Spotlight on Leadership: Faisal from PPG on Trust, Growth, and Development

We had the pleasure of interviewing Faisal from Practice Plus Group, who shared his thoughts on the importance of trust in building strong workplace relationships and fostering engagement in healthcare.

Faisal delves into PPG’s commitment to investing in staff development, even if it means some employees move on. He believes this approach builds a positive legacy, encouraging returners and fostering long-term organisational success.

Part 1: Building Trust and Effective Management at PPG

Shirley: Okay, Faisal, this is Shirley from Azesta talking to Faisal from PPG. I’ve got a few questions for him about his programme and his project. The first one is more general about PPG, and it's a bit tricky. What do you consider to be the secret ingredient in your approach to building strong working relationships with your staff?

Faisal: That assumes I’m capable of building strong relationships in the first place. Let’s assume I am! I believe that people generally know what they’re doing and are experts in their fields. I give them the benefit of the doubt or, to put it better, I trust that they’ll bring their expertise to the table. So, I tend to let them guide me on what needs to be done, while I provide the overall direction and vision.

Trust is key for me. I trust that the people I work with will deliver as expected, and vice versa. So, I think trust is a big part of it.

Shirley: Do you think that applies broadly across PPG? Do you feel, as an organisation, you trust your staff’s expertise?

Faisal: Yes, and to a certain extent, we don’t really have a choice but to trust. In healthcare, we look after some of the most vulnerable people, and the majority of our team are clinical experts. Quite a few of them are managed by non-clinical managers. So, trust has to be there. You need to trust people’s abilities and expertise, or it simply won’t work. So yes, I think we definitely have that trust across the organisation.

Shirley: That links in with my next question. What does effective management look like at PPG, and how does it contribute to a positive culture across your various sites?

Faisal: What I’d like to see, and what we’re working to improve at PPG, is effective management. We have a good foundation, but I’d like to see more progress. We focus quite a lot on the what – the goals, objectives, key performance indicators, and metrics. But I’d like to focus more on the how – the behaviours and attitudes.

Effective management isn’t just about managing expectations; it’s also about managing and coaching certain behaviours. Last but not least, to manage people effectively, you also need to understand why they do the things they do and why you expect them to do them. The why is very important for me, and it’s closely tied to motivation and employee engagement.

When employees are engaged with the company and its services, they build better working relationships because they know their purpose. They understand why they come to work each day. Some companies make billions in profit, then get everyone together and share a pizza to celebrate. For me, that’s not effective management or engagement. Especially nowadays, with Gen Z, they see through all of that.

That’s why I think people no longer see their jobs as long-term careers, but more as projects. People may stay in a role for two or three years, then either move within the company or elsewhere. I don’t see this as job hopping, but rather a shift in how people pursue their careers. They treat them as small projects before moving on. So, to manage people effectively, you need to adjust your expectations.

Shirley: How do career progression and development factor into your staff retention strategy?

Faisal: We spend more on learning and development each year than, dare I say, some of our competitors, including NHS trusts. And that says a lot. I’m privy to the budget, though I’m not going to share the exact figures, but it’s quite large, and it’s growing.

It’s critical to us. GPs are no longer just GPs; they also need to be good coaches, managers, leaders, and have an understanding of organisational development. To understand people development, they first need to understand how an organisation develops. So, we’re constantly expanding our L&D offering.

Another key part of our L&D is apprenticeships. We’re almost at 100% usage of our levy. Yes, we’re an employer provider, and Health and Justice is our largest service line. We use apprenticeships mainly for internal development. We’ve only recently started looking externally, and that’s less than 1% of our apprenticeship offer. The majority focus on internal progression, and it’s working for us because we can upskill our staff, creating a more skilled, diverse, and multifunctional workforce across the country.

Shirley: That could help reduce the number of people leaving for other organisations for the next step in their career.

