NEWS


Interestingly, this has


encouraged many employers to still invest in training. There has, however, been a continuing shift towards the use of very short periods of training and to online learning as ways of condensing training into tight bursts.


This has been supported by workplace coaching so managers have had to develop their coaching skills. In this context, very short means two hours or so of tightly focussed training that addresses a specific activity or behaviour. This has minimised disruption in the workplace and ensured that training is directly translated into practice, with coaching support. One new skill that is used is better than ten that are learnt but only one of which is applied.


Making radical changes has been helped by the willingness of leaders to involve the people affected in the whole change process. This has required a real openness about the situation and the threats their organisation faces, coupled with many leaders’ willingness to make personal sacrifices (such as salary cuts) alongside their employees.


This has encouraged people to accept radical change far more willingly. Curiously, this has been helped by the fact that the recession was clearly outside the control of (most) private sector organisations’ leaders. By contrast, the public sector budget cuts are the result of political decisions which will undoubtedly make it far harder for public sector leaders to engage people in developing radical solutions. This is a challenge that public sector leaders and managers undoubtedly recognise.


The final point to note has been an even sharper focus on the customer. As markets have


Nov/Dec 10


become more competitive only the most customer-centred survive. Couple this with the Lean production approach, and it means doing what the customer values and not doing what the customer doesn’t value.


Perhaps the most significant aspect of customer service is speed – when customers have choices they will choose the supplier that is able to deliver what they want, now. For the public sector this means that changes to services must reduce costs but must also consider the customer experience.


This is nothing new – the public sector is as aware of this as the private sector. The challenge is not to lose sight of it as cuts are made but to place the customer experience at the centre of service redesigns.


So, some simple lessons that private sector can teach public sector leaders as they respond to the budgetary cuts coming their way: •


Be open to flexible working practices, encourage part time working, job share and other ways of preserving your skill base because this can encourage real productivity improvements


•


Work on building trust because high trust organisations are more efficient. Trust has to be earned so work on the behaviours that make leaders trusted


• •


Use Lean production methodologies to eliminate non-value-adding activities. Focus on the skills you need to help the organisation to deliver on priorities and be creative in the way that you develop people.


•


Be open and involve people in the processes needed to respond to budget cuts and be prepared to make your own sacrifices


pse 21


•


Put the experience of local residents, service users, patients, pupils and parents or whoever your customers are at the centre of your transformations, so that they continue to value the services you provide.


Above all else, remember Woolworths. Public affection didn’t stop them from collapse. Their failure was down to poor management – just look at the stores that have filled the gap they left.


These enterprising stores saw the recession as an opportunity to build their businesses.


The one big danger for public sector leaders and managers is to assume a victim mentality and allow the public sector recession to happen to you. Seize the opportunity to transform your organisations, become leaner and fitter, and you will survive.


Page 1  |  Page 2  |  Page 3  |  Page 4  |  Page 5  |  Page 6  |  Page 7  |  Page 8  |  Page 9  |  Page 10  |  Page 11  |  Page 12  |  Page 13  |  Page 14  |  Page 15  |  Page 16  |  Page 17  |  Page 18  |  Page 19  |  Page 20  |  Page 21  |  Page 22  |  Page 23  |  Page 24  |  Page 25  |  Page 26  |  Page 27  |  Page 28  |  Page 29  |  Page 30  |  Page 31  |  Page 32  |  Page 33  |  Page 34  |  Page 35  |  Page 36  |  Page 37  |  Page 38  |  Page 39  |  Page 40  |  Page 41  |  Page 42  |  Page 43  |  Page 44  |  Page 45  |  Page 46  |  Page 47  |  Page 48  |  Page 49  |  Page 50  |  Page 51  |  Page 52  |  Page 53  |  Page 54  |  Page 55  |  Page 56  |  Page 57  |  Page 58  |  Page 59  |  Page 60  |  Page 61  |  Page 62  |  Page 63  |  Page 64  |  Page 65  |  Page 66  |  Page 67  |  Page 68