.

Mr Stanberry added, "The course will also help the participants to manage effectively across the diverse cultures and nationalities of people working at HMC hospitals." He commented further, "He was very impressed with the level of energy and enthusiasm that the participants are bringing to the course."