Will you go to the ball with me?
Will you go to the ball with me?
The county council needs board members to steer its new economic strategy, but it will depend on meaningful partnerships to succeed. Simon Merrell, of Merrell People, looks at how you achieve that.
Gloucestershire’s Economic Strategy 2024-2034 has been very overt on the importance of key partnerships. Figure two in the strategy outlines who Gloucestershire’s key partners are and the role they will play in delivery each of the four strategic priorities:
Sustainable growth
Inward investment
Employment and skills
Business innovation and support
The strategy is rightly ambitious and incredibly exciting. Leaders across the county (and beyond) will no doubt be looking at the signals and opportunities contained within the 72 pages. Very few organisations can do anything without their own partnerships.
Supply chains, experts, consultants, administrators, and even competitors can all be part of our success.
How do we create the right partnerships for us?
What do we need?
This questions often requires us to stop what we are doing and think about our organisation. Our horizon might not stretch to the 10 years that Gloucestershire’s Economic Strategy covers, but we should think about the question in different timeframes. It often throws up the need for different partnerships.
Our answers to this question helps us be clear with potential or existing partners. It becomes easier to set the right expectations and discuss whether these are being met.
One organisation we are working with has a need to become more commercial so it can translate its huge academic and practical expertise into a product that has real social, environmental and economic benefit. The type of partnerships required to do this will be significantly different.
Evolve
‘Driven by innovation, built on heritage’. This is the sub-heading for the county’s new economic strategy. Borrowing from the definition of heritage, valued qualities and traditions are often key ingredients in strong partnerships. There can sometimes be a sense of loss and tension when we need to move on to something new.
Being clear on our changing needs helps signal to existing partnerships how the relationship will need to evolve or end. In many cases our partners are being impacted by the same changing landscape. Good partners can become part of the conversation about what the future solutions could be. This limits the sense of isolation and can create a more positive future outlook.
Get your head up
There is scary research that correlates decreasing friendship circles and increasing age. Perhaps a tendency to rely on trusted relationships is part of our success. The economic strategy is explicit about the ambition for the county and the changes required to make it happen. This will require partnerships from those beyond the county lines.
We draw lines around our networks, but the Western Gateway is one that invites us across the county borders to work with our neighbours. The Western Gateway is the first of its kind to bring together business communities from two countries. With a region stretching from St David’s (in Wales) to Swindon, including Gloucestershire, it opens up the potential for new partnerships, connections and even friends.
Gloucestershire’s Economic Stratgy was published in April 2024 by the county council mapping out how it sees Gloucestershire developing over the next 10 years. Think of it as the local authority’s business plan. You can read it here. You can read Raikes’ report on it all here: Business reacts to Gloucestershire's new economic strategy.
To read more articles by Simon Merrell visit our Expert Insight channel here or search Simon Merrell or Merrell People via the top of this page.
Simon Merrell supports organisations, teams, groups and individuals to bring about change. He lives in Gloucestershire, works across the UK, is a fellow of the Chartered Institute of Personnel and Development and the founder of Merrell People.
🔓 You’ve been reading a free edition of The Raikes Journal. Everything we do on Raikes is possible by our incredible Founding Partners: QuoLux, Willans LLP, Gloucestershire College, Merrell People and Randall & Payne; our sponsors Hartpury University and Hartpury College; our Founding Members and all our wonderful paying subscribers. If you upgrade to paid too, you’ll be able to see beyond the paywalls we place on many of our second and third editions of the week and that locks our archive after two weeks. You will be able to view our rolling Top 100 Businesses in Gloucestershire series, sponsored by Randall & Payne, comment on our stories and you will be helping to make possible this community interest company dedicated to supporting the county, its businesses, charities and education and training providers — all for just £2.30 per week! Please do think about joining us as a paid-for member if you can.