Staffordshire Housing Association
Primarily, Staffordshire Housing Association (SHA) provides social housing within North Staffordshire. However, the main role of SHA is to help and support its customer base: often the more vulnerable people in the community.
SHA is in the unusual position of being funded both publicly and privately and therefore, inevitably, has a more complicated reporting structure and working processes. On one hand, SHA needs to be transparent, fully accountable and answerable to the public, including its tenant clients. On the other, it needs to display considerable commercial expertise and an ability to perform to a high level within the private business sector. Social conscience truly meets sharp business acumen!
Diane Lea is the Chief Executive of SHA. Part of her remit involves making sure the teams within the organisation work as effectively as possible together. "We have an excellent group of people here" explained Diane "but before we got involved with Eat the Elephant, that is what they were a group of individuals who worked very well within their own areas of responsibility but I knew we could do more as a team with full understanding of each other's roles and an appreciation of what each member brings to SHA."
One year into her role with SHA, Diane decided to make changes. "Whilst everyone was doing a fantastic job, it wasn't enough. They needed the strength and power of a united team," she explained. "We have 3 different locations, a wide customer base, a Management Board as well as several teams with different responsibilities so we needed to come together in a one team approach, all moving in the same direction." Diane was keen to push her staff out of their comfort zone so they and the organisation could achieve more. She wanted to challenge them to consider ways in which each contribution could be increased. Rightly, she saw that to work together as a harmonious organisation and not individually would be the best way forward.
SHA has different teams for the various functions it provides: social housing provision, community services, employment, IT, fi nance, business development, black and minority ethnic services all of which amount to a portfolio of valuable support services and business development opportunities.
Diane knew Martin Rafe of people development business, Eat the Elephant, and brought him in to help her. "Martin works as part of the organisation - less of a supplier and more of a team player" explained Diane. "His main task was to bring everyone together and help them see how each person contributes." Diane felt that one of the key weaknesses was that no-one understood their own impact and, together with Martin, she focused on creating a directive to become outstanding.
The response to the work Martin recommended was incredible. He began by undertaking personal work profiles on each member of the team to help them gain an initial understanding of themselves.
" ... we needed to come together in a one team approach, all moving in the same direction "
Diane Lea, Chief Executive
Sandra Barber, SHA Communications Manager, was one of the people who took part in this. "It was amazing the profile was very insightful. Some parts of my character I recognised immediately whilst others were less obvious. It took a while for me to accept some of my own profile but it was clearly very accurate."
Sandra admits she is naturally a very curious person and started out on the program believing it would be interesting, different and a bit of fun'. What she didn't expect though was the change in the working culture and the enormous benefits that it has since brought to the organisation. By bringing in Martin Rafe, Diane is aware that she took a leap of faith by placing her trust in someone outside of the organisation with her most valuable asset. The concept was introduced to the managers and discussed so they understood why the investment was being made. Diane knew that acceptance of the programme was easier with some members of the team than others, a direct reflection of the different personalities. She believes now though that everyone has taken something positive from the experience. Diane was also debriefed during the process so she knew what kind of reaction it was getting. "We weren't sure how profiling would directly affect us and others' judgement of us" commented Sandra "but it wasn't a problem at all as Martin managed the process very carefully and with enormous empathy." Martin's work in helping each person understand themselves and then moving on to appreciate each other has brought a new strength to SHA. They are able to collectively suggest and implement change, resulting in a more effective, unified force than their previous, individual efforts had.
The profiling and one-to-one coaching sessions have achieved the aims Diane set out to achieve. She used to think it wasn't possible to change behaviour but now she has changed her mind. The profiling system used also plays a part in recruitment at SHA she believes it offers a reliable fast track' to understanding an applicant. "Martin practices what he preaches" observed Sandra Barber. "I could see that he modified his own behaviour according to whom he is working with. I am trying to do the same and have definitely increased my awareness of others and understanding of what makes them tick at work."
"I have learned a lot personally" commented Diane. "Most of all I have learned patience with those around me who operate at a slower or more thoughtful pace. The balance is crucial."
Diane believes Martin had a tough job as SHA is a well-established, mature organisation so changes were harder to make as the culture was well ingrained. The process also prompted 2 individuals to make changes for themselves. They saw, through the development process, that they were in positions not very well suited to them which led them to leave SHA. If this has made the individuals more satisfied and the organisation more effective, this can also be seen as a positive result.
For the future, Diane expects the process to continue and for Martin to facilitate it. She knows that this succesful start is not a short-term solution and hopes to maintain the momentum, making sure SHA performs to its best ability for all the people it is answerable to.
"A key element of this development program has been that it has all been positive" commented Sandra. "Martin doesn't look at the negative aspects. In a relaxed manner, he takes the best bits and makes them even better" she concluded.
"Martin doesn't look at the negative aspects... he takes the best bits and makes them even better"
Sandra Barber, Communications Manager