Preparing for what's next.
Over recent months, we have been working alongside government agencies and non-government groups to navigate some of the biggest questions currently facing organisations. A consistent theme? How to deliver high-quality advice and analysis that position organisations well in the ever-changing political and economic environment.
To help with this, we’ve been exploring the literature on what helps (and hinders) organisations to deliver well through changes, particularly in the year before an election.
Some organisations are working on the toughest issues facing New Zealanders, particularly in the social sector. For these organisations, solutions don’t come easily, and they require change over long period of time. Plus, these complex issues require collaboration across diverse groups, across sectors; working in environments that are continuously evolving.
Our top recommendations for organisations working on these tough issues are:
- Recognise relationships as a critical enabler for success. This means thinking about governance, stewardship and accountabilities both internal and external to your organisation. And then investing in and building strong relationships as early as possible. If trusting relationships are missing, it will undermine the processes and systems that you rely on – like open communication, mutual information sharing, transparent planning, and good decision making.
- Get clarity on your purpose, outcomes, and role. This benefits both your ability to have coherence across multiple actors with multiple interests, and enhance vertical and horizontal accountability settings; but also helps you to clarify your value within your market.
- Create spaces for innovation in your operating model. When you have collaborative initiatives, including multi-layered structures, it can be difficult to balance central needs (such as managing risk) with flexible delivery. It’s not impossible though. Think about your risk tolerance, particularly where innovation might provide the cut-through you need.
- Support your people. Good decisions don’t happen on their own, and there are a range of frameworks that can help. Invest in capability building courses in applied decision-making skills delivered by experienced policy professionals.
Organisations that are already up and running will have these elements already in place. If you don’t yet, it might be good time to review what you have, and identify any areas can be strengthened.
Need help? We’re free for a chat anytime.