LEADERSHIP DEVELOPMENT FOR LOCAL GOVERNMENT · LEADERSHIP DEVELOPMENT FOR LOCAL GOVERNMENT SOPHI BRUCE PROGRAM SPECIALIST, LEADERSHIP. UTS INSTITUTE FOR PUBLIC POLICY AND GOVERNANCE

LEADERSHIP DEVELOPMENT

FOR LOCAL GOVERNMENT

SOPHI BRUCE PROGRAM SPECIALIST, LEADERSHIP

2UTS INSTITUTE FOR PUBLIC POLICY AND GOVERNANCE

UNDERLYING THEMES

How can we develop and maintain trust with communities:

creating and developing public value

providing valuable services

How do we structure local government resources so that councils can develop,

attract and retain strong leaders?

What new and existing strengths can we leverage off to be more influential as a

sector, especially regionally and inter-governmentally?


What research is telling us

Bold leadership – vision, disruption, risk

Strategic thinking

Political savviness

Digital transformations

Learning and growth mindset

4

DEVELOPMENT IN TRANSITION

UTS IPPG

CENTRE FOR CREATIVE LEADERSHIP


PARTICIPATING COUNCILS


WHAT UNDERPINS GOOD PRACTICE

Good practice Leadership Development program

A values-based leadership

ethos

A support structure

Measuring progress


A VALUES BASED ETHOS TOWARDS LEADERSHIP

“There’s a very strong alignment between our leadership

aspirations and what culturally we want as an organisation to be”

Our staff have told us that it's really important for

them to know [that] there is a purpose as to why

they’re there and that what the organisation is

trying to achieve is still a bit bigger than the

individuals that make up that organisation.

When you’ve got an articulation of mission and

you believe in your reason for existence, your

performance in that role is much better

A values based ethos

towards leadership

aligns with council vision

and goals

reflects culture and

values

inspires and influences

staff

has support of senior

management

promotes leadership at

all levels

connects with context and purpose

of LG

If you can influence your peers

in a direction that is consistent

with the ideology of the

organisation then you are in fact

in a leadership role

The biggest risk for local government

is not its upper echelon; it’s in its

junior to mid management. That’s

when leadership/management

behaviours are created

The reformation of local government will hang on leadership

that will actually engage and inspire and without it, we’re just

going to keep running the same treadmill.


STRUCTURES THAT SUPPORT LEARNING

A support structure

Theories and models

Appreciation of learning

styles

Leadership frameworks

advocated participation

smart resourcing

aligned to performance

[Staff] need to have self-awareness,

the ability to change, the ability to

assess and measure themselves and

develop emotional and social

intelligence

The room of mirrors is not a pretty

place to be and getting over that

hurdle takes a level of organisational

maturity when you do it en masse

Leadership is only as relevant as

the environment within which you

operate which means to try and

take an off the shelf strategy or

approach is false logic.

Part of the culture is that we don't say ‘this is

mandatory’ or ‘that is mandatory’. We tend to use the

word ‘obligation’ or ‘responsibility

We've been wanting to distil

down to five or six core

competencies that we need to

ensure that our leaders have,

and we've realised that we never

had that. Whilst we've had

probably a feel about that … we

want to document it so everyone

is agreed on it. It almost

becomes the minimum base from

which people operate


MEASURING PROGRESSWhat does success look like? How do we know we have it? How do

we measure that? At this point, a lot of that information is anecdotal

or qualitative rather than quantitative.

Measuring progress

surveys and

feedback

data and analysis

evaluation

return on invesment

We are hoping and betting and investing that

those people may either stay in the industry or

come back to the industry at another point in

time.

I’d like to be looking at changing that

towards a more structured approach

where we look at full training needs

now, based on (wider) things such as

audit reports, customer feedback and

complaints, grievances, looking at our

Learning & Development training

requests, our conference requests


CHALLENGES

Effort

Staff Engagement

Leading leadership

Diversity of Needs

Open Communication

Talent Management


IDEAS AND INNOVATIONS

Customised methodology

Linking staff wellbeing to community

Partnerships and exchanges

Diversity of workforce = fresh ideas

Tap into existing staff capital

We recognise that if our leaders are in a good space from a

wellbeing point of view, then that will make a significant

difference in regard to their impact on our staff and the

community

To be sustainable we'll have to tap into the potential of our

staff and the capital we’ve already got … we need to tap

into our staff's discretionary effort and we'll need to find

better ways to do things


SOME CONCLUSIONS

o There is no set formula for a successful council leadership program; the best programs are those that are tailored and contextual and that align to values and purpose

o A leadership initiative requires the support and commitment of the council’s GM/CEO in order to embed it across the organisation, and it requires a supporting structure or framework of reference to guide the content and learning

o To achieve a sustainable business case for a leadership program, gaining an understanding of impact and progress should be factored into the overall strategy.

o Councils share many common challenges in developing local government leadership programs. Councils across Australia are open to sharing their successes with their peers. They are a resource whose advice and experience can be of use to other councils.

o The strategic purpose of council leadership programs is to develop individual and organisational capacity, and to enhance community services and progress local government as a sector.

o Innovations in local government leadership are emerging in different ways and are being sparked by new ways of thinking and working, championed by committed L&D individuals and enabled by executive teams with belief and vision.