Faisal: That’s true, but convincing leaders to accept that developing someone might mean they leave is difficult. However, it’s normal. People develop their skills and may use them elsewhere, which is fine. Interestingly, some people who’ve developed their careers at PPG have later returned after gaining experience elsewhere. So, investing in people is worthwhile, even if they move on. You can’t base your development strategy on whether people stay or leave. The development process itself improves retention, but even if people leave, it’s still worth it.

Part 2: Selection of Management Development Provider

Shirley: Why did you initially choose Azesta to support you with your management development?

Faisal: Well, it’s no secret, Shirley, that I interviewed and met with over 26 different providers.

Shirley: I didn’t realise it was that many!

Faisal: Yes, it was. We spent a good three to six months speaking with different providers, all experts in their field. I’m sure any of them could have delivered what we wanted. But it’s not just about content and delivery. I needed someone who could align with our organisational values. When I met you and reviewed your proposal, it stood out. Not only did the proposal look good, but the way you framed certain points really resonated with me.

We went through the shortlisting process, and what really convinced us was when you delivered your session, a workshop on conflict resolution. I was impressed with how you delivered it. It wasn’t just a lecture; you made it practical immediately. That really clicked for us. People often get bogged down with theory and struggle to apply it when they go back to work, especially in such a stressful, compliance-heavy environment. But you gave us immediate tools to use. Plus, your approach to people development is very much in line with mine – people learn because they want to, not because they’re forced.

Part 3: Strategies for Sustaining Motivation in Training Programmes

Shirley: As we expand the training to more sites, what strategies or ideas do you have for maintaining motivation and enthusiasm for the programme?

Faisal: We’re in the early stages, so that initial motivation and engagement is there and will continue for the first year. After the first few people graduate, that will generate enthusiasm and momentum. In year two, I’m looking at how the healthcare landscape evolves. The government’s recent changes mean new strategic objectives for the NHS, and we’ll need to adjust accordingly.

One area I want to focus on is developing senior managers to be more commercial. While we are very operationally focused – which is important, as our business model involves adding new sites regularly – we need to manage key stakeholders better, especially as we face changes from commissioners. So, as we expand the programme, we need to ensure that the content remains relevant to the current landscape and is adaptable to future challenges.

Part 4: Management Development Programme Insights and Future Directions

Faisal: Constantly reviewing the programme is key. It’s important to ask ourselves, "Are we still focusing on what matters?" We might need to replace some topics with others, so we’re not afraid to adjust the programme content.

Shirley: Thank you. There are only three more questions. This next one is a bit tough but interesting. Can you share any specific changes or outcomes you’ve noticed since we started delivering the management development programme?

Faisal: One thing I’ve noticed is that people appreciate the variety of voices within the programme. They value having different facilitators with different ideas on leadership and management. They’ve told me that the programme is much more focused on specific subjects. Rather than a generic leadership programme, there are dedicated modules on managing conflict, leadership essentials, and so on. This focus is something they really value.

The biggest difference is that people don’t have to wait until the end of the programme to address specific challenges, like conflict resolution. They can sign up for a session as soon as one is available, without waiting months for the right training.

Shirley: Yes, I’ve noticed that with topics like change management, people are able to attend when they need it, rather than waiting for the next cohort.

Faisal: Exactly. The flexibility has been really appreciated, and I think we’ll continue to get more feedback as more people go through the programme.

Shirley: What advice would you give to other organisations looking to develop a successful management development programme?

Faisal: I’m not one for giving advice, but I can share my experience. When a programme is completely prescribed by senior leaders, it tends to be less effective. Yes, their input is important, but it’s crucial to engage with the people who will actually attend the programme and understand what they need, what their struggles are, and their pressure points. You won’t get this just by visiting sites; it takes meaningful conversations to really understand their challenges.

Once you know what they need, you can find the best provider who aligns with your values and can tailor the programme to those needs.

Shirley: That’s great advice. Thank you for your time today, Faisal. It’s been really valuable.