A conversation with Yasmin Mahmood, Head of ED&I and Culture Change at NHS Thames Valley ICB.
You’re excited about the potential for Cultural Intelligence (CQ) in your organization. But how do you bring everyone else on board? We know from conversations with many prospective clients and Certified Facilitators that this can often be a daunting position to find yourself in. You’ve got one shot at convincing others of the value of CQ, and you don’t want to get it wrong!
Yasmin Mahmood shared her successful approach with us. She had heard about CQ while doing a Masters in International Human Resource Management. Yasmin decided it was the framework for her because of its evidence-based approach, focus on adaptation and the fact that anyone can develop it. So, while working for the Berkshire Oxfordshire and Buckinghamshire (BOB) ICB (a strategic commissioning body for health services) she leapt at the opportunity to take up a place on our CQ Certification Programme, fully funded by what was then the NHS England’s South East Leadership Academy.
Once certified, Yasmin’s plan was to generate interest gradually and build momentum over time. Starting with a bang meant risking failure. Instead, she slowly raised awareness by getting colleagues to think what CQ was about, to consider how it could support health and social care, to understand who its advocates were and what they were saying about it.
Yasmin realised she needed support in piloting the programme so she reached out to fellow CQ facilitators from 6 partner NHS organisations. Together they designed the modules and developed a timetable for delivery. This collaborative approach was invaluable as they could test their material, brainstorm decisions such as the length and content of each session, and practice delivery with each other – together with some friendly volunteers within their Inclusion network. This Community of Practice allowed a diversity of perspectives and helped them build confidence.
Yasmin launched the programme in June 2024 as part of Global Inclusion Week, around 8 months after her initial training. The launch consisted of two webinars offered to colleagues across the South East region. These webinars included guest speakers from the Cultural Intelligence Centre and other experienced CQ facilitators from within the NHS. They provided an overview of the CQ framework and its potential, as well as valuable insights into the practical realities of implementing CQ training within other NHS Trusts and its impact at an individual, team and organizational level.
- Feedback has been hugely constructive and positive with
CQ has changed the way Yasmin works personally. Now she always tries to understand the prevailing culture of an organisation or function, by observing and actively getting to know its people better. Then she looks at how they can use Cultural Intelligence to harmonise different ways of working to create a more inclusive climate for everyone. Work gets done more quickly and easily, with less stress and better outcomes. For Yasmin, the biggest learning from her CQ training is the importance of being able to read a situation and take time to figure out how to flex, setting boundaries and expectations for everyone.
The next step for the newly formed Thames Valley ICB is to pool collective insights on CQ and offer it to participants of their Mirror Board Programme, a special initiative around developing a representative leadership pipeline. Yasmin recognizes that CQ complements other approaches to enhancing productivity and performance, such as coaching and mentoring. She is excited to find practical ways of building CQ into existing leadership and management behaviour frameworks in a user-friendly way, with CQ now being considered as a key competency in the Leadership and Managerial Competency Framework planned for Thames Valley ICB.
