Developing Middle Managers at Richmond Council

Where it began

The London Borough of Richmond upon Thames is a major council in South-West London. Faced with increasingly complex issues e.g. cross-sector and cross-divisional partnership working and shifting political landscapes, they prioritised the development of a strong band of leaders at the middle management level.

Where we came in

We proposed a capacity building programme that would take the Council to the next level of performance through three very simple objectives; improved results, managers performing as leaders, and enhanced dissemination of learning.

Managers would learn to implement change initiatives, motivate and inspire staff, get things done with others, hold others to account, build their influence, and operate more effectively in the organisation. A key ingredient of our work was organisational engagement. No effective programme can be delivered ‘off-the-shelf’; it requires a careful analysis of the organisational culture and the individual barriers to success.

Our approach was a blended learning solution that engaged the organisation throughout the process. After a series of interviews and workshops we designed a 10-month programme for each of five ‘cohorts’. It consisted of four modules interspersed with learning teams and one-to-one coaching. Participants selected change projects which both met a business need, and would stretch them in their own learning. A steering group of senior managers and programme participants was formed, which regularly discussed progress in the programme and which approved all project proposals. As the programme progressed, we continued to work with the steering group, the larger senior management group and the chief executive, sharing our learning about the organisation and building their input into the programme itself.

How it ended… and what next

From participants who complete the programme, there is outstanding feedback. In particular, people report increasing confidence in their ability, an increased sense of power and choice over their feelings and actions, and improved relationships with colleagues.

This has lead to improved decision making, more effective partnership working, smoother implementation of change and higher staff morale.

Further, the results are sustainable. As one participant said recently, while talking to senior management, ‘the results of the programme are inevitably permanent…the programme has created a transformational shift in how participants view their work’ .