Investors In People
James Parker, Chief Executive Nov 2011
With material from IIP website
which provides an extensive support toolset free of charge
© Bishop’s Stortford Town Council
IIP - Strategic Planning
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In IIP everything follows from
Strategic Planning.
The strength of the business derives
from the strength of the strategic
planning
Currently its weak -26%
36 individuals can achieve our statutory responsibilities. A team of 36 can
achieve much, much more. What do we want to be?
© Bishop’s Stortford Town Council
IIP: Where it all starts: Creative Vision
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A Vision:
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helps your people to be clear about the long term future.
keeps the organisation focused in the same direction.
gives your people a reason why certain things have to happen.
It is the big picture for the organisation.
The Three Questions (according to IIP), to be answered concisely
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Q1 Where do you want your organisation to be in the long term future?
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Note long term can be one year, three years, five years – whatever you feel is right
Eg: Are we minimalist or do we have selective expansionist ambitions
where does localism fit?
What services do we want to provide that we currently don’t provide?
What services do we not want to provide that we currently do provide?
What ambitions do we have for the relationship with other authorities?
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Q2 What do you want clients and anyone who hears about your organisation to say about it?
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Q3 What are the key principles or values that will guide your organisation to achieve
questions 1 and 2?
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Are we proactive or reactive. If proactive, against what principles?
Do we stand for cost or quality?
36 individuals can achieve our statutory responsibilities. A team of 36 can
achieve much, much more. What do we want to be?
© Bishop’s Stortford Town Council
Strategic Planning - What are we missing, why
does it matter?
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What are we missing?
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Why does it matter?
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Strategic planning: without a vision strategic planning is meaningless and decisions become reactive
Teamwork: without shared direction teamwork suffers and less is achieved
Influence: much of what we do depends on influencing others, we are weakened if we aren’t pulling
together
Engagement: staff and councillors are better able to engage if there is a shared direction
What would solve this?
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Purpose: We do not have a shared purpose (why are we here?)
Strategy: We do not have a shared strategic plan/direction
Vision: We don’t have an agreed view on what we want to be
Values: We don’t have agreed values
Vision statement – why are we here, what are our values, where do we want to be?
3-5 year view of what services we wish to operate (some examples attached as appendix 2a, 2b)
3-5 year financial plan (requested also by auditors – no examples currently available will seek some)
Refreshed Town Plan (summary of current attached as appendix 3)
SMART objectives as part of the above
How to get there
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Engagement is key – must be inclusive
1. Offsite brainstorm set the big picture parameters (finance, service aspirations, values)
2. This group to draft the detail
3. Approval by Council
In parallel: Town Plan Refresh (underway)
4: Embed refresh and review in Council meetings – keep it live
36 individuals can achieve our statutory responsibilities. A team of 36 can
achieve much, much more. What do we want to be?
© Bishop’s Stortford Town Council
Backup
© Bishop’s Stortford Town Council
IIP: SMART Objectives
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SMART
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Why?
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Specific
Measurable
Agreed
Attainable and achievable
Realistic and resourced
Timebound
Keep people focused on what is important and what needs to be achieved
Provide a major tool for motivation.
People like to know and feel a sense of achievement.
What?
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Short, simple, concise, clear bullet statements that anyone can understand.
No more than 5 objectives at a time
Fit together to form a unified strategy.
Measurable.
Objectives not actions/tasks.
Short and long term creating a pathway to success.
36 individuals can achieve our statutory responsibilities. A team of 36 can
achieve much, much more. What do we want to be?
© Bishop’s Stortford Town Council
The Council – A personal assessment
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Strengths
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Weaknesses
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Committed Councillors (18) and Staff (18) = potential team of 36
Strong budgetary position, good reserves
Largely affluent town (largely), press supportive
Very strong democratic legitimacy, arguably greater than other tiers
Solid service base, only occasional councillor involvement required in established services
(Mostly) good day to day relations with other authorities
Town plan (but its not part of our DNA!)
