As leaders, there are different cycles in the work we undertake. Some cycles are weekly, others are monthly, and some might only happen annually. And then there are those, that like the Olympics, only happen once every few years.
I recently caught up with a friend who is a director in local government. He described the current year as local government’s ‘Olympic Year’. Of course, he didn’t mean the Olympic Games is being held this year, nor that the Victorian Local Government Association was planning on sending a team. Instead, he was using the Olympics as a metaphor for the idea that once every four years, local government faces a high-pressure year where all the big events happen at once.
Starting at the conclusion of council elections in November last year and ending on 31st October this year, local municipalities are required to complete the following:
- Onboarding of new councillors
- Undertake mandatory councillor training
- Undertake a deliberative engagement process with the community
- Review, and if required, update the 10 year Community Vision
- Prepare and adopt a Council Plan, setting out the strategic direction, objectives, strategies, initiatives and priorities for at least the next 4 financial years
- Develop and adopt a 10 year Financial Plan
- Develop and adopt a 10 year Asset Plan
- Develop and adopt a Municipal Public Health & Wellbeing Plan
- Develop and adopt the Council Budget
I’ve long loved the power of metaphor and analogy*, and I immediately saw the value in this one. A good metaphor makes something foreign feel familiar and it helps us understand it more deeply. The Olympic metaphor means you don’t need to work in local government to grasp the significance of this undertaking or the pressure it places on participants. Each of these tasks is like an “event” that must be executed at the highest possible standard.
* In fact in my second book The Digital Champion: Connecting the Dots Between People, Work and Technology, I dedicate a whole chapter to how we can use analogy to help people better understand workplace technology.
Now normally this is where our analysis of a metaphor would end. We recognise the similarities, and once we “get it,” we move on. But there is just as much value (and possibly even more) in exploring why two things are different.
If this is the Olympic Year for local government, what might we learn from elite athletes and sporting organisations about how to perform at your best when it matters most? Are there lessons to be learnt or pitfalls to be avoided by digging into the metaphor a little deeper?
Whilst over-thinking the Olympic Year, here are some things that come to mind:
- Preparation
Olympians have three years to build the skills, develop the teamwork, and prepare themselves mentally before they are expected to perform. In contrast, newly formed local government teams are expected to perform immediately under pressure… and then expected to spend the next three years dealing with the consequences if that isn’t managed well.
Question: Despite the time constraints, are there things you could do to improve the effectiveness of your local council team in their Olympic Year?
2. Expertise
Within any sport there are foundational abilities a professional needs to develop. Fo example, in basketball a player needs to be able to shoot, pass, dribble and defend. They also need a high level of physical and mental fitness and the ability to collaborate and communicate with team mates. Good strategy and planning has it’s own set of foundational skills though given the Local Government Olympics only happens once every four years most participants have had little opportunity to hone them.
Question: What would be the five or six foundational skills required for good planning and strategy?
3. Coaching
Every Olympian has a professional coach, and their relationships often extends over years. Although local government might hire in consultants and coaches, these are normally short term engagements with a discrete deliverable, rather than focused on long term collective improvement.
Question: What might be the advantage if local government invested in long term professional development for their team (both members of the executive and elected representatives) rather than short interventions?
4. Success
For an Olympian success is relatively quantifiable whether it be a medal, a place or a personal best. For local government, the success of their Olympic Year planning and decision making may not be known for years or even decades to come and all too often ‘the box was ticked’ or ‘the task was completed’ are the only short term measures of success. Although completing the task requires a minimum standard to be met it is also unlikely to be the highest possible standard that could be met.
Question: Are there other short or medium-term indicators of success that could be more useful than ‘the task was completed’?
5. Stakes
Given Australia’s deep obsession for sport, you’d be forgiven for believing the stakes for professional athletes are particularly high. But in reality, the social, health, educational and financial impact of local government decisions are larger and more enduring than any sporting performance.
Question: Given the stakes, how much should we be investing in developing cultures of performance and success in local government? What is the business case for improved performance?
A small request
As many of you would know, a growing focus of my work is helping local government and public sector leaders align thinking, prioritise options, and develop more robust strategic plans. Key to this is taking the time to understand where my clients need support so that they can deliver the outcomes the community expects from them.
As such, if you work in local government or the public sector I’d love to hear your take on the Olympic Year. Which of the above questions resonate with you? What other insights did you find in the metaphor? What other challenges do you deal with in your Olympic Year?
Simon