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The People Matter survey

• UTS IPPG have permission to use a

version of the People Matter survey

that we’ve especially tailored to local

government

• The survey asks employees about

experiences with their own work and

working with their team, managers and

the organisation.

• Participants are asked to be thoughtful,

honest and candid when they complete

the survey.

• Responses from individual employees

are confidential and strict rules are in

place to safeguard privacy at every

stage of the survey process.

• Provides insights into perceptions of

senior staff capabilities

and the culture of council organisations

.

UTS IPPG

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People Matter

People Matter

Role

Wellbeing

Workgroup

Performance and

Development

Manager and Senior

Managers

Organisation

Diversity and Inclusion

Improving Effectiveness

senior managers

6%

7%

8%

8%

9%

13%

10%

11%

30%

36%

38%

38%

40%

37%

41%

47%

43%

42%

32%

32%

32%

39%

32%

28%

15%

10%

14%

14%

13%

7%

11%

10%

7%

4%

8%

7%

6%

4%

6%

4%

0% 10% 20% 30% 40% 50% 60% 70% 80% 90% 100%

Senior managers across departments collaborate well together

Senior managers promote collaboration between my organisationand other organisations

Senior leaders effectively lead and manage change

Senior managers encourage innovation by employees

Senior managers provide clear direction for the future of theorganisation

Senior managers in my organisation genuinely support the careeradvancement of women

Senior managers model the values of my organisation

Senior managers communicate the importance of the community inachieving our business objectives

Please rate your level of agreement with the following statements

Strongly agree Agree Neither agree nor disagree Disagree Strongly disagree

organisation

6%

5%

6%

11%

12%

13%

21%

21%

19%

21%

33%

35%

42%

46%

45%

52%

46%

55%

60%

58%

33%

46%

29%

26%

24%

26%

22%

17%

16%

16%

20%

10%

18%

12%

13%

7%

6%

5%

5%

4%

9%

5%

5%

5%

5%

4%

0% 10% 20% 30% 40% 50% 60% 70% 80% 90% 100%

Change is handled well in my organisation

There is a good working relationship between employees andelected officials

There is good co-operation between teams across our organisation

My organisation is committed to developing its employees

My organisation`s processes for recruiting employees are fair

My organisation is making the necessary improvements to meet ourfuture challenges

I would recommend my organisation as a great place to work

My organisation provides procedures and systems that ensureemployees avoid conflicts of interest

My organisation strives to match services to meet community needs

My organisation strives to earn and sustain a high level of publictrust

Please rate your level of agreement with the following statements )

Strongly agree Agree Neither agree nor disagree Disagree Strongly disagree


> Positive perceptions of senior managers are lower than those perceptions of direct

managers. Less than half of respondents have positive perceptions of senior

managers in areas such as communication of strategic objectives, providing

direction, encouraging innovation, and displaying leadership and collaboration.

> A high proportion of respondents chose “neither agree nor disagree” when it comes

to answering questions about senior managers.

> Demonstrating collaboration and leading change were the areas that were more

likely to attract a combination of ‘neither agree nor disagree’ or negative perceptions

from respondents.

> Almost a third of respondents perceive that change is not handled well across their

organisation

OBSERVATIONS


This research

UTS IPPG are conducting research as part of the NSW response to the national workforce strategy.

This research complements the Local Government Capability Framework (LGCF) and will result in the

development of an open learning resource for senior staff in NSW local government.

The resource intends to assist professional development and performance management strategies for senior staff.

Can be utilised by:

• Senior Staff (General Manager and Director level)

• Mayors and Councillors

• Council learning and development professionals


Research aims

1. Engage with local government professional development stakeholders and senior staff in understanding

resource requirements and options

2. Identify development options that correspond with ‘highly advanced’ behaviours as outlined within the LGCF

3. Provide a set of development options for each capability area that include a mix of ‘on-the-job’ activities,

learning from peers, and formal training options as per the 70-20-10 model of learning and development

4. Identify options for online delivery of the resource


Stages of the researchDesktop research

• overview of current thinking and research on exhibited behaviours and effective self-directed learning for senior

staff and the 70:20:10 model of learning

• review of capabilities against NSW People Matter engagement survey and similar data

• review of literature and online resources for each capability area

• collation of formal training options and providers for local government senior staff

Survey

Survey to understand what capability areas within the LGCF are considered most important for local government

senior executives and preferred options for learning/

Advisory group

A SSD research advisory group to include the LGWDRG, senior staff, L&D professionals, councillor representative

1:1 Interviews

To gain deeper understanding of capability areas, development options, HR information systems and available

resources, and Identify examples of innovative/effective practice in executive professional development


Discussion

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LOCAL GOVERNMENT CAPABILITY FRAMEWORK

Thank You

LEADERSHIP DEVELOPMENT FOR LOCAL GOVERNMENT · LEADERSHIP DEVELOPMENT FOR LOCAL GOVERNMENT SOPHI BRUCE PROGRAM SPECIALIST, LEADERSHIP. UTS INSTITUTE FOR PUBLIC POLICY AND GOVERNANCE

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