Diametrically opposing views within the councillors (minimalists vs selective expansionists);
unresolved conflict
Mediocre teamwork between councillors & between councillors and staff, trust patchy
Focus on process not outcomes
Meetings very formal: white-boarding, brainstorming virtually unknown
Projects almost entirely dependent on volunteers – paid staff = ‘business as usual’ only
Threats
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Pulling in opposite directions
Trying to do too much (projects deliver value when they finish not when they start)
Loss of enthusiasm in new councillors
Lack of trust and/or motivation
Weak influence on outside bodies (due to above)
36
36individuals
individualscan
canachieve
achieveour
ourstatutory
statutoryresponsibilities.
responsibilities. AAteam
teamof
of36
36can
can
achieve
achieve much,
much, much
much more;
more. What
Whatdo
dowe
wewant
wanttotobe?
be?
© Bishop’s Stortford Town Council
Tuckman model – 45 years old and still going
strong!
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Forming
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Storming
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Close attachment to team, understand and exploit complementary stengths,
team members interdependent
Questions
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Starting to work together, shared goals, pride in team, constructive criticism,
sense of cohesion
Performing
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Difficult but crucial, disagreement over concepts
Team fails if skipped
Honeymoon over, clash for power, argument over trivia, unrealistic goals,
defensiveness, realize task more difficult than first thought, poor collaboration,
beginning to understand others
Norming
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Easy, feeling of pride at being selected, positive, no one has offended
Where did the last Council get to?
Where are we now?
Further reading – Google ‘storming norming’
36
36individuals
individualscan
canachieve
achieveour
ourstatutory
statutoryresponsibilities.
responsibilities. AAteam
teamof
of36
36can
can
achieve
achieve much,
much, much
much more;
more. What
Whatdo
dowe
wewant
wanttotobe?
be?
© Bishop’s Stortford Town Council
Next Steps?
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Task and Finish group to project manage IIP
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Whole day out brainstorming, all councillors and at least
representative staff:
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Or at least the early stages
Representative of whole Council
Aim to achieve ‘Vision’ and ‘Objectives’ from IIP Strategic Planning
Stage
Task and finish group to define the agenda
What do we want to be (vision)?
What are our realistic objectives?
What will it take to achieve them, who does what?
No rules other than ‘be polite’
Adopt formally at Council
Followed by Communication and continual re-inforcement & further
stages
36
36individuals
individualscan
canachieve
achieveour
ourstatutory
statutoryresponsibilities.
responsibilities. AAteam
teamof
of36
36can
can
achieve
achieve much,
much, much
much more;
more. What
Whatdo
dowe
wewant
wanttotobe?
be?
© Bishop’s Stortford Town Council
Backup
© Bishop’s Stortford Town Council
Where are we now?
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Results based on a not too
scientific self-survey
In IIP everything follows from
Strategic Planning. If this is weak
everything else is weak
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‘The organisation has a
vision/purpose, strategy and plan’
‘People are involved in the
planning’
‘Representative groups are
consulted when developing the
plan’
Everyone in the organisation must
understand and be part of the
plan
36
36individuals
individualscan
canachieve
achieveour
ourstatutory
statutoryresponsibilities.
responsibilities. AAteam
teamof
of36
36can
can
achieve
achievemuch,
much,much
muchmore.
more. What
Whatdo
dowe
wewant
wantto
tobe?
be?
© Bishop’s Stortford Town Council
IIP: Communication
Management style
Communication
requirement
Option 1
You have the answers and
you tell your people.
“The tell"
You have to be very creative
with your communication to
engage your people.
Option 2
You have some of the
answers. You ask for your
people to give ideas and
input.
"Democracy"
You need to create an
environment where people
want to give input
Option 3
You ask your people for
ideas then you give them
yours.
"Involvement"
You need to give prompts,
listen a lot and give
recognition and praise for
input.
36 individuals can achieve our statutory responsibilities. A team of 36 can
achieve much, much more. What do we want to be?
© Bishop’s Stortford Town Council