Planning - keeping the show on the road

A summary of GGi’s latest monthly webinar

On Wednesday, 26 September, GGi hosted a webinar entitled Planning—keeping the show on the road, chaired by GGi principal consultant Aidan Rave and featuring Helen Bailey, chief executive of the London Borough of Sutton, and councillor Richard Kemp, former leader of the Liberal Democrat group at Liverpool City Council.

The conversation explored how public purpose organisations can remain effective when faced with rising demand, tight finances, and constant political and policy shifts.

Helen Bailey spoke of the need to focus on three essentials: people, process, and prioritisation. Building resilient teams and fostering a culture of trust and psychological safety, she argued, is the foundation of organisational strength. Equally vital is keeping governance and decision-making processes in place even when crises tempt leaders to bypass them.

And when everything feels urgent, ‘ruthless prioritisation’ becomes the key to survival. For Helen, plans are valuable not because they are delivered exactly as written, but because they offer direction and a framework for decision-making. She said: “The point of having a plan isn’t to deliver it line by line; it’s to give focus, direction and something against which to measure our actions.”

Richard Kemp provided the councillor’s perspective, stressing the ‘golden partnership’ between officers and elected members. Leaders, he said, must balance a long-term vision with short-term progress that communities can see and feel. Too often, councils become stuck on points of disagreement, but real leadership is about recognising common goals and celebrating incremental progress. In one of several musical theatre references, Richard asked, “If you don’t have a dream, how are you going to have a dream come true?”

The discussion was enriched by searching questions from the audience. Points were raised about how plans can be audited, how local government and the NHS can work better together, and the role of partnerships across sectors.

Richard acknowledged that many long-term strategies inevitably shift but argued leaders must be honest about what is aspiration versus firm commitment. Both speakers agreed that partnerships, though difficult, are essential – especially between councils, health services, and the voluntary sector – and require mutual benefit, trust, and sometimes the courage to work around central constraints.

The event closed with a reminder that leadership in public service is sustained by values, resilience, and belief in purpose. As Aidan observed, listening to seasoned leaders like Helen and Richard is a welcome antidote to cynicism about the public sector.

Planning, in this light, is not a static exercise but an ongoing act of resilience – a way of keeping the show on the road, however rough the terrain.