I was saying pretty much exactly what this thread says on the radio earlier. It's not about a war with the civil service but harnessing the frustration *within* the civil service to put forward a systematic reform programme. - ThreadSky

samfr.bsky.social • 89 days ago

I was saying pretty much exactly what this thread says on the radio earlier.

It's not about a war with the civil service but harnessing the frustration *within* the civil service to put forward a systematic reform programme.

Reposted from Amy Gandon

Reflecting on Starmer’s comments on the CS yday and on the response it’s got in Whitehall since.

If there’s any piece of advice I’d give Starmer - and at this fragile juncture I want to shout it from the rooftops - it would be:

‘Blame the system, not the people’.

🧵

Comments

verivir.bsky.social•89 days ago

They should do some experiments. Look for tough nuts that are hard to solve for good reason.
Sometimes slowness etc is designed into the system for good reason as well as bad.
Need a decent devils advocate and to understand the cost and likelihoods of false positives or opportunity costs etc.

samfr.bsky.social•89 days ago

And that doesn't mean doing in a softly softly way. Good officials are deeply frustrated at underperformance from colleagues that continues with no accountability.

But attacking all officials just means everyone gets alienated.

radiobeartime.com•89 days ago

Absolutely. The people I am hearing complain are not the Mandarins but the very people with the tech, change, business and digital skills the government says they want to build on and who find the current rhetoric grimly familiar and are now actively looking for jobs outside.

sneag.bsky.social•89 days ago

Every CS staff survey for the last 30 years has reflected the frustration staff feel with SMTs inability to handle poor performance & change.
They've also had 14 years of inept ministers blaming them for ministerial ineptitude.

rogerwturner.8wa.uk•89 days ago

You'd almost think Thatcher's plan to break the CS had worked. (I was there.)

stephenbc.bsky.social•89 days ago

When I was at GDS, a male manager my ages bullied a young lady I managed. I had some very sharp words with him. My manager tried to put Me on disciplinary because he was scared of any row that might jeopardise his pension. Obvs I moved on to a other job but it was all very grim 🤷

ruthsustainable.bsky.social•89 days ago

I’ve had similar situations crop up over the years where sticking up for young female victims of a managers both male and female I’ll add, behaving inappropriately was an absolute must, luckily on both occasions had full backing of senior management, not sure what I’d have done without that🥹

stephenbc.bsky.social•89 days ago

All power to you Ruth!! I was bullied at school, so that stuff triggers me. I'm not sure "if you bully my staff again I'll punch you in the face" was maybe the best response 🤣🤣🤣

ruthsustainable.bsky.social•89 days ago

🤭 you’ve just hit the nail on the head, it starts with kid’s when they’re so young. 😞

hotmoderatetakes.bsky.social•89 days ago

...also risks putting good people off applying.

Streeting risked the same thing when he talked about managing out poor managers.

Sure there are people you might want to incentivise to retire, put on a PIP etc, but broad brush criticism off your staff just opens up a whole world of other problems

daveymn.bsky.social•89 days ago

I don't think people realise that the Civil Service is still facing the effect of operational cuts made nearly a decade ago, and also the impact of the pandemic which slowed down transformation.

sam5h4rp.bsky.social•89 days ago

This side of political gymnastics is so hard to cut through to the public as well. I occasionally dip my little toe into the political rumblings but the permutations of the CS machine is so hard to grasp from a voter/non-politique perspective.

lenhampson.bsky.social•89 days ago

I don't know why he doesn't just sack them all and replace them with journalists and think tank employees.

smfbooth.bsky.social•89 days ago

In industry you have to deliver and am sure that is the objective of people in the civil service.

benrattigan.com•89 days ago

No no, I think much of this is there is work being done in Whitehall that should definitely not be done in Whitehall.

That’s the message I took and exactly what it should be.

samfr.bsky.social•89 days ago

That is also true but it's not what he said.

benrattigan.com•89 days ago

“Make no mistake – this plan will land on desks across Whitehall with the heavy thud of a gauntlet being thrown down.

A demand, given the urgency of our times”…….

“Less hostile to devolution and letting things go”

I’m not sure how else to read into that.

johnnyswlondon.bsky.social•89 days ago

As an ex civil servant IMO it was often neither the system or the people 'at fault'

Ministers often said 'just do it' and officials wld highlight eg legal or funding issues, time needed to get new processes right, etc.

Ministers would then say they are being 'frustrated'

ruthsustainable.bsky.social•89 days ago

On that I can definitely agree

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