The Shropshire Star has reported that Chief Executive, Kim Ryley has announced he is leaving Shropshire Council for a job at Cheshire East council.
Co-incidently, yesterday, I was in Hay-on-Wye and came across a book called The Catt Concept. In this book, the author lays out some principles of organisational working. Two that comes to mind here are:
From an outsider's perspective, it seems strange that someone would set forth a vision, create the vehicle to bring about that vision and then leave before the "car is on the road" for, apparently, "one last challenge". Hmmmm.
But who knows the real reasons behind such a change? Perhaps we'll never know.
What is concerning though is that an organisation and big local employer is now going to have to pause, take stock, re-orient itself, and decide on the best way forward, given that the navigator is no longer on the bridge.
What will happen to the new IP&E commissioning company? Will it go ahead regardless? Will the extent of the changes be rolled back? One would think that now is not the time to rush forth with changes. Then again, there is nothing as ripe (or vunerable) for change as a destabilised organisation.
As Obama's aide Rahm Emanuel famously said, "Never waste a crisis."
So now, the Leader of the Council, takes the bridge to lead through the choppy waters ahead.
I wish everyone at the council well in the decisions it makes and actions it takes over the next 3 months. An important time for the Shropshire.
UPDATE 13:15pm 25th July 2012
Curiously, in an interview in the Local Government Chronicle says, "He said he might return as Shropshire’s chief executive, but this also depended on decisions about the future running of the authorities."
