South West Regional Health and Well-being Leadership Academy
Effective Leadership in times of change and uncertainty
Robin DouglasDouglas Consulting Services
March 2011
The following presentation contains a range of ideas that have been chosen to help you as part of a process of leadership to:
– achieve your outcomes and goals in difficult times– use your personal skills and knowledge to best effect– understand the dynamics of leading effective change– work effectively with others in change– maintain commitment and energy in the face of
resistance or opposition– Recognise the complexity and messiness of real and
effective change
Contents
• Part 1. Key thinking about leadership
• Part 2. Developing a language for public service leadership
• Part 3. Leading successful change
• Part 4. Strategic leadership
Part 1. Key thinking about Leadership: Vision
‘Make no small plans for they have no power to stir the soul’
» Nicolo Machiavelli
‘If you want to build a ship, don’t drum up the men to gather wood, divide the work and give orders. Instead, teach them to yearn for the vast and endless sea’
» Antoine de Exupery
Action
‘Nothing in life is to be feared. It is only to be understood’
»Marie Curie
‘The most difficult thing is the decision to act. The rest is merely tenacity. The fears are paper tigers’
»Amelia Earhart
Facing the leadership challenge
‘ We need to be more radical in the way we join up departments, authorities, agencies and sectors, to offer services that are built around client needs; we need to devolve power to devise new solutions closer to the frontline; we need to be better at influencing citizens to change their lifestyles and so reduce the pressure on public services’
Sir Michael Bichard 6th May 2009 The Guardian
And now:• ‘Local authorities must not wait for central
government legislation before implementing Total Place...maintain the momentum to convince the new government this can not be let go’
Lord Michael Bichard
21st May 2010
Total Place Review
A brief review of a century of leadership ideas
• Born not made….the great ‘man’ theories
• Style …what works?
• Traits…make good leaders
• Contingency or situational ….fit for purpose leadership
• Ends matter…leadership for results
more views…
• Focus on actual performance not theory• Competence…skills, knowledge and behaviour
can be learned• Action centred leadership….leadership includes
the team• Focus on the ‘intelligences’ – emotional,
environmental, social, and organisational
• Is effective leadership rooted in skills, behaviour or belief?
Leadership in action: John Adair focused on leaders need to balance….
Task
Team Individual
We also need to include a 4th domain…the organisation & the political context
& Dick Beckhard said that leaders…
• ‘Solve problems and manage dilemmas’… but must not get them confused.
• ‘Only do 3 kinds of work in organisations’...– Act on things yourself – do it!– Help others to do things – collaborate!– Permit things to be done…delegate and then
get out of the way!
• Think about a complex dilemma or ‘wicked’ problem that you have faced and improved. What enabled you to do this?
However, some of it is rocket science…
Some problems are so complex that you have to be highly intelligent and well informed just to be undecided about them.
Laurence J. Peter
Is it management or leadership ?• Are the things you are handling tame or wicked
– problems or dilemmas?
• …working with past experience or meeting unpredictable challenges?
• With an understanding the timetable and pressures for action or in turmoil?
• Through organisational controls or using different sources of influential authority?
• Deciding or enabling?
When is it leadership ?
Command? Management? Leadership?
• Focus? Tactical Operational Strategic
• Time? Short Term Medium Term Long Term
• Problem? Critical Experienced New
What do good leaders do?
• Understand your agenda & focus on outcomes• Be curious – question and build understanding• Network and benchmark – how do others do it?• Walk about – be seen and heard• Get others to decide – set the framework• Strike deals – create dependencies• Show clear values and priorities• And probably, by being boring and repetitive
– From John Kotter ‘The General Managers’
Questions from leaders
• If I ask questions, how do l ensure I get useful answers?
• How do l understand how other players are likely to think and act?
• How do l deal with reluctance to change?
• How do l find time to learn, act and think differently?
• How do l ensure command or management doesn’t rule out leadership?
Part 2. Developing an outcomeslanguage for public service leadership
• The language of outcomes is hard to learn and use skilfully
• ‘Turning the curve’ can be very helpful• You will need to understand the ‘people’s
perspective’• You won’t achieve outcomes, people and
communities will• You can help by engaging and co-producing
their outcomes
Outputs/Services
Inputs
Outcomes
Changes in individual behaviour
Real personal benefits
Enhanced knowledge and choice
Wider health and social gains
Consensus Building
Partnership strategydevelopment
Organisationalarrangements
Joint funding plans‘Single door’ services
Information toconsumers/public/users
Partnershipprojects
Improved access to services
Depend on
Lead toInfo
rm o
rgan
-
isat
iona
l cha
nges
Depend on
Lead to
A framework for outcomes
Joint service delivery
Mapping your partnership working
TensionsConflicting priorities
Turf warsService focus
Integrated activityFlexible use of staff
Rule breakingTensions in governance
Outcomes focus
Complex accountabilitiesFaçade activities
Large scale meetingsExpressive focus
NetworkingCultural developmentRelationship building
Governance focus
action
planning
agency collective
orientation
mode
Who’s outcomes? Understanding Needs: Jonathan Bradshaw
Comparative Needs Normative Needs
Expressed
Needs
Felt Needs
Three mind sets that shape organisational life
Underlying beliefs set the tone and expectations for leading in complexity. Avoid the traps of other’s paradigms, metaphors and perspectives
The Metaphor is: The Focus is:
1. ‘Newtonian’ Clock/mechanical Planning, systems & outcomes
2. ‘Darwinian’ Plants- evolution and Learning, organic growth, change
scenario choices
3.‘Lost in change’Heroes in chaos Political, opportunist,
rule breaking, short life systems, ‘messy
choices’
Leading with different sources of authority…..
