Shared leadership: lockdown lessons from the learning club

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Louise Ennis (Community First Yorkshire) and Catherine Oakley (The Rowntree Society) are co-facilitators of the North Yorkshire learning club, launched by Community First Yorkshire and the Open University’s Centre for Voluntary Sector Leadership to provide opportunities for sector employees to develop energetic, practical and thoughtful leadership practice.

In the last in their series of blogs they share their experience of participating in a peer learning network during the pandemic, and insights into leadership practice going forward.

What will Leadership look like in the voluntary sector post-Covid-19?

Catherine: Back in the first week of the course we covered the difference between a ‘managerial’ approach and a ‘leadership’ approach in organisations. The managerial approach works through processes, and systems and policies to try and ensure that people and organisations work effectively. A leadership approach aims to open things up and unsettle existing practices and assumptions.

I think the Covid-19 pandemic is forcing lots of organisations in the voluntary sector into managerial mode out of necessity because things are so pressured right now as the sector responds. But in the medium-to-long term, leadership practice that is shared, collaborative and democratic will be so important in navigating the complex consequences of the pandemic. It’s important that we create time and space for this.

Louise: We’ve seen the voluntary and community sector step up to respond to the pandemic crisis, delivering vital services to the isolated and vulnerable in our communities and becoming a channel for public and private sectors to provide financial and volunteer support where it is needed most.

It’s clear that smaller, leaner, flatter charities and voluntary organisations, with less layers of hierarchy, more frontline contact, and devolved decision making are better placed to respond more quickly and are taking a lead.

The heroic single leader, bogged down in multiple decisions and task delegation, would cause blockages and take longer to respond and act. In a crisis situation, an empowered team or network of leaders, able to consult, reflect and problem-solve, and cover each other as needed, is far more effective – think of geese flying in formation, taking it in turn to take the lead as others get tired.

Another important lesson from the lockdown is how perceptions about the charity sector may change. Even within our organisations we can have different perceptions of the value of volunteers versus paid employees. The Covid-19 response has been volunteer-led and that demonstrates how fundamental both types of role are to how we operate.

Catherine: We talked about approaching volunteering as a type of collaboration in the learning club a couple of weeks ago. It can be easy to lose sight of the needs of your volunteers when you’re in crisis mode. But we agreed that reaffirming those needs on all sides explicitly was still important. Are we checking in as regularly as we can with volunteers to see whether their needs are being met, or whether they have changed?

Louise: I think the course and our learning club meetings have really highlighted the need for us to question any unconscious bias so that staff, volunteers and the people our organisations support are all equally valued and consulted.

 

How has social distancing affected peer learning?

Louise: We all agree we’ve got so much out of the online course, but the peer sharing has been equally rewarding. I think that holding our sessions face-to-face was more informal and energising, but the online interaction has been more convenient for people. There’s probably room for a combination of both going forward, and we’ve been sharing links and ideas in the club Whatsapp group as well as on the OU discussion forum too.

Catherine: I’m quite new to the sector, and I’ve loved meeting and hearing from other people working locally and regionally. We all work for different kinds of voluntary organisations but there’s a sense of common values and shared interests.

It has been a relief to have an hour or so each week just to take a step back from things, check in with everyone, and have these broader conversations. We’ve had to be relaxed about how we approach the sessions since lockdown. Some people have been completing the online module quite rigorously. Others are focusing on the learning club meetings online as a place to have some focused conversations, listen to new perspectives, and just stay in touch with people.

Louise: Leading meetings from our homes during the Covid-19 lockdown, with interruptions from kids and pets, has brought a more human side to the workplace, which is more real, more open and builds on our common experience as people, not colleagues.

Catherine: I love the interruptions. They are just lovely informal moments of shared vulnerability that bring people together.

You can watch the video of the full discussion with Louise and Catherine here.

For more leadership support visit our Community Gateway.

 

Navigating challenging times for North Yorkshire charities and social businesses

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Mark Hopley, Head of Community Support North Yorkshire, highlights the greatest challenge facing charities and social enterprises at this time.

There are over 5,000 voluntary, community and social enterprise (VCSE) groups and organisations across North Yorkshire, with both a paid and volunteer workforce. An integral part of Community First Yorkshire, our Community Support North Yorkshire service provides capacity and capability support for civil society organisations of all shapes and sizes across the county.

During the current Covid-19 pandemic the VCSE sector has made a significant difference locally and nationally in supporting the community through difficult times, from keeping communities connected to delivering frontline services.

Our recent VCSE Resilience Survey demonstrated that 41% of North Yorkshire organisations do not anticipate being able to continue beyond October 2020. The predominant factor is funding. Many organisations are currently facing the perfect storm of reduced income at a time when the demands for their services are at an all-time high and in many instances this is not diminishing.

Charity trustees and directors of social businesses as the key decision makers have been able to access short-term funding from a combination of Community Foundations, the National Lottery Fund and Small Business Discretionary Grants.  In many cases this will not be enough, organisations will continue to reduce costs whilst trying to fundraise in a fierce and very competitive external environment.

If you are a charity trustee, director or senior manager and your not for private profit organisation is struggling financially, then I advise you to speak in confidence with a member of the Community Support North Yorkshire team who will listen to your story and help connect you with support that’s bespoke to your needs.

However, the earlier you make contact the better as the number of support options available can diminish the longer you leave it.  So if you are beginning to find cash flow a challenge or if you are anticipating struggling paying bills as they fall due, then now is the time to make that call.  You can contact us either via communitysupport@communityfirstyorkshire.org.uk or by calling our office 01904 704177.  If you need to leave a message someone will return your call as soon as possible.

You can visit our Community Gateway to see the training, events and suite of resources that you may find useful to support and develop your organisation at this time.

Funded by North Yorkshire County Council and NHS North Yorkshire, we have a vision of a capable, collaborative, diverse and influential civil society across North Yorkshire supporting resilient, resourceful and confident communities where co-produced solutions enable people of all ages to be healthier, independent and able to fulfil their ambitions.