Michael’s reflection:
I’ve always felt like I can generate more change, and deliver positive outcomes for my community, if my superiors give me the freedom to make my own decisions, and to act fast where necessary. It shows that they are confident in my ability to do a job. There are many ways senior leaders can empower and encourage staff to get more involved in the design and delivery of services, for example:
Upskilling staff to have the confidence to tackle challenging problems quickly and effectively.
Listening to staff’s concerns, opinions, and proposals on the running of the organisation. For example, when working with a fostering service, we collaborated from the top down – with managers, front line workers, and foster carers on designing the strategy for the service.
I’ve learnt that listening and providing this space isn’t always enough, and that sometimes asking the right questions can help your staff make the leap from a good idea to a practical intervention.
One of the things we do at MV is support organisations as they explore alternative delivery models for services, such as public service mutual. A fundamental element of this is having an empowered workforce that can operate effectively and respond to change quickly – with full confidence that they know how to best support their communities.
Creating this new model won’t automatically create an empowered workforce – this type of culture takes time, work and effort. This effort begins at the top of the organisation, but the rewards can be felt by all of the staff and the communities they serve.
To learn more about our work supporting culture change contact info@mutualventures.co.uk.
To view more of the reflections from the Mutual Ventures’ team click here.
Download a report containing the full MV team’s personal reflections on what they have learnt over the last decade.
