This week sees the first Senior Managers’ Conference for a year. We’ve deliberately postponed it until we have a really important subject to discuss. This time, it will be on Smart Working, the over-arching title for the office moves in Newcastle and Stafford, and the transition to mobile working. I’m sure that you are aware that there is a huge amount of work going on to prepare for this, and most of you will have been involved, I hope. If not, ask your line manager what it means for you. In essence, I want us to become a more agile and confident organisation, and I think that this is the best way of achieving it. Key to that is a demonstration of the trust that we have in our colleagues. I want you to think of work as an enjoyable activity, in which you are valued and trusted, rather than work as simply a place. The material step in this is that the majority of people working in Newcastle and Stafford will be re-equipped with laptops rather than desktop computers. This will allow all of us to do our work when and where it fits into our lives – I’m writing this sat at home on a Sunday afternoon, which is a good time for me to clear my mind and think. You will have similar factors in your lives, and I want to give you more opportunity to make the most of them.
If you get a chance, read the article in the Sunday Times by Sir Peter Wall on leadership by intent. He was my boss on a number of occasions, and I’ve got the greatest respect for him. We’re going to do some work with leading author and academic John Blakey called the Trusted Executive, which will involve a survey for members of the Wider Leadership Team and the Operational Management Team. It’s on a similar theme, and all to do with building trust and mutual confidence in Staffordshire County Council. Worth a read.