If it were a novel about a large city struggling to deliver
children’s services, people would say that it lacked credibility. But it has actually
happened; Birmingham’s new director has quit .... before she’s even started.
That’s the kind of thing that seems to haunt organisations
that are down on their luck. One bad event seems to lead to another: a vicious
downward spiral, perhaps.
Part of the problem is that ‘leaders’ are probably looking
outside the organisation for a quick fix; searching possibly for a magic bullet
of a director, a turnaround wiz kid, an expert in ‘repositioning’ and ‘transformation’, 're-engineering' perhaps.
The clichés could go on and on.
The truth is that changing a few posh bums on a few posh
seats is unlikely to do more than make money for the people who paint signs on
doors. I bet there are plenty of people who already work for Birmingham who
could tell us a lot about what is wrong – if they were allowed to do so. I bet
they could put a lot right, if they were allowed to.
But they won’t be allowed to, because their leaders see them
as part of the problem, not part of the solution. I expect they know that and
so they will be keeping their heads down, mired in learned helplessness waiting
for something to happen…
In the meantime the well-paid occupants of the big plush
offices come and go.
