Seventy-two middle management staff of the East New Britain Provincial Health Authority (ENBPHA) recently completed an intensive, week-long manager’s development workshop.

The program is specifically designed to provide a rapid yet broad overview of the critical aspects of managing a team, overseeing a work program, and mastering self-management.

This marks the third time the ENBPHA has invested in leadership capacity building for both its senior executive and middle management tiers.

The training was facilitated by the Health Services Sector Development Project (HSSDP), led by Peter Baran, who explained that the core focus is about understanding what a PHA is and grasping foundational health minimum standards.

“This training will improve PHA managers’ performance to be more effective managers, role models and be of future health service leaders to create high performing teams,” Mr. Baran said.

“The training is to be able to set realistic operational work plans and budgets and raising individual capabilities from operational focus to a more strategic perspective.”

To achieve this, the workshop utilized adult and action learning techniques, balancing core management theory with active group discussions and dedicated windows for self-reflection.

At the conclusion of the week, Acting Public Health Director Joachim Kais noted that the session provided participants with an in-depth, practical knowledge of management.

“As a result of this training workshop, the PHA managers will now be able to apply a range of management techniques and practices as in communications, motivating and mentoring, coaching and empowering, counselling and disciplining, meetings management and management of performance,” Mr. Kais said.

Throughout the workshop, staff were consistently encouraged to start by managing themselves in order to successfully guide those further down the line in their respective work areas.

“You cannot manage others if you cannot manage yourself,” Kais emphasized. “Prioritize your time to manage resources and funding.”

Following the success of this middle management session, a similar leadership training program is scheduled this October for the ENB PHA’s senior executive management staff.