Example: handling change
Challenge
To design and deliver a programme to bring managers and staff together following the merger of six local authorities and create a culture of collaboration and team work, whilst placing the customer at the heart of the service delivery.
Solution
Bringing together a disparate number of cultures was never going to be easy. Change is unsettling and there was a need to move swiftly and prepare staff for the changes that were happening. They needed to hit the ground running and we needed to provide a solution which addressed their concerns whilst ensuring that their customers continued to receive the level of service they expected.
- Initial research questionnaire to establish the concerns, problems and achievements surrounding the change.
- An interactive activity which encouraged participants to get to know each other, think about working and communicating as an organisation as well as a team, and building trust in each other.
- A bespoke ‘Raising the bar’ business game, which included question cards based on the real-life scenarios individuals had experienced. This enabled both managers and staff to reach a better understanding of each others’ responsibilities, challenges and barriers, and to come up with ways to improve their service to the customer and to each other.
- Facilitated group discussion on the overall performance of the new department, and the improvement ideas which arose as a result the business game.
- Personal planning session to identify what individuals will do to personally improve service.
- After the event the participant feedback on the programme and summary of improvement ideas were provided to the Head of Housing Service.
Result
Many of the ideas on how to improve the service have been implemented. The ‘Raising the bar’ business game has since been successfully used within other Directorates of the Council.
“It’s great to see these best practices shared across the service. This model of team building, using real customer feedback, can be shaped to fit all services, I recommend it as an effective programme.”
“People commented that they now have a better understanding of how customers feel and the work issues faced by colleagues in other teams and locations.”