SOLACE East of England Regional Seminar

Adrian Pritchard

Colchester Borough Council

7 November 2014

Dealing with change: political astuteness

Democratic Mandate

• Public finance

• Public service

• Political mandate

• Political decision making

Reasons for becoming elected members

• Political beliefs/values/principles • Community interest • Single issue • Making a difference • Being asked • Getting upset or involved • Further political advancement • Power and power base

““I am an officer I am an officer

(s)he is a politician – (s)he is a politician –

we inhabit each we inhabit each other’s worlds”other’s worlds”

One person’s idea of One person’s idea of collaboration is collaboration is

another person’s another person’s idea of improprietyidea of impropriety

Political Sensitivity

Political Space

Politicians

Political Sensitivity

Management Space

Officers

Political Sensitivity

Political Space

Politicians

Management Space

Officers

Political and Management

Shared Space

Why political skills for Managers?

• Vital for: – Survival in an organisation – Becoming a great manager – Getting the best from people – Ensuring success – Delivering achievements– Making sense of non-managerial (political)

decisions

Political Skills for Managers

• Trust– By the leadership – By the organisation– By partners – By stakeholders– By the community – In the work of government

Politically Skilled Managers

• Respond in certain ways

• Display certain characteristics

Political Skills – A ModelTwo dimensions

Knowledge dimension • Understanding the organisation • Making sense of the external world

Skills dimension • Management of your internal world • Navigation of the issues (problems) to solve

Knowledge Dimension

Political Awareness

Politically Unaware

Reads the organisation

Understands the decision making processes

Aware of overt and covert agendas

Identifies bases of power

Interprets organisational culture

Clarifies political purpose/direction

Gets small and large ‘P’ politics

Unable or unwilling to recognise most or all of the politically aware knowledge

Knowledge Dimension

Political awareness = Clever Behaviour

• Understands how the system works

• Achieves outcomes without expert or positional power

• Sets up situations to meet their own needs

• Opportunistic

Knowledge Dimension

Politically Unaware = Innocent Behaviour

• No understanding of organisational issues

• Belief in expert or positional power

• Blindness to any other forms of power

• Contempt for political skill

• Disillusioned by ‘politicking’

Skills Dimension

Acting with Integrity

Psychological game-playing

Uses written rules

Knows the unwritten rules

Undertakes lobbying

Times proposals

Speaks to the right people

Self orientated

Superficially plausible

Concealed motivation

Someone ends up feeling bad

Politically aware

Politically unaware

KNOWLEDGE

DIMENSION

CLEVER

INNOCENT

Politically aware

Politically unaware

Psychological game-playing

Acting with integrity

KNOWLEDGE

SKILLS

DIMENSION

DIMENSION

CLEVER

INNOCENT

WISE

INEPT

Politically aware

Politically unaware

Psychological game-playing

Acting with integrity

KNOWLEDGE

SKILLS

DIMENSION

DIMENSION

CLEVER

INNOCENT

WISE

INEPT

Owl, Fox, Donkey or Sheep?

Working with a coalition administration Working Together

• Policies they can agree on• Actions/policies they want achieved• Relationship with government/ministers/

opposition• Relationship with the opposition groups(s)• Relationship with other

agencies/organisations/ business

• Red lines not to be crossed

Working with a coalition administrationWays of Working

• Portfolio Holder boundaries/autonomy/decision making

• Communication between Cabinet

• Relationship with the Chief Executive

• Involvement of the Executive (Senior) Management Team

• Communication with the media/press/public

• Decisions in private (can split – majority rules)

• Decisions in public (abstain at worst)

Working with a coalition administrationDecision Making and Influence

• Weekly Leader and Chief Executive meetings

• Quarterly Leader and Director meetings

• Monthly Chief Executive and individual group Leader meetings

• Leadership Team – Big policy items (monthly)

• Executive Board – Small policy/political items (fortnightly)

• Pre-Cabinet Co-ordinating meeting (3 weeks before Cabinet

Practical tips for working with members

• Know your Councillors

• Regular contact/create contact

• View through their lens

• Challenge when appropriate

• Treat with respect

• Deliver on priorities

• Be aware of political influences

Former Labour Cabinet Minister, Former Labour Cabinet Minister, Liam Byrne….Liam Byrne….

“Dear chief secretary, I'm afraid there is

no money. Kind regards - and good luck!

Liam."

Sharon Shoesmith, former Head of Sharon Shoesmith, former Head of Children’s Services, Haringey Council…Children’s Services, Haringey Council…

“Sharon Shoesmith sacked as Director of Children's

Services after the death of 17-month-old Peter

Connelly”

Christopher Galley – Home Christopher Galley – Home Office Civil Servant…Office Civil Servant…

“Christopher Galley dismissed as junior Home

Office civil servant for passing

information to Tory Damian

Green”

Bob Quick – Assistant Bob Quick – Assistant Commissioner….Commissioner….

“Bob Quick

resigns over terror blunder”