The one thing that binds all leaders together across the public
sector is the challenge of managing rising demand with less money.
Whilst local government has ‘by and large’ met its
efficiency saving targets to date (mostly through efficiency drives linked to
‘tough it out’ strategies) the reality is that continuing along this path will
yield diminishing returns.
Good news, bad news…
I will give you the bad news first. According to Sir Bob Kerslake,
speaking at a May 2012 conference of Directors of Adult Social Services, 70% of
the planned cuts in public services are still to come. The good news is that collaboration
can be one of the key ways of managing further cuts.
So it is important, that with the pressure on funding intensifying,
a new cadre of public sector ‘collaboration leaders’ emerges who can lead on
partnerships, alliances, shared services and even the many mergers that will
occur.
You will recognise them in pioneering new ways of collaborative
working developed to lead service improvement. A good illustration of this in
practice is the Tri-Borough Partnership in London1. Writing in the Guardian
the council leaders stated that:
‘We are clear that the tri-borough project should not
replicate old fashioned approaches to service delivery, effectively rationing
services. Instead, we have adopted a commissioning model where the desired
outcomes are agreed and then management seeks to find the best solution using a
combination of private, public and third sector providers.’
The resignation of Cllr Barrow, leader of Westminster
Council in March 2012, has not slowed the progress of the project either. Illustrating
that the collaborative leadership has been able to build a sustainable
cross-boundary relationship, in a sense leading beyond the authority of their
organisation and sharing power, responsibility and accountability to make it
work.
What are the
academics saying?
The concept of collaborative leadership is not new.
Academics have been researching this for many years and their findings are
insightful.
According to Chrislip and Larson (1994)2 ‘…..leaders
are those who articulate a vision, inspire people to act, and focus on concrete
problems and results.
[But]…collaboration needs a different kind of leadership; it
needs leaders who can safeguard the process, facilitate interaction, and
patiently deal with high levels of frustration. Collaboration works when…leaders
…keep the process going.’
Linden (2003) identified four main qualities that distinguish
effective collaborative leaders from those who weren’t effective:
1. They combine tremendous persistence, energy and resolve
with a measured ego.
2. They are passionate about the desired outcome.
3. Collaborative leaders pull others rather than push them.
4. Collaborative leaders think systematically.
Other factors shaping the development of collaborative
leaders is the recognition that old style leadership attributes, which work
well within an organisational context, seem inadequate when addressing complex
‘wicked problems’ with high levels of ambiguity.
Austin3 (2000) predicted an ‘age of alliances’ seeing
the notion of leadership widening to embrace collaborative skill sets. Brooks
(2008) talked about a new type of ‘new public leadership’4 defined
as:
‘A form of collective leadership in which public bodies and
agencies collaborate in achieving a shared vision based on shared aims and
values and distribute this through each organisation in a collegiate way which
seeks to promote, influence and deliver improved public value as evidenced through
sustained social, environmental and economic well-being within a complex and
changing context’.
So what must you do
well to become an effective collaborative leader?
Linden5 (2003) found that collaborative leaders are
able to:
● Create excitement about the collaboration’s purpose
● Be effective at getting the right people around the table
and keep them there
● Help them see common interests and benefits possible
through joint effort
● Generate trust
● Help design a transparent, credible process
● Focus on the win-win to meet three way interests
● Make relationship building a priority for the group
● Ensure senior champions are in place
● Engage everyone in collaborative problem solving
● Celebrate small successes and share credit widely
● Provide confidence, hope, resilience
Yes a long list, but nevertheless a useful checklist for
aspiring collaborative leaders.
Are you a spanner?
Linden’s view of collaboration leadership is supported by
the research work of Pawlowski and Robey (2004) which evidences that three brokering
practices are required to lead and facilitate any successful cross-boundary
activity: connecting, grafting and dealing6.
They see the collaborative leader as a broker who first
connects people by communicating and reinterpreting the expectations of
partners until they are acceptable to all.
Then they graft their personal leadership expectations onto
the partners’ expectations to avoid potential conflicts and extend the knowledge
across boundaries.
Finally, the leader, as broker, facilitates ongoing interaction
and ensures continual dealing between the partners.
But where do I start
now, I hear you ask?
Well according to Lord Michael Bichard7, a good
starting point for current leaders is to stop talking about public services and
start talking about services provided for the public good8.
Shifting your focus from improving your institution to
improving the services provided for the public good will open the possibilities
of collaborative working with others to deliver that goal.
Once this rubicund has been crossed, you will be on the path
to develop your collaborative leadership skills.
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1 See Tri-Borough Proposals Report: Bold ideas for
challenging times. (2011)
2 Chrislip, D & Larson, C (1994) How citizens and civic
leadership
can make a difference. P42
3 Austin, J (2000) Principles
of partnership. p44
4 Brookes (2008) The public leadership challenge. ESRC
research report. P1
5 Linden, R (2003) The
discipline of collaboration. Linden
describes
the three way interests as needs of the
partners,
the needs of product or service and the needs
of the
relationship between the partners R-L. et al. (2012) Collaborative Knowing: The adaptive nature of cross-boundary spanning. p466
7 Sir Michael was former Director of the Institute of
Government
and Chair of the Design Council
8 Lord Bichard writing in the Local Government
Chronicle
31/05/12
