This week’s Business Brief brought to mind the difference between Strategy and Plans. We have a large number of big projects which we need to land in 2016 – our relationship with Health and specifically Adult Social Care, devolution and Independent Futures to name but 3. I have written and spoken at some length over the past 7 months about our need to close with the detail and get results, and it will be my primary focus in the New Year.
Just in case I’m not being clear, the difference between a strategy and a plan, in my mind, is that a strategy paints a picture of the outcome and gives general direction on why we’re doing it, and what needs to be done. A plan contains specific tasks which detail the “who”, the “how” and the “when”. If I’m being critical, we have great strategies in all of our areas, but we’re a bit thin on plans in some places. There are, of course, exceptions, such as the detailed plans that the IF Team are carrying out to get the service how we want it. The same is increasingly true in Adult Social Care, and in many other areas, but there remains a lot to do.
The other subject that dominated the discussion in the Business Brief was My Performance Conversation. My observation that we can occasionally over-complicate things probably applies to the MPC. The supporting documents that were produced to act as a handrail for managers to use for their conversations are regarded by many as barriers, forms to be filled out. That might explain why we have only achieved a 60% success rate in the mid-year conversations. We will simplify the process for next year, but, just to be clear, it’s about the conversation and giving praise and constructive criticism to those whom you lead. The bottom line is that if you’re not having at the very least 2 such conversations annually with each of the people whom you lead, you’re probably missing something.
Sometimes in this job, I meet somebody who is truly inspiring. That was absolutely the case this week with Duncan Selbie, who leads Public Health England. His energy and enthusiasm for improving the health of the wider population is infectious, and I know that our Public Health professionals have a strong relationship with his teams across the country, but particularly in the Midlands. It probably also helps for me that Duncan hails from the same area of Scotland as I do.
I’ll close this entry with a piece of good news. Darryl Eyers has been confirmed as our Director Economy, Infrastructure and Skills, a job that he has held on an interim basis since the Spring. It’s great news for him, and for us, and I wish him every success in this role.