Me and my shadow

26th February 2008

While shadowing has long been recognised as a powerful tool for aspiring leaders to gain key insights into a role or career path, it is often not considered by those making recruitment decisions. Understanding the internal workings of an organisation and the context within which the successful candidate will operate, is vital to appreciate the full remit of the role and the essential qualities that are needed at that position. So why is it that so many recruiters rely only on past experience, external soundings or paper based research? Two Partners within GatenbySanderson’s Interim Leadership business, set out recently to extend their knowledge and find inspiration on the other side of the fence.

Claire de Gidlow and Rachel Osborne arranged to shadow Jennie Bashforth, then Director of Adult and Community Services at Worcestershire County Council, Dr. Adi Cooper, Strategic Director of Adult Social Services at London Borough of Sutton,  as well as two Children’s Services Directors. Liz Graham (interim) from London Borough of Newham and Liz Nicholson from Shropshire County Council. Rachel commented, “we felt it was time to get a fresh perspective on what it now takes to be a Director within Adults and Children’s services.” It proved a positive experience for both, sharpening their judgements and instincts in assessing potential interim managers from Adults and Children’s Services backgrounds.

What soon became apparent was that selecting the right person to shadow and knowing what you want to gain from the experience is key to a successful outcome. The initial briefing should identify whether you observe a typical overview, ‘A Day In The Life’ in effect, or whether your experience is focused upon a particular aspect of the role. Speaking about her experience Rachel said, “Jennie is a strong advocate of shadowing and was keen to know what was important to me; she then made arrangements to involve me in a day that allowed me to see her operate in a variety of settings, with a ‘golden thread’ of themes relating to my initial request. My priority was to observe the complex interrelationship officers share with their portfolio holders. I sat in on a one to one portfolio member briefing meeting and, as a resident of the county, was invited to offer my opinion as well.”

Jennie’s support for shadowing comes from her own personal experiences within a variety of organisations over the years. She commented “Some of these experiences have been more valuable than others and I have learnt that the difference between an excellent and okay experience is dependent on some key factors. First, the level of commitment of the person being shadowed and the shadower. Secondly, preparation time together with a clear focus upon outcomes. This helps the shadower put the right programme in place and involve other participants at an early stage. Finally, it’s crucial to build in tine for de-briefs in order to make sense of and build upon learning from the experience.

For Claire, shadowing Dr. Adi Cooper at London Borough of Sutton, the encounter proved equally beneficial. The intention at the outset was to experience a ‘typical’ day. The structure worked well with a broad range of strategic, management, corporate and service delivery issues faced at any one time. Claire says, “from experiencing Adi’s working life at Sutton, I was able to gain an insight into the absolute ‘must haves’ as well as some of the more subtle skills required to run an Adult Social Services department. I could better assess exactly what it takes to deliver leading edge services against increasing demands for improvement and significant financial pressures. Adi commented that “as well as being an important learning opportunity within and across organisations, being shadowed by a recruitment consultant added fresh perspective from a recruitment point of view.”

Liz Graham was first introduced to shadowing as part of the Take Your Daughters to Work campaign in the early 90’s. She was shadowed by two twelve year old girls, the daughters of colleagues, over a day for several years. “It was great fun” she remembers, “Lots of Coke and crisps. I was never sure how much they took in but their parents reported how much they enjoyed the experience. It’s good to know that they are now competent women in their 20’s; one a teacher and the other a social worker
Liz agrees with Jennie that preparation and planning is key. The shadower needs to be able to question why decisions are made and those being shadowed must play an active role in helping the shadower understand the politics of the situations observed, the complexity of judgements being made and the reasoning behind them.

Another benefit which should not be underestimated is the opportunity to build a cross-organisational network and relationships with key decision makers, who

otherwise would be difficult to access. Liz Nicholson of Shropshire County Council emphasises the importance of this aspect within Children’s Services, in particular due to the multi-agency/partnership focus of the work. ‘’Remember too that some of the benefits are reciprocal: interacting with the host and their colleagues allows them to gain a greater appreciation of the work that you do, resulting often in closer working relationships and improved understanding.’’

For both Rachel and Claire, the experience left them with a much greater appreciation of the scale, complexity and political complications affecting first tier officers, which will have a lasting impact upon their own effectiveness.

Jennie Bashforth sums up the initiative, “ I would recommend shadowing to anyone as part of a personal development plan. I’m just surprised that it is not promoted more”.

Me and my shadow.pdf