We Are Moving The Cheese Talk

16 Jun 2015, by Calum Shepherd

Our learnings so far building something from nothing through empowerment, agile and responsive methods

I was delighted to share our journey of building something from nothing using empowerment, agile practices, and responsive methods—toward creating better public services.

With information scattered across 160+ organisations, 480+ websites, and over 6 million content items, the scale of the challenge is staggering.

With over 6 million content items, we actually have more content items than people.

Now, imagine putting yourself in the shoes of a user. What does this landscape look like to navigate? For many, it begins at Google and quickly becomes a murky, overwhelming experience.

Our mission to create a central point of access is deeply rooted in user research and performance analysis. However, the journey hasn’t been without its challenges.

Key Learnings So Far

• Embrace Multigenerational Organisations
  Understand their benefits, explore tensions, and focus on building bridges. Diverse teams bring valuable perspectives.

• Tailor Principles to Fit Your Team
  Agile practices and principles aren’t one-size-fits-all. Adapt them to suit your team’s needs and environment.

• Meet Regularly—in Person
  Regular face-to-face collaboration improves visibility, reduces tensions, fosters connections, and delivers better solutions.

• Empowerment Does Not Mean Lack of Direction
  While empowering teams to make decisions, remove blockers and provide clear guidance on the direction of travel.

• Beware the HiPPO (Highest Paid Person’s Opinion)
  The HiPPO can unintentionally sway decisions. Be mindful—it might even be your own opinion.

• Leverage Online Feedback
  Transparent processes attract free, invaluable feedback from smart individuals online. Embrace criticism and learn from it.

A Unique Opportunity in Public Services

We are on the brink of something truly transformative in the public sector. This is our chance to reshape our environments and revolutionise how we deliver services.

Books I Mentioned

For those interested in diving deeper, here are the books I referenced during the talk:

• Work Rules!: Insights from Inside Google That Will Transform How You Live and Lead
  A fascinating look into Google’s approach to leadership and innovation.

• Innovation Games: Creating Breakthrough Products Through Collaborative Play
  A guide to using collaborative play to foster creativity and innovation.

• Becoming the Boss: New Rules for the Next Generation of Leaders
  Insights on navigating leadership roles in today’s world.