Positional
Based on Role & OrganisationalPosition
Given
Wisdom
Based on the Belief & Trust of Others
EarnedKnowledge
Based on Personal CapacityExperience & Understanding
Acquired
The learning leader……from the unknown unknowns
Unconscious incompetence
Conscious competence
Unconscious competence
Conscious incompetence
The johari window: using the four regions
1.What is known by the person about him/herself and is also known by others
2. What is unknown by the person but which others know – feedback (1 - 2)
3.What the person knows that others do not know – disclosure (1 - 3)
4.What is unknown by the person and unknown by others – revelation (1 – 4)
Part 3. Leading successful change
• What are you trying to achieve?
• Do you have the resource and energy to see it through?
• Do you understand the others agenda?
• How are you going to handle resistance and inertia?
Understanding the context for change
PRESSUREFOR
CHANGE
CAPACITY FOR
CHANGE
A CLEARSHAREDVISION
ACTIONABLEFIRSTSTEPS
Bottom of “in-tray” Anxiety and frustration
A fast start that fizzles out
Haphazard efforts &false starts
Leading in transition
1. Immobilisation• Shock• Overwhelmed• Mismatch between high expectations and reality
2. Denial • Temporary retreat• False competence
3. Incompetence• Awareness that change is necessary• Frustration phase• How to deal with change
4. Acceptance of reality• ‘Letting go’ of past comfortable attitudes and behaviours.
7. Integration• Incorporate meanings into new behaviours
6. Search for meaning• Internalisation• Seeking understanding
5. Testing• New behaviours, new approaches (tendency here to stereotype, i.e. the way things should be done); energy; begin to deal with new reality - anger and frustration.
TIME
PER
FOR
MA
NC
E
Processes
People Policies
Culture
Organisational norms
Ways of working
Style
Skills
Personal Values
Individual Behaviour
Explicit organisational values
Roles
Defined goals & priorities
Public statements/ policies & strategies
3 Dimensions of Change in Organisations
‘Scott and Jaffe’: Reactions to change
DENIAL COMMITMENT
RESISTANCE EXPLORATION
Past Future
External Environment
Patterns of behaviour in change:
Victims... • put obstacles in the way, & may even sabotage• are likely to be defensive/negative• tend to blame others• look for short term solutions• have little regard for others• don’t look for solutions• have purely personal objectives• make heavy weather, even of simple issues• tend to withdraw, either physically or psychologically
Survivors . . .
• say the right thing – but don’t mean it• deny any real benefits• make cynical comments• take an “I’m all right Jack” position• put energy into positioning themselves – become territorial, pulls rank• spend time prioritising own needs – at
expense of others/organisation• can be aggressive or manipulative
Navigators . . .
• have the will to face the anxiety of change• can cope with the uncertainties• take a proactive approach• manage the pressures of change well• cultivate a belief in their ability to deal
competently with the situation• prefer being the cause of events rather than
at their mercy
At your best you are………? What brings out the worst in you?
Part 4: Strategic Leadership needs you to…• be clear about the core values, principles and main
elements of your strategic agenda.
• be able to describe vividly the ends and the nature of the journey
• understand the difference between a strategy (or plan) and strategic behaviour.
• share your vision with others to generate followership.
• .
• Enable and encourage others to engage with your ideas and shape the strategy.
• distinguish the difference from your ends and their means.
• Work the system, not just the organisation.
Leading through strategic behaviour requires …• Understanding that single or simple solutions rarely
work, systems and inter-connections are crucial
• A continuous focus on outcomes… there are often many different ways of getting there
• Developing skills in strategic behaviour, using feedback to understand what works
• Recognition that effective strategies must be constantly ‘reshaped’ to allow for change
…’being strategic’ also requires you to • Get your focus right – separate the solvable problems
from complex dilemmas
• Understand others agendas as well as your own
• Find a common language, and actively test assumptions
• Allow some space for learning - the best strategies will emerge
• Build purposeful partnerships and alliances
• Know what support and resources you need
In summary: Leadership in change …. to achieve real benefits for people by…
• Focusing on outcomes and enabling others in co-producing ways of achieving them
• Using your power, influence and authority skilfully
• Understanding your own patch and other’s organisations
better
• Improving innovation and productivity through collaboration and effective partnership working
• Leading through action and problem solving, place shaping and supporting local individuals and community
• Building and enabling leadership skills in others
• Recognising the need for your own survival, support and growth
• And…………?
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