Ombudsman and Information Commissioner Ireland Managing Change Experience and Reflections Courage Good strategies need to be bold and daring People need to be stretched as they can do more than they think ID: 535411
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Slide1
Emily O’Reilly,
Ombudsman and Information CommissionerIreland
Managing Change:-
Experience and ReflectionsSlide2Slide3
Courage“Good strategies need to be bold and daring
.People need to be stretched as they can do more than they think.Goals have to cause excitement and perhaps just a little fear
.Above all, they need to inspire and present an organisation with a choice
: have these great ambitions, or remain as you are.”
Sir Terry Leahy, CEO, Tesco Slide4
Anyone can hold the helm when the sea is calm..... Pubilius Syrus
January 2010Complaints increased by 30% in 2010, up 66% on 200550% more complaints were carried forward in 2010 than in 2009 (backlog growing)Many of complaints in backlog required urgent attention (Social protection payments)
Increase in jurisdiction and demand on horizon, no additional resourcesStaff demoralised by apparent decreasing value of public service Inequitable sharing of workload pressure across Office
Structures and processes rigid, lacked responsiveness
Staff motivated to changeSlide5
A Theory..... (Kotter)Slide6
Phase 1... The sense of urgency
By Jan 2011, 1600 cases carried over (up 50%)
54% of cases closed within 3 months
Mounting pressure to reduce budget and staff
Ombudsman Bill on horizon which would increase demands significantly
Staff frustrated
Reputation of Office at riskSlide7
2. The Guiding Coalition
Nobody’s perfect but a team can be
. (
Belbin
)
Challenge and support came from all angles
Complaint that management had failed to move staff to greatest need
Strong motivation to experiment with new approach
Middle / senior managers happy to lead change
Gov pressure to modernise and be more efficient
Second term in Office, confidence, insight, determinationSlide8
3. The Vision
Shared embryonic vision, all levels
External support critical to help drive the change, to help jump hurdles, to provide expert experience and knowledge, to help calm nerves!
If your actions inspire others to do more, dream more, learn more and become more, you are a leader
John Quincy AdamsSlide9
4. Communicating for action
(Strategic plan:- off site discussion with management team…challenging, diverse views)
Management team meetingsSection / team meetings
Partnership
meetings
External consultant
Design Team
Implementation teamSlide10
5. Enabling action
“Plan don’t pray”!!Right people in the right placeThe design and implementation teams.
The “Mobiliser
”
Manage resistance
Lead strongly
External driving force supporting management
Performance management system supporting / rewarding
Leaders at all levels of the organisation needing development, support and reward.Slide11
2010 structure
Ombudsman
Director General
Corporate Services Communications
Local Authority Social Protection
Civil Service HSESlide12
2011 Process / Structure
Only valid
complaints
move past
here.
Only move past
here when case
is ‘examination ready’
Only move past
here if it is decided that a full investigation is
warranted
Courtesy
Pathfinder
Description:
Removed specialist silosEach stage has a specific purpose and new staff groupings.Not every case goes through each stage.Close each case at the earliest appropriate stage of the process
One
individual owns the case
during
each stage; less ‘touches’
There will be a clearly defined handover standard between stages.Slide13Slide14Slide15
6. Short term wins
Staff greater ownership, suggestions actioned (eg. Staff moved to area of greatest need)
Sources of dissatisfaction eliminated (eg. local power versus
centralised
power )
Backlog given dedicated team, visible reduction of numbers (halved in 9 months)
Closed more cases every month than opening
Cases grouped, early intervention v effective
Quicker turnaround time (78% closed <3
mths
, up from 54%)
Celebrated success
Distractions reduced ( new ph. system 3704 calls diverted in 9
mths
)Slide16
Don’t let up. Make it stick.
Cultural change comes last! Talking and walking!
Celebrate / publicise achievement (
eg
Annual Report)
Keep the “
Mobiliser
” empowered
External support present, but phasing out
Business plans, role profiles, objectives set
Management / Leadership development to sustain the change and move to next phase. Coaching
Inculcate new staff in changes
Reinvigorate team
New norms, values, incentives, rewards
Keep planning and build againSlide17
Continuous ChangeA way of life, not a burden and disruptionServices not static entities, punctuated by periodic change
Dynamic, ever evolving organisationLess trauma?? Continuous assessment v.s examsReflect on last change, learn for the next time, move againSlide18
What would we do differently?Maintain the external support (even if minimally)
Resource the later stages more to maintain momentum, prevent driftEmpower and develop more leaders Better management informationCreate strong operations management structure / process earlierCreate “process improvement” team earlierStrengthen quality assurance earlier. Radical jump from specialist to generalist caseworkers allowed
perception of quality reduction to develop unchallenged. Slide19
Thank you!Questions....
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