Change, Preparing for - During Local Government Reorganisation
Categories
Health and Wellbeing, Personal Effectiveness
Pathway
Preparing for LGR
Audience
A one-day practical workshop for employees who believe they will be impacted by the local government reorganisation in England. The workshop looks at how they might be able develop strategies for making the change a positive process while also looking after their own wellbeing.
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?
Duration
1 day
Delegate rate
Approximately £100 per day per delegate. Charges depend on how many delegates book.
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
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 asked to share and build on their examples during the various practical sessions throughout 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
