The Challenge

To help senior managers, the Cabinet and fellow councillors adopt new ways of thinking that will support their drive to transform the local authority.

Why change was needed

Management competencies were benchmarked against ‘traditional’, target-based measures. Elected members needed to develop a supportive approach to the proposed changes and be clear about their role in bringing this about.

What we did

We brought all 47 members of the council’s leadership team together for a day’s workshop in which they explored a fresh set of competencies such as managing from a whole system view, understanding the interdependencies of the different parts of the authority and putting the customer first, and they assessed how best these could be adopted into their own framework.

We also met with the Cabinet, individually and as a group, helping establish the sought outcomes, methods and resources needed to deliver the whole council transformation they are seeking at both a technical and cultural level. They wanted to create an ethos of going the extra mile so that the customer gets the best possible outcome the first time they need it.

Examples of this have included faster and more positive decisions on planning applications, rapid assessment of benefit claims and cost effective and timely responses to housing repairs.

The Cabinet was then briefed every two weeks and actively took part in the transformation work. The 57 councillors were invited to attend one of two introduction and training afternoons.

The Results

A bespoke set of guidelines that will enable the leadership and management of the council to lead a Lean Systems Thinking (LST) organisation while continuing to develop themselves as leaders.

An inclusive, informed and supportive relationship between councillors and officers, ensuring solid foundations for change activities.

The Client Says

“(Habanero) .... challenged our beliefs about the management role and helped us introduce real practical changes to the way we manage work at the council.”

Corporate Head of Partnerships and Organisational Improvement