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Navigating public sector tech transitions: Key lessons from Clarion Insight's co-founders
In this Q and A article, Sarah Bell and Tracey Geoghegan-Smith, Co-founders and Directors of Clarion Insight, share their perspectives on the crucial lessons learned from helping public sector organisations adapt to new technologies over the last 10 years. From understanding the varied reactions of individuals to new tech, to managing change fatigue and fostering psychological safety, their experiences provide valuable guidance for navigating public sector tech transitions.
Q: What lessons have you learned about helping public sector agencies adapt to new technology?
Sarah:
That people are an organisations greatest competitive advantage, but people are all different. What might seem like resistance could actually be due to differing viewpoints, seeing things in a different way, or other underlying factors. Understanding the full context, different perspectives and what really motivates people, helps in moving any process and relationship forward.
Tracey:
It’s also important to understand and focus on articulating the benefits of the new technology. Often, technology projects make broad claims, but it's essential to communicate specifically how the change will make people's jobs easier or improve their work in some way. Often teams are juggling multiple change initiatives and calling out the potential benefits will help with change acceptance.
Sarah:
It’s about the basics: understanding the part that people play and addressing their "What's in it for me?" This helps answer the fundamental "So what?" question that often arises, especially during times of significant change.
Q: What trends have you noticed in tech adoption in the public sector?
Sarah:
I'd say the pace of technology change is usually much quicker in the private sector than in the public sector. So, the public sector can find themselves lagging a bit behind. This can lead to frustration and even burnout because people are working harder to get things done, but the technology isn’t keeping up with their specific needs.
Tracey:
Budget cuts play a big part too. Affordability is now becoming key, getting more for less, and there's that fear of missing out because they just don’t have the budget to keep up with the latest tech, this is where teams need to think outside the box get creative and use their curiosity.
Also, this impacts recruitment. It's tough to hold on to good people when there are big companies offering better pay and more opportunities.
Sarah:
All of this means that leaders in the public sector must be great communicators and get creative in how they lead and engage their teams. They need to find ways to keep people happy that go beyond just money or having the ability to work on the latest technology.
Q: What role does psychological safety played in adapting to new tech?
Sarah:
There’s often a fear of the unknown and a comfort in sticking with familiar processes, even if they’re outdated. This fear can prevent individuals and teams from exploring new, potentially beneficial technologies. Psychological safety helps by providing a foundation that encourages curiosity and openness. It allows people to ask questions, seek new information, and explore new technologies without fear of judgment.
Tracey: Psychological safety is key, and leaders play a significant role. Leaders set the tone; they need to show vulnerability to their teams. When team members feel they can speak up or make mistakes without worrying about criticism, it creates a more supportive environment. This really helps with innovation and creativity, and with being able to manage ongoing change.
Q: Has relationship intelligence become more prevalent in the public sector?
Sarah:
It's not necessarily that relationship intelligence is more important now, but it has become more prevalent and recognised. It has always been crucial, and those who have prioritised it have generally seen better success and greater value from new technology implementations. The key is involving people and valuing their input throughout the process.
Tracey: It seems that everyone we talk to acknowledges this shift. Many organisations' websites now emphasise the importance of putting people first.
Sarah: It used to be about technology, process, and people, but now the focus is clearly on people, you can have the best tech and processes in the world, but you need to take your people with you. From our working experiences it is evident that people are becoming the forefront of public sector tech projects.
INTERVIEW ENDS
In conclusion, Sarah and Tracey's experiences highlight the importance of empathy, understanding, clear communication, and psychological safety in driving successful transitions. At Clarion Insight, we recognise that adapting to new technologies involves more than just implementing systems; it requires fostering a culture that embraces change at all levels. This philosophy is central to our work and informs the key lessons we've learned through our extensive experience in supporting public sector organisations through technological change.
Heather Cover-Kus
Heather is Head of Central Government Programme at techUK, working to represent the supplier community of tech products and services to Central Government.
Ellie Huckle
Ellie joined techUK in March 2018 as a Programme Assistant to the Public Sector team and now works as a Programme Manager for the Central Government Programme.
Annie Collings
Annie joined techUK as the Programme Manager for Cyber Security and Central Government in September 2023.
Austin Earl
Austin joined techUK’s Central Government team in March 2024 to launch a workstream within Education and EdTech.
Ella Gago-Brookes
Ella joined techUK in November 2023 as a Markets Team Assistant, supporting the Justice and Emergency Services, Central Government and Financial Services Programmes.
Authors
Tracey Geoghegan-Smith
