The following case study explains the work Caret has done with Kirklees MBC. They asked Caret to facilitate thought-provoking discussions with their top 40 leaders, looking to the future and preparing for the challenges that lay ahead.

The Issue

Kirklees was awarded the Council of the year accolade nationally in 2008. A very mixed area of South Yorkshire, Kirklees includes ‘Last of the Summer Wine’ country around Holmfirth, alongside Huddersfield and Dewsbury. The leadership are keen not to sit on their laurels (a painful business anyway!) They asked Caret to facilitate thought-provoking discussions with their top 40 leaders, looking to the future and preparing for the challenges that lay ahead.

Caret’s Solution

We ran two high impact events six months apart. The first focused on preparing for the future and managing uncertainty. Councils are used to plans and targets as unmovable as a railway timetable but the changing context we live in demands more agility and responsiveness. We provided a number of disturbing 2012 scenarios tor three years ahead around social cohesion and health issues. These led to very animated debate and a strong awareness that the Council did not work together in an effective corporate way to prepare for the future. This was followed through at the second event when we looked at the dangers of dysfunctional and silo working and then began some high impact groundwork for budget reviews.

The Results and Impacts

Caret was brought in because previous leadership events were believed to be low in energy with very different levels of engagement. Both events were very dynamic with lots of excitement and insight. The actions were rigorously followed through and the level of participation raised significantly.

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