key leadership actions for innovation: solace research 2016

Key Leadership Ac/ons for Innova/on: Solace Innova/on Research Findings 2016

©Accelera/ng Innova/on in Local Government Research Project

Aims of the research To: •  Discover more about what senior managers in leading councils are doing that is helping to achieve more major cost-‐saving innova/ons

•  Promote & discuss the learning through Solace & more widely

•  Suggest addi/onal ways councils might accelerate innova/on


Should'we'agree'long'term'

objec3ves'or'evolve'innova3ons'

step'by'step?'

Should'we'take'major'risks'or'be'more'cau3ous?'

Should'we'direct'and'drive'

innova3ons'from'the'top'or'empower'

others?'

Should'we'encourage'‘1000'flowers'to'

bloom’'or'priori3se'areas'for'innova3on?'

Should'we'encourage'

everyone'to'‘be'crea3ve’'or'be'more'focused?'

Should'we'spend'a'long'3me'reflec3ng'or'move'forward'

quickly?'

Should'we'look'for'‘disrup3ve'ideas’'or'just'adapt'and'improve?'

Should'we'agree'inspiring,'bold,'

ambi3ous'plans'or'be'‘more'realis3c’?'


Research conducted


•  Selected councils with a reputa/on for innova/on

•  Interviewed their senior & middle managers

•  Produced in-‐depth individual case studies

•  Undertook overall analysis of the leadership ac/ons

•  Compared the results with other studies

Councils involved


Examples of innova/ons


Joint ventures building affordable housing

Health & social care integra/on

Suffolk Public Sector Partnership

KEY LEADERSHIP ACTIONS FOR INNOVATION From this study, previous studies & other relevant research



Leaders are clear, united & determined about the outcomes they want to achieve & their

priority areas for innova/on


“Leadership must be a collec/ve endeavour. Whatever the challenge is, if we are all really signed up for it, we will make it happen.” Carolyn Wilkins, Chief Execu5ve, Oldham

Council

“At the beginning we set out clear priori/es: what’s important, the things to drive forward with, & those to let go & leave behind. Then

focus, focus, focus.” Simon Baker, Chief Execu5ve, Staffordshire

Moorlands & High Peak t

Are bold & ambi/ous, while understanding residents’ concerns, learning from elsewhere, se^ng realis/c

objec/ves, & taking well considered risks



“You need to define what you can change, & what you can’t, & not waste people’s /me in trying to do the

impossible. You need passion & ideas, but you also need to work out whether something is opera/onally viable.”

David McNulty, Chief Execu5ve, Surrey

“We need to judge whether what we are doing is a good idea or a great idea, & be a bit

discerning about not trying to do too much.” Charlie Adan, Chief Execu5ve, Mid Suffolk &

Babergh

Engage with key partners in an open way, evolving innova/ons together



“We work in a much more ‘system leader’ type of way now. If you want to get partners into the room, sharing their resources, & sharing their skills, you have to work with them differently. Rather than controlling partnerships, we try &

facilitate our work with others.” Director, Bristol

“Spending /me building rela/onships & trust with people in other organisa/ons is very important. Partnerships are about

people.” Senior Manager, South Tyneside

Create an organisa/onal culture that encourages crea/ve approaches



“Culture is crucial. We allow people to be the voca/onal public servants they want to be. We encourage explora/on & curiosity. We try to give people confidence. Nothing is a daa idea. We work

out whether it is doable.” Paul MaHhews, Chief Execu5ve, Monmouthshire

“You keep bringing that organisa/onal narra/ve back to what you are trying to achieve. You are not doing innova/on because it is the next sexy thing, but because that is what you need to do to

create public value, to serve the people of Surrey, especially the most vulnerable.” David McNulty, Chief Execu5ve, Surrey

Develop & empower other innova/ve leaders e.g. middle managers



“You need a different type of leader in local government now. It is not about just running services anymore. It is about a really solid understanding of

local government & where it is going, coupled with an ability to see the bigger picture, to iden/fy the change required, & being able to work with poli/cians & staff

to deliver that change.” Senior Manager, South Tyneside

“We have been very focused on developing the skills of our middle managers. We recognise

that the best ideas come from middle managers. They are in a becer posi/on to

understand customers’ needs.” Senior Manager, East Hampshire & Havant

Invest /me, resources & effort into developing their innova/on priori/es



“To innovate you have to invest.” Director, East Hampshire & Havant

“We put our money where our mouth is.” Donna Hall, Chief Execu5ve, Wigan

Convincingly communicate the reasons why priority innova/ons are important Talk to key people such as their managers, employees & residents



“Innova/on happens through people. We need people with the right mindset & the right

behaviours. We aim to make sure everyone is connected to the purpose.”

