In extolling the benefits of new ways of working MMs became involved in
demonstrating the achievements of partnership working, highlighting improvements in quality and associating their activities with corporate priorities. These activities were directed towards corporate and political executives. Interviews with corporate executives outlined their expectations on middle managers in bringing forward new ideas related to new ways of working. These were linked to an acknowledgement of the expertise of the MM within their service area. This was evident in the following
example, from an interview with a corporate executive, detailing the way a MM had effectively aligned the achievements of the HIA project to corporate expectations:
It is providing certainty to our budgets because clearly if you are waiting such a length of time. And I forget off hand how long the average waiting time was before. It was nearly a year I believe, 36 weeks or something like that, for someone to get a housing
adaptation completed. Clearly from the budgetary point of view it is providing certainty. It is providing certainty to those
contractors who are providing that service because if they can have a steady regular flow of work. And if it can be guaranteed
then you are going to get a better schedule of rate (CE4).
The following sections consider the way MMs engaged in purposeful activities to extol the benefits of the new ways of working within the HIA project. This was necessary in order to raise awareness.
Demonstrating achievements
MMs were able to demonstrate to corporate and political executives that the HIA project was able to deliver benefits through integrating working arrangements achieved through a partnership with other local authorities:
This is a good example of integrated working… which is the big political move at the moment. It is a good example of how
organizations in the county are trying to stay together and deliver something and not walk away from the table even when it gets difficult. It has a good story to tell in terms of reducing crisis for the people that we are trying to support by making sure that the
waiting lists are minimised and there is a timely response by the
teams (MM5b).
This example highlights the political significance of delivering the integrated HIA service in partnership with other local authorities. It derives the benefit of gaining the necessary buy-in from corporate and political executives to enable support for the initiative. The fact that MMs from a number of different local authorities were persevering with the concept of working collectively was perceived as being a key bargaining tool. This would be used to encourage corporate and political executives to support the initiative of integration. The mechanisms that supported integrated- service-delivery were also predicated on the basis that partnership working would reduce the length of time that vulnerable individuals remained on waiting lists.
Field note 21: 26/04/13 observed discussions between MMs on delivering a collaborative approach to service delivery to co locate access to HIA’s services through a model to reduce financial pressures on other activities. This provides an illustration of the efforts of MMs to achieve cost savings through a partnership approach. This model could then be used to demonstrate the viability of this approach to corporate and political executives.
MMs made corporate and political executives aware of the benefits of the HIA project by actively championing the improvements in quality that were being delivered through partnership working:
The first thing that I did was actually to say [to a corporate executive] don’t look at this in isolation and the [corporate executive] said “no problem I really think that is a great idea and actually it provides evidence…of the benefits of integration and it shows that working as one strategically is a really good move. And then actually saying what difference can we make to improve the quality of services and encourage people to be as independent
as possible and to have a sustainable future (MM4b).
In this example the MM focused the attention of the corporate executive the future of service-delivery that could be achieved through integrating activities between local authorities. The MM was able to project a very positive image relating to where vulnerable people as the customer could sustain their independence through a partnership of local authorities. This had been made possible through an effective joining-up of services. Therefore, this provided a good example of how MMs were able to successfully advocate the concept of institutional change through developing closer working arrangements with neighbouring authorities to improve the way services were undertaken.
Field note 10: 25/01/13 observed MMs discussing the requirement to maintain the support of corporate and political executives across local authorities. This related to the delivery of home adaptations on a partnership basis and the need to develop an
effective communication strategy. This could be utilised to demonstrate that improvements to quality had been achieved by proceeding on this basis.
Associating with corporate priorities
MMs were keen to deliver services that were closely associated with corporate priorities. The following example provides an illustration on how MMs were able to initiate a range of partners into the principles of a lean systems approach:
We got all of the districts and boroughs and all of the various people into a room and we sat down and said “right we are going to use lean systems methodology to examine the current customer journey”. We embedded into everybody the philosophy of how to do that by taking everything from the customer and when
everybody came up for air they went “Jesus we now understand it we can talk to each other in the same language”. That is the basis for moving on in the experiment. What they have then done is try to talk to their managers about it. Where it has not been a lean systems thinking organization that has been a struggle because we have been talking in two different languages. You have got the language of lean systems versus, and it does seem to be versus, the
language of traditional performance management (MM1a).
