Digital capability: De-bunking some myths | Sarah Prag | October 2014
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The document debunks four myths about developing digital capabilities: 1) You need a specific type of office space, 2) You need to create new roles and hire many people, 3) You need to completely overhaul your existing operations, and 4) Digital work is only for digital teams. The author argues that what's most important is understanding user needs, using agile and collaborative practices, and that existing staff can adapt if given the right support and training. Developing digital capabilities is a long-term process that requires ongoing learning, and some existing staff may not be willing to change, so leadership is key.
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Digital capability: De-bunking some myths | Sarah Prag | October 2014
- 1. @sarahprag Digital capability De-bunking some myths Sarah Prag 2nd October 2014
- 3. @sarahprag Pic by @BenTerrett You need an office that looks like this
- 4. @sarahprag Not necessarily! You do need to understand the principles and practices that help a team like GDS to succeed.
- 5. @sarahprag Not necessarily! You do need to understand the principles and practices that help a team like GDS to succeed. - putting users and their needs first - multidisciplinary teams - agile & iterative ways of working
- 6. @sarahprag Not necessarily! You do need to understand the principles and practices that help a team like GDS to succeed - putting users and their needs first - multidisciplinary teams - agile & iterative ways of working Open spaces, post-it notes and white boards all help make this possible, but they don’t guarantee success.
- 8. @sarahprag You need to create lots of new roles and hire lots of new people
- 9. @sarahprag Not necessarily! You need to be clear about your objectives and then work out the best way to deliver them.
- 10. @sarahprag Think about: Vision Strategy Objectives Activities Skills People Support Roles Org design
- 11. @sarahprag What activities will we be doing? What does good look like? What skills are therefore needed? Who do we have already who could take this on? What support do they need? What do we want to buy in from the market? Training, coaching, new staff, new services?
- 13. You have to tear everything up and start all over again @sarahprag
- 14. @sarahprag Not necessarily! You’re going to be - delivering and running services that meet the needs of citizens and colleagues - understanding and managing risks - doing some planning - procuring services intelligently - saving money & doing things more efficiently
- 15. You already have people in your organisation who can do these things. @sarahprag
- 16. You already have people in your organisation who can do these things. @sarahprag This is about introducing them to new techniques, and refocusing on citizen needs.
- 17. You already have people in your organisation who can do these things. @sarahprag This is about introducing them to new techniques, and refocusing on citizen needs. It’s about giving them the tools and confidence to deliver better outcomes.
- 19. This is digital work, for a digital team @sarahprag
- 20. @sarahprag No it’s not It’s about the successful delivery and continuous improvement of public services, enabled by digital technology and ways of working.
- 21. @sarahprag No it’s not It’s about the successful delivery and continuous improvement of public services, enabled by digital technology and ways of working. And that’s going to affect everyone in your organisation.
- 22. @sarahprag So, you already have most of the capability you need?
- 23. @sarahprag Potentially. With a little help from some friends. And some honesty, and some openness.
- 24. @sarahprag Understand what good looks like
- 25. @sarahprag Understand what good looks like Really, deeply understand it.
- 26. @sarahprag Understand what good looks like Really, deeply understand it. - Where are your exemplars and role models? - Who can you talk to who’s done it before? - How will you know it’s working? - What are the signs if it isn’t? - How do you stop yourselves slipping back into old behaviours?
- 27. @sarahprag It’s a marathon, not a sprint
- 28. @sarahprag It’s a marathon, not a sprint Initial exposure to new ways of working via courses or online materials is a good start.
- 29. @sarahprag It’s a marathon, not a sprint Initial exposure to new ways of working via courses or online materials is a good start. But what about on-going support for staff? Where will this come from?
- 30. @sarahprag It’s a marathon, not a sprint Initial exposure to new ways of working via courses or online materials is a good start. But what about on-going support for staff? Where will this come from? How can this really bed in and become the new business as usual?
- 31. @sarahprag Some people won’t come with you
- 32. @sarahprag Some people won’t come with you Not everyone in your organisation is going to come on the journey, no matter how much support they get.
- 33. @sarahprag Some people won’t come with you Not everyone in your organisation is going to come on the journey, no matter how much support they get. New ways of working are about collaboration, conversation, feedback – these require cooperation and a positive attitude.
- 34. @sarahprag Some people won’t come with you Not everyone in your organisation is going to come on the journey, no matter how much support they get. New ways of working are about collaboration, conversation, feedback – these require cooperation and a positive attitude. You may need to make some tough decisions.
- 35. @sarahprag Don’t be shy of asking for help You won’t be able to do everything yourselves – particularly if it’s the first time you’ve tried it.
- 36. @sarahprag Don’t be shy of asking for help You won’t be able to do everything yourselves – particularly if it’s the first time you’ve tried it. Be honest about the things you need help with, and be clear about your needs before you go to the market.
- 37. @sarahprag Don’t be shy of asking for help You won’t be able to do everything yourselves – particularly if it’s the first time you’ve tried it. Be honest about the things you need help with, and be clear about your needs before you go to the market. Look sideways. Help may be closer to hand than you think!
- 38. @sarahprag Digital capability De-bunking some myths Sarah Prag 2nd October 2014
Editor's Notes
- Bunting, geeks, ironic t-shirts, trendy beards…
- Agile includes governance / management style Not just GDS, MOJ too and some local gov teams, and many successful commercial teams (nice Bristol example?)
