Preparing Yourself for Change During LGR

Overview

Earlier this year, the Government invited all councils in two-tier areas and small neighbouring unitary authorities to submit initial proposals for local government reorganisation, with full proposal to be submitted later in the year. The proposals will create new unitary authorities with the aim of cutting wasteful duplication, reducing the number of politicians and reducing fragmentation of public services.

A key component of the reorganisation will be service transformation, supporting improvements in delivery by bringing together service elements such as supported housing, social care and homelessness in the same organisation. The changes are likely to be sweeping and will impact the day-to-day work of local authority employees across the board.

Until the proposals have been submitted and assessed, it is impossible to predict precisely what changes staff will face. Nonetheless, it is worth looking now at how you might prepare yourself to take advantage of new opportunities this change might offer.

What skills and experience do you have that will help you slot into new or adapted roles and how will you, personally, manage the transition while maintaining your wellbeing?

Aims

To provide employees who believe they will be impacted by the local government reorganisation with an opportunity to share their thoughts and feelings with colleagues and to examine how they might develop strategies for making the change a more positive experience while also maintaining their own resilience and wellbeing.

Format

The programme has been designed for in-house delivery. It consists of three elements:

• A self-study assignment
• A one-day workshop
• Post-workshop actions based on the action plan developed towards the end of the workshop.

N.B. To increase accessibility for those who cannot attend for a full day, the programme is also available in a modular format consisting of three two-hour modules that can be sceheduled on the same day or on three separate days. Participants can choose which of the three modules to attend.

Learning Objectives

On completion of the programme, participants will be able to:

• Examine what change means to them and the feelings it evokes in them
• Describe how they would like their working future to look
• Recognise the importance of mastery in adapting their feelings about change
• Explain the different responses people have towards change and why some people find it difficult and resist change
• Explain the emotional impact of change, identifying the feelings they might have at various stages in the process and the support they might need to maintain resilience
• Identify the opportunities offered by establishing new beginnings
• Identifying the skills they have and any areas for development
• Develop a plan for navigating their journey into the future
• Identify their own vulnerability to stress during the change process and strategies they can employ to boost their resilience and avoid the consequences of excessive pressure.

Self-Study

The workshop will be preceded by a short self-study assignment asking participants to:

• Identify likely changes they will be facing during the reorganisation and how they feel about them now
• Define how they would like to feel about the impending changes and what they might be able to do practically to see change as a positive experience
• Identify the skills they possess and those they feel they need or want to develop to help prepare themselves for the future.

Participants will be encouraged to share their thoughts and feelings during the workshop.

Workshop Content

What Change Means to Me

• What do we mean by ‘change’
• Feelings evoked by self-initiated change, e.g. accepting a new role, moving house
• Feelings evoked by imposed change, e.g. office reorganisation, job redesign
• Difference between self-initiated and imposed change - choice
• Painting a different future – what you see, hear, feel
• Mastery – taking back control

Resistance to Change

• Responses to change – inactive, proactive, reactive
• Why some people resist change – self-interest, low tolerance, different assessment, misunderstanding
• Handling the emotional dimension - Kubler Ross Change Curve

A Model for Change

• Bridges’ Three Phases – Endings, Neutral Zone, New Beginnings
• Focusing on the future

Preparing Yourself for Change

• Identify your skills – your strengths, areas for development
• Developing a plan - getting involved, building skills, being noticed

Looking After Yourself

• Building confidence – overcoming irrational fears
• Reframing negative thoughts – enabling and limiting beliefs
• Boosting resilience - prioritising, circles of influence and concern

Action Planning

• Collation of the actions identified during the workshop framed as SMART objectives