This example highlights that MMs within the HIA partnership could see the clear benefits of embracing the principles of lean systems management. However, there was the bigger challenge of convincing corporate and political executives of these perceived benefits. This was particularly challenging within local authorities that were not currently adopting this approach. The benefit of streamlining-steps being taken to deliver home adaptations was exemplified by fact that the MMs in the HIA
partnership could communicate effectively with members of their integrated HIA partnership on its advantages. The requirement of satisfying the expectations of corporate and political executives within individual local authorities proved to be a greater challenge. This was particularly challenging for MMs in local authorities with a culture that favoured stricter measurement of performance. In particular, MMs working in a culture that did not subscribe to lean systems thinking commonly had to champion the principles of lean systems as an alternative to performance indicators.
Field note 40: 06/06/ 13 highlights how MMs used lean systems thinking to assist them in making improvements to service delivery. This was used to demonstrate how this lead to improved services to customers. Associations with improvements to service delivery are also identified in field note 56: 06/06/13 where MMs actively worked to satisfy the needs of a corporate executive by demonstrating significant improvements to waiting times for home adaptations.
Challenging established ways of working
The culture in certain local authorities was to work to traditional principles of performance management. This presented a major challenge for MMs who wanted to sell new ways of service-delivery as an issue. This was because it meant
challenging established methods of working and created a situation where the MM could be in conflict with their corporate and political executives:
Now one MM is in a difficult position of trying to teach the corporate executives in the local authority about it [the strategy adopted for the HIA project] who are still working in a
performance indicator framework mentality which is everything must be done in 40 hours, phones should be answered within 5
rings (MM1a).
The MM in this example was expected to directly challenge the status quo, which required a great deal of resolution. It extended the upwards expectations of their role to undertake a purposeful intervention that would effect a fundamental change in thinking. This would involve an attempt to change the attitude of corporate and political executives towards traditional performance management. A further challenge was dealing with the likely strong resistance arising from trying to
persuade corporate and political executives of its benefits. In particular, this activity was associated with a radical change to the way performance management was undertaken within the local authority.
Field note 64: 06/06/13 observed MMs constructing a series of messages to advocate the benefits of delivering home adaptations by delivering streamlined services through an integrated partnership of local authorities. This demonstrates activities that were able to be used by MMs to extol the benefits of the HIA project.
Nonetheless the MMs within the HIA partnership were observed as being very keen to sell the benefits of their change initiatives towards the HIA project. This was
necessary to achieve the required efficiencies that would justify the necessary investment of resources:
Now that is an anathema to us…and that’s the battle we’ve now got with one Local Authority [in the HIA partnership] at the higher echelons is the “but it has got to be within 3 rings stuff”. That is where we have moved on what the HIA partnership has achieved so far. It has also achieved that cultural change within key parts of the organization within which we work, but there is a long way to
go still (MM1a).
The example here provides a demonstration of the determination of the MM to change the ingrained attitude of corporate and political executives. However, it was also acknowledged that this was a long-term challenge that would not happen instantaneously. The fact that the MM referred to this activity in adversarial terms describing it as a ‘battle’ provides an indication of their resolution to achieve eventual success. There was a strong conviction that lean-systems-thinking paved the way for streamlining the steps taken to install home adaptations. Arguments that supported the integration of services also required changes in culture. This gave more credence to their desire to achieve integration by encouraging corporate and political executives to stop using micro measuring performance in favour of a lean-systems approach.
There was also a firm commitment amongst MMs to extol the benefits of working in partnership across the county as a positive means of delivering the strategic
We have had to work both with our executive teams and with our members to get everybody on board. I think that is a significant achievement in terms of resource sharing and actually really starting to understand the difference that this project could make. We all know it is about how we get that currency for other people
to see what we see (MM7a).
This is a good example of how the MM had been motivated to seek out opportunities for engagement with corporate and political executives to positively promote the concept of partnership working. This was based on the benefits that this activity could deliver for the HIA project. It was positively identified as being a genuine accomplishment that was achieved by reaching desired objectives through the effective sharing of resources.