- Agile includes governance / management style Not just GDS, MOJ too and some local gov teams, and many successful commercial teams (nice Bristol example?)
- Agile includes governance / management style Not just GDS, MOJ too and some local gov teams, and many successful commercial teams (nice Bristol example?)
- We need to create lots of new roles, and hire lots of new people
- We need to create lots of new roles, and hire lots of new people Not necessarily. You need to be clear about your ambitions and then work out the best way to deliver them.
- Think about it in this order It starts with a vision, and it ends in an org design. That’s the last thing on the list. Too often it’s where managers start (tying to carve out a role for their team, or want to protect their empire!) Need to have an honest conversation about this, across silos Where are we headed and why (your vision) How are we going to get there (your strategy) What therefore are our objectives What activities are we therefore going to be doing What skills are going to be needed to deliver these well Who do we already have who could take this on What support might they need to help them achieve What roles does that suggest we’re going to have How might we organize those
- These are the sorts of questions to be asking Don’t start with the org chart And don’t start by assuming you need more people, you might actually need more training for existing people, or to buy in a particular services to fill a gap in your internal capability.
- We’re tearing everything up and starting again
- Not really It’s about delivering and running services that meet the needs of citizens and colleagues It’s about understanding and managing risks It’s about planning It’s about intelligent procurement It’s about saving money/doing things more efficiently You already have people in your org who are good at these things. This is about them learning some new techniques, and refocusing on citizen needs. It’s about empowering and super-charging Rewarding/incentivising the right stuff?
- It’s about empowering and super-charging Rewarding/incentivising the right stuff?
- It’s about empowering and super-charging Rewarding/incentivising the right stuff?
- It’s about empowering and super-charging Rewarding/incentivising the right stuff?
- This is a digital workstream, for our digital/tech team(s) Not it’s not - it’s much more fundamental than that. It’s about the successful delivery and continuous improvement of services, enabled by digital technology and ways of working. Depends as much on your customer service team, and procurement team, and internal IT team etc as it does on any digital or service design specialists. Culture change across your organisation.
- This is a digital workstream, for our digital/tech team(s)
- It’s about fundamental culture change. Depends as much on your customer service team, and procurement team, and internal IT team etc as it does on any digital or service design specialists.
- It’s about fundamental culture change. Depends as much on your customer service team, and procurement team, and internal IT team etc as it does on any digital or service design specialists.
- What I mean here is that you are going to need to be really honest about the capability in your organisation and the support / external references you are going to need.
- What I mean here is that you are going to need to be really honest about the capability in your organisation and the support / external references you are going to need.
- You need to really understand what good looks like.
- You need to really understand what good looks like.
- You need to really understand what good looks like. There are resources available online, but talking to people who’ve already done it is invaluable. You also need true “performance indicators” - how will you know that things are on track in terms of ways of working as well as service outcomes? It’s easy to fall back into old familiar ways, and not even realise that’s what you’re doing. What are the signs? How will you guard against that? Health checks? External review? Peer review? HOW CAN WE SUPPORT EACH OTHER ACROSS LOCAL GOVERNMENT?
- IS THERE A ROLE FOR A CHANGE ACADAMY? DEBATING THIS LATER IN THE DAY. What about communities of best practice, across local government? [Left out: Everyone is learning as they go along. Agile encourages team reflection, and constant iteration/improvements in ways of working. You need to allow for this.]
- IS THERE A ROLE FOR A CHANGE ACADAMY? DEBATING THIS LATER IN THE DAY. What about communities of best practice, across local government? [Left out: Everyone is learning as they go along. Agile encourages team reflection, and constant iteration/improvements in ways of working. You need to allow for this.]
- IS THERE A ROLE FOR A CHANGE ACADAMY? DEBATING THIS LATER IN THE DAY. What about communities of best practice, across local government? [Left out: Everyone is learning as they go along. Agile encourages team reflection, and constant iteration/improvements in ways of working. You need to allow for this.]
- IS THERE A ROLE FOR A CHANGE ACADAMY? DEBATING THIS LATER IN THE DAY. What about communities of best practice, across local government? Changing incentives, performance management etc [Left out: Everyone is learning as they go along. Agile encourages team reflection, and constant iteration/improvements in ways of working. You need to allow for this.]
- Some people will come on the journey. Some won’t. If people are given the opportunity but can’t or won’t come with you you’ll need to address that. These ways of working are about relationships, trust, conversations - they can be slowed or undermined by people who can’t or won’t cooperate. You may need to make some hard decisions and let people go.
- Some people will come on the journey. Some won’t. If people are given the opportunity but can’t or won’t come with you you’ll need to address that. These ways of working are about relationships, trust, conversations - they can be slowed or undermined by people who can’t or won’t cooperate. You may need to make some hard decisions and let people go.
- Some people will come on the journey. Some won’t. If people are given the opportunity but can’t or won’t come with you you’ll need to address that. These ways of working are about relationships, trust, conversations - they can be slowed or undermined by people who can’t or won’t cooperate. You may need to make some hard decisions and let people go.
- Some people will come on the journey. Some won’t. If people are given the opportunity but can’t or won’t come with you you’ll need to address that. These ways of working are about relationships, trust, conversations - they can be slowed or undermined by people who can’t or won’t cooperate. You may need to make some hard decisions and let people go.
- That way you invest in the right things