They may be busy cutting every major IT project this country ever thought of, but just look at the leadership and sponsorship that oozes out of their every pore. Forget their politics, they are in this together and are making every effort to take us all with them.
Not so different from what most big (or even small) systems implementations need. Generally, you see an embattled IT manager busting all he has to meet the deadline, with the business sponsor giving the occasional set-piece motivational speech (or perhaps just an e-mail). An exaggeration perhaps, but how often do you see business and IT leaders really showing that they share the same ground? Let’s see what Nick and Dave are doing….
- A single message, often repeated – “we’re all in this together”
- Almost inseparable ,and with what looks like real (or well-faked) rapport between them – almost finishing each other’s sentences (I know, I know, not to everyone’s taste)
- They’re getting others to echo the message for them – the BBC is now sponsoring a write-in campaign asking public servants to put forward their best ideas
- Personal accountability – no matter how long it takes, there will eventually be an election and that’s when their record will be judged
So perhaps there are some lessons for those of us who are tasked with leading the implementation of (even unpopular) new processes and systems. We may not have 59% of the country behind us, but it looks like our new leaders have got something to show us about how to take a reluctant workforce with us.
At Ignite, we use insights like this in all our work – to help us stand back from challenges and reach out for more imaginative and engaging ways of solving tough business challenges. It doesn’t matter whether you approve or disapprove of the subject of the insight – there’s always something to learn from them.
