Penny de Valk
As we begin to emerge from the deepest recession that the UK has faced in recent times and with a General Election looming, it is clear that substantial cuts in public sector spending are inevitable.
Against this backdrop the Institute of Leadership & Management set out to see how public sector managers are facing up to these circumstances, asking them about the challenges they deal with now and how they will change in the coming 12 – 18 months, their levels of satisfaction and their frustrations.
The research dispels the negative stereotype of unmotivated public sector workers, so often portrayed by the media or in folklore.
By contrast, we discovered a group of motivated managers, highly satisfied in their role, with a strong commitment to serving the public. They have a real appetite to banish bureaucracy, introduce more efficient processes and develop innovative solutions to the budgetary pressures that they will undoubtedly face. When surveyed about the future they're upbeat and motivated for the challenge ahead.
Interestingly, they also indicated that the next few months will present a welcome opportunity to deal with poor performance - cited by 25% of respondents as an important reason for dissatisfaction in their roles.
However, public sector managers are well aware that the real pain is yet to come. High levels of job satisfaction, optimism and goodwill alone are not enough to deal with the increasing challenges highlighted in our research.
The managers surveyed anticipate renewed pressure as cost cutting impacts on day-to-day operations, with increased concerns about personal job security, the threat of redundancies and headcount reductions.
Working at full stretch
This will only exacerbate the pressure they face. Three quarters of managers say that their team is working at full stretch with minimal room for cost reductions – suggesting that there will be little wriggle room for further cuts in budgets and resources without significant disruption to public services.
Skilled leaders and managers are required, both now and in the future, to deal effectively with the challenges identified. There is a danger that if these are mismanaged, essential frontline services will be compromised.
The public sector certainly has the managerial raw materials to make change happen, but needs to ensure these managers are engaged and developed to deliver on their demands for more innovative solutions.
Managers should not be tasked to improve efficiency by implementing crude cuts and be expected to continue with a business as usual approach but under greater pressure and with fewer resources, as this can only impact adversely on service delivery.
Fundamentally, the government, policy makers, HR directors and organisational leaders, need to capitalise on the spirit of optimism and opportunity identified by this research. Strong leadership is required to support and empower public sector managers, allowing them the freedom to make decisions that are appropriate to the circumstances, so that they can drive innovation, productivity and performance
Our research has revealed a strong commitment by managers to the services they deliver and a desire to do their best with the available resources. The challenge for policy-makers now is not to see public sector managers as barriers to achieving goals, rather as allies in their campaign.
Penny de Valk is chief executive of the Institute of Leadership & Management
• Click here to read the research report, Leading Change in the Public Sector, and to join the debate
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