Neela Bettridge
What's the story?
Public sector performance and efficiency has rarely been so much in the public eye. With controversies over the management of hospitals, expectations to reduce carbon emissions, and huge cuts due in public spending, leaders in the public sector face a daunting challenge.
Traditionally, politicians and many managers have seen legislative or structural reform as the hard mechanics of effecting change. Matters such as leadership and employee engagement are tacitly assumed to be 'soft' or minor issues.
My recent experience with working with public sector employers has convinced me that almost the opposite is the case: you cannot achieve substantial goals without deploying hearts, minds and collective endeavour.
I have found that we need to address the leadership requirement from four dimensions: the individual's interior beliefs and actions; and the collective interior shared stories and exterior context and conduct.
Mere compliance with a set of laws tends only to address the collective exterior: passive or reluctant compliance.
In one Regional Development Agency, there was a policy objective to reduce carbon emissions by 60%. Instead of simply setting some targets and issuing instructions, there was a commitment to a more thorough approach.
We facilitated multi-stakeholder discussions that led to a shared commitment to this transformation. This encompasses personal conduct and personal belief; for example, is it acceptable to put large amounts of money on expenses? As well as a shared story across the organisation, there are multiple individual narratives that need to be addressed.
We often underestimate the power of stories – both official and unofficial. The leaders may believe that the organisation is heading towards greater environmental responsibility, but if the culture among the staff is to say "it's not my job/it's not my department"; rather than "we're in this together, let's get it done", it is likely that little will get achieved.
Four dimensions
Addressing all four dimensions means that the leaders understand the culture change, accept the accountability that comes with this, and live the values. So do the staff. The 'I' and the 'we'; the interior and exterior, are all heading in the same direction.
Leaders who introduce this culture need to be not just coherent but authentic – living as well as communicating the culture of accountability. They often have to introduce new narratives for the organisation that are more ambitious than the established ones.
It sounds rather abstract, but there is now a lot of research to back it up, and it can be immensely powerful in practice.
For example, we have worked with an NHS trust faced with the need to cut costs and close a hospital. There was considerable local opposition. Instead of just soldiering on with the closure and accepting a reduced level of service, the leadership engaged with staff and with hospital users.
From this consultation emerged a new pattern of services in which provision was not cut and were actually improved. Prison hospital services were partly replaced by health visitors to the prison, and more ante-natal care was transferred to mid-wives in community centres, a service which was more convenient for expectant mums.
With more being expected on lower budgets, there are a lot of circles to be squared in public sector management. This can actually be achieved, but only by paying attention to the often neglected matters of shared and individual beliefs and conduct.
Neela Bettridge, executive coach and co-founder of Article 13
From Bubb's Blog
From Whitehall Watch
