Distributed Leadership: more than just a title

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Distributed Leadership more than just a title?

• Helen Philip Martin Watkinson, 2 April 2008

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Session outline

• Background
• Project overview Personal Leadership Programme
• Case study the customer perspective
• Issues and challenges
• A brief taste...

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Background Why Distributed Leadership?

• Building capability for change
• Encouraging a culture supportive of making a
  difference at all levels

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Background the Umbrella
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Project overview PLP

• Project objectives
• Programme objectives and content
• Experience
• Evaluations

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Project objectives

• To build the capability of key people to lead the
  University through change, by
• Building better relationships with colleagues and
  students
• Creating a climate in which individuals are
  motivated to take greater responsibility for
  collectives outcomes of the strategic and
  operational agenda of the University

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Programme objectives (1)

• To train, encourage and support participants to
• Recognise personal choice exercise
  responsibility for making a difference
• Challenge limiting beliefs and assumptions
• Contribute to a community in which all staff are
  valued treated solely on their merits, where
  respect for the individual is paramount
• Demonstrate inclusive behaviours listening
  skills that promote effective relationships with
  colleagues and customers

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Programme Objectives (2)

• To train, encourage and support participants to
• Create conditions for a leadership environment
  in which others are encouraged to contribute to
  innovation and change
• Run more effective meetings
• Improve staff management through effective
  listening feedback, stimulating motivation
  developing others

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Programme content (1)

• Effective communication
• Responsibility and choice
• Motivation
• Leadership styles
• Openness and feedback
• Effective listening
• Valuing others
• Use of language

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Programme content (2)

• Breakthrough thinking
• Beliefs and behaviours
• Vision
• Personal and organisational values
• Effective meetings
• Life balance

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Experience

• 1260 staff attended programme sessions between
  July 2004 and end February 2008
• This represents about 28 of substantive
  complement
• Started with VC and top team attending open
  sessions
• Next tranche mainly senior managers and academic
  leaders at externally facilitated in-house
  sessions
• Majority have attended sessions facilitated by
  in-house trainer team drawn from staff across the
  University

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Experience

• Response varied!
• No stereotypical pattern
• Each group very different
• Range of lead times between attendance and
  benefit
• Generally seen as a good experience, for a
  variety of reasons
• For trainers generally enjoyable!
• Growing number of participants report improved
  meetings and changed behaviours in their teams

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Evaluations

• Within programme beginning of day 3
• At end of 3-day session
• After 3 months
• Two longer-term evaluations March 2006, July
  2007

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Evaluation major individual benefits

• March 2006 increased insight into own style
  improved listening skills more time praising
  staff improved management of meetings (55 )
• December 2006 increased insight into own style
  improved listening skills increased
  understanding of qualities of an effective
  leader increased awareness of own limiting
  beliefs and assumptions more time praising staff
  (70 )

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Evaluation major individual benefits

• May 2007 increased understanding of qualities of
  an effective leader increased insight into own
  style improved effectiveness in meetings
  increased awareness of own limiting beliefs and
  assumptions (55 )
• Feb 2008 increased awareness of own limiting
  beliefs and assumptions increased insight into
  own style more time praising staff improved
  listening skills improved effectiveness in
  meetings (73 )

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Evaluation July 2007 exercise

• 76 considered they had become more effective as
  leaders
• 65 said their own work behaviour had changed
• 50 said this behavioural change had been
  sustained
• 44 had seen changes in at least one colleague
• 44 overall reaction positive
• 21 very positive

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Evaluation July 2007 exercise
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Case Study

• A customer perspective
• Martin Watkinson Director of Strategy The Open
  University

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One Case Study Four Elements

• Pilot Stage My personal experience
• Early Adopter Stage The Planning Office
• Roll-out The Strategy Unit
• Embedding -Investor in People (IiP) Recognition

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Issues and challenges

• What might be the challenges of such an
  initiative in your organisation?
• What we found........
• General research

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Evaluation July 2007 revisited
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Evaluation July 2007 revisited
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A brief taste........
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Human Resources Development Team The Open
UniversityWalton HallMilton KeynesMK7 6AA

• www.open.ac.uk