Transformation roundtable: Creating the council vision, principles, and strategy for transformation

Mariana Pexton, Director of Strategy and Resources Leeds City Council

• Mariana highlighted her leadership, as part of Team Leeds, in adapting public services strategies in response to COVID-19, emphasising community engagement and digital transformation.
• They also discussed navigating financial constraints and innovating in service delivery, underscoring the role of responsive and inclusive leadership in local government.
• Further information and slides from the presentation are available on the LGA website.

How do you measure impact and effectiveness in your initiatives? 

We have moved away from systematic evaluations to using softer measures like staff surveys to gauge the effectiveness of our well-being offers and communication strategies. This approach allows us to gather feedback informally and adjust our methods based on community response, which is often vocal in Leeds.

What strategies have you found effective in your context for implementing changes? 

Consistency and persistence are key. We use continual reminders and modifications to ensure strategies like appraisals are valued and effective. During COVID-19, we adapted appraisals to focus solely on well-being, later reintegrating performance metrics and including EDI. This relentless and flexible approach helps keep these issues at the forefront of our operations.

How do you manage transformation across different managers and departments without creating silos? 

Transformation is a continuous challenge. We strive to integrate a sense of belonging to the larger mission through a strong organisational culture and shared narratives. We facilitate collaboration by reminding teams of their interrelation and conducting workshops to emphasise common goals. However, balancing top-down directives and grassroots innovation remains complex, requiring strong leadership to maintain both oversight and local autonomy.

How do you keep your strategic plans and vision current? 

We regularly review our strategies, aiming for annual updates that refine rather than overhaul our approach. This method helps maintain stability and adaptability, even in a shifting political or leadership landscape, allowing us to evolve our plans progressively to meet changing needs without abrupt shifts in direction.

What role do council members play in your transformation journey? 

Members are integral, driving the agenda in a member-led organisation, including the importance of the local ward member role. We maintain a no-surprises culture with robust relationships and regular briefings, including for opposition members. Scrutiny boards play a significant role in overseeing transformations, ensuring that changes align with broader council objectives and values.

How do you communicate effectively with non-digital staff & residents? 

Communication for non-digital staff hinges on effective management and creative solutions like workplace and community-specific Facebook groups and toolbox talks. These platforms provide accessible channels for updates and engagement, crucial for departments like catering and waste management where traditional office-based communication isn't feasible.

How do you ensure all departments integrate well without working in silos?

Despite ongoing challenges with siloed working, we use restorative practices to foster collaboration, through a strong approach to organisational development and clear communications and engagement framework. This involves high support and challenge, encouraging solution-focused discussions that respect professional expertise while promoting collective problem-solving and valuing the role everyone can play. We acknowledge that siloed working may never fully disappear but focus on creating a culture where collaborative solutions are prioritised.

The roundtable discussion session focused on a range of strategies and experiences concerning local government transformation. Here’s a summary of the key points addressed:

Motivations and Strategic Visions

• Attendees were motivated by cultural shifts and significant changes in the world, expressing a need to adapt strategies accordingly. They are keen to explore effective goal-setting and grassroots approaches to organisational transformation.

Effective Practices and Approaches

• Effective integration of project management with cultural and behavioural change management was highlighted, particularly the importance of working with people rather than imposing changes on them.
• Emphasis was placed on authentic leadership and psychological safety, essential for encouraging openness to change. Longer, three-year program scopes were suggested to allow for meaningful change and impact.

Collaboration and Consultation

• Proactive engagement with elected members was noted as crucial for smooth policy implementation. Training and regular meetings help align members with transformation goals.
• The use of AI in pilot programmes, like waste management chatbots, was discussed as a successful tool for improving service delivery and operational efficiency.

Cultural and Operational Transformation

• Establishing a culture that supports transformation involves creating networks, ensuring staff leadership, and focusing on empowerment and listening.
• Strategies to embed cultural and process changes into business-as-usual activities were considered vital for sustainable transformation.

Challenges and Lessons Learned

• The complexity of transforming council operations while managing financial pressures and political changes was acknowledged as a significant challenge.
• Lessons from past experiences were shared, emphasising the need for co-design and benchmarking to foster better practices and behaviours moving forward.

The discussion underscored the importance of having a comprehensive strategy that was simple and accessible to understand, inclusive leadership, and innovative practices in driving effective and sustainable transformation in local government settings.