Paul MaHhews, Chief Execu5ve, Monmouthshire

“The biggest future transforma/on will be achieved through changing

the way people work.” Donna Hall, Chief Execu5ve, Wigan

Genuinely listen to, & involve, others in developing innova/ons (e.g. managers, employees,

residents, service users, partners & local businesses)

©Futuregov



“Part of the mayor’s role is to challenge the city, to try to come up with some of the answers to our issues. There is something fundamental about

providing a plaform for the city’s crea/vity, rather than believing that we have all the answers.”

Max Wide, Strategic Director, Bristol

“We focus on what macers to the people of Oldham. We look at what we can do with our resources to address their priori/es, which are not necessarily about tradi/onal

councils services.” Carolyn Wilkins, Chief Execu5ve, Oldham

Track the progress of priority innova/ons e.g. using project management or ‘more agile’ techniques



“We always set clear /melines, keep our foot on the pedal & don’t allow things to dria.”

Simon Baker, Chief Execu5ve, Staffordshire Moorlands & High Peak

“You need an innova/on process that is based on a cycle of

orienta/on, ac/on, reflec/on, reorienta/on, ac/on, reflec/on,

reorienta/on.” Charlie Adan, Chief Execu5ve, Mid

Suffolk & Babergh

Persist for long enough to embed & scale up major innova/ons



“We address our challenges with confidence & an absolute determina/on to deliver the Council’s long-‐term vision. Our confidence is due to the commitment & immensely posi/ve a^tudes of our staff, elected

members & partners.” Mar5n Swales, Chief Execu5ve, South Tyneside

“We are taking a collegiate approach, with weekly mee/ngs that drive the

work forward. We are exploring, feeling our way forward, towards a clear goal.”

Senior Manager, Monmouthshire

The nine case studies


Great progress •  The managers & poli/cians appeared

to be taking a much more comprehensive strategic approach to innova/on than most councils in our previous studies

•  The managers were upbeat &

enthusias/c, excited about what they were doing & achieving

•  The findings suggest that poli/cians &

senior managers in councils are becoming much more sophis/cated, knowledgeable & confident about genera/ng innova/ons.


Ac5ons highlighted in most case study councils

•  Be bold, ambi/ous, united & passionate (9)

•  Build innova/ve partnerships (9)

•  Create an innova/ve organisa/onal culture (8)

•  Develop & empower innova/ve leaders (8)

•  Understand & involve residents (6)

•  Move with pace, take considered risks (6)


Ac5ons highlighted in majority of case study councils

•  Resource priority innova/on processes (5)

•  Engage employees (5) •  Be disciplined, focused & determined (5)

•  Learn from elsewhere (5) •  Use more ‘agile’ processes (5)


Ac5ons highlighted in a minority of case study councils

•  Commissioning for innova/on

•  Maximising digital exper/se

•  Fostering cross council networks

•  Recrui/ng staff with the right a^tudes for innova/on


Some councils might benefit from Iden/fying more clearly: •  Services that are running

well – where only minor improvements needed

•  Services that are poor – where performance needs to be improved significantly

•  Services that are low impact or low priority – which should be stopped

•  The cri/cal areas for major innova/ons


There’s no universal formula •  Some councils are in a becer

posi/on to be trailblazers for innova/on (e.g. because of their history, culture, poli/cal stability, local residents)

•  Others councils can learn from them, use their success as evidence to make a case for innova/ons locally

•  Leaders need to make judgements about what is possible, depending on their circumstances


Judgements leaders need to make •  How far ahead to plan given the

uncertain strategic context •  How long to reflect for before star/ng

to develop an innova/on •  How precise to be about what they

want to achieve •  Whether to try to develop something

completely new or to adapt others’ ideas

•  Whether their normal performance management system is capable of overseeing the development of innova/ons or they need to use more flexible methods


The Local Councils’ Innova/on Framework: Leaders can use the Framework to review their ac/ons


Ci#zen'&''service'user''

focus'!

Culture'promotes'innova#on''

Effec#ve'delivery'

mechanisms'for'innova#on'

Cross'boundary'innova#ons'

Strategic'approach'to'innova#on'

Leaders'&'managers'lead'for'

innova#on'

Clear'poli#cal'vision'&'priori#es'

!

Employees'skilled'&'

mo#vated'for'innova#on'

For the full version of the latest Framework see: hcps://goo.gl/p647l

0ther resources •  The full research report:

hcp://www.solace.org.uk/knowledge/reports_guides/key-‐leadership-‐ac/ons-‐for-‐innova/on-‐final-‐report

•  The case studies: hcp://bit.ly/1OvJaEe •  Presenta/ons on innova/on:

hcp://www.slideshare.net/joanmunro •  NESTA Innova/on Skills Bank:

hcp://www.nesta.org.uk/develop-‐your-‐skills

•  Design Council service redesign process: hcp://www.designcouncil.org.uk/news-‐opinion/design-‐process-‐what-‐double-‐diamond

[email protected] @JoanMICL ©Accelera/ng Innova/on in Local

Government Research Project

key leadership actions for innovation: solace research 2016

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