1. PLYMOUTH CITY COUNCIL
FLOURISHING ENTERPRISE
LEADERSHIP PILOT
A customised programme, offered to leaders,
seeking to create a Brilliant Co-operative Council.
FUTURES
WITH
PLYMOUTH
UNIVERSITY

2. INTRODUCING
LEADING
ENTERPRISE
INNOVATION
At Futures we believe that Entrepreneurship
is not restricted to supporting business start-
ups. We are interested in the mind and method
of entrepreneurial behaviour, a term coined as
effectuation (Sarasvathy, 2011).
Entrepreneurial leaders are individuals who, through an
understanding of themselves and the context in which they
work, act on and shape opportunities that create value for
their communities through their organisations. Such value also
recognises positive impact for the natural environment.
Through the approaches we will
introduce here, we are preparing
leaders to introduce new products/
services, processes and ventures
in this authority; in short we seek
to enable leaders to practice
entrepreneurship of all kinds.
This enterprise programme seeks to
address the following questions with
delegates.
What value does your organisation
uniquely add to the world, in ways
that enable innovation, to create
enterprising solutions that address
the major issues of our time?
How do we support the development
of such new enterprise/innovation
solutions collectively with our
communities and with our partners?
This programme is aimed at those
interested in designing innovative
solutions; solutions that support
the ambition that THIS authority,
its people and communities can
thrive, together with the natural
environment.
01 Developing Futures Developing Futures 02

3. PA
RTNERS
FAIR
RES
PONSIBLE
DEMOCRAT
IC
BACKGROUND
TO THIS
ENTERPRISE
INNOVATION
PROGRAMME
We have significant experience of delivery
within corporate and service functions within
local authorities, Education and the Health sector,
through national remodelling, capacity building
and bespoke senior leadership programmes.
Futures Enterprise Centre also conducted
preliminary work to align leadership development,
in line with the vision and values of the
wider authority.
LEADING CHANGE
Leaders have cited the desire to
create a learning culture, where new
ideas can be quickly trialled without
blame, should they not work well.
Learning from trials instead can be
used to inform continuous innovation.
Feedback from senior managers in
Street Services, Customer Services
and IT partners
CUSTOMER
SERVICE EXCELLENCE
There is a strongly expressed desire
to develop much more integrated
partnership working across the
authority and beyond with outside
groups, businesses etc.
COMMERCIAL
PARTNERING
Leaders wish to act faster on
commercial opportunities that may
exist in partnership with stakeholders.
Plymouth is a place
where people can have
a say about what is
important to them and
where they can change
what happens in
their area.
We will provide
strong community
leadership and
work together to
deliver our common
ambition.
We will be honest
and open in how we
act, treat everyone
with respect, ?????
fariness and create
opportunities.
We take responsibility
for our actions, care
about their impact
on others and expect
others will do the
same.
WE ARE
CO-OPERATIVE VALUES
ONE TEAM SERVING OUR CITY
INITIAL FINDINGS FROM OUR NEEDS ANALYSIS
INFORMED THE REMAINDER OF THIS PROPOSAL
03 Developing Futures Developing Futures 04

4. Forming coalitions for learning
through enterprise action.
Another element central to
our proposed design involves
drawing out new talent within
services to develop leadership
potential, through the creation
of new innovation proposals,
championed by senior leaders
within the service and involving
other relevant stakeholders. This
engagement approach facilitates
interpersonal development,
while growing individual
confidence and experience.
05 Developing Futures Developing Futures 06

5. Our ethos and approach to enterprise innovation at Futures.
In order to cultivate an attitude of flourishing; namely a state
where organisations/enterprises can prosper, people can excel,
as opposed to simply doing less harm overall, we therefore need
to mobilise a very different outlook to innovation; one which re-
connects our values and motivation to create significant change
very differently.
Appreciative Enquiry is a proven approach to enable managers
on this programme to respond to an ambitious authority vision,
by building from a position of our strengths and considerable
expertise and to therefore lead change more positively.
This design framework is outlined here.
07 Developing Futures Developing Futures 08
DISCOVERY
Strengths
Innovations and Insights
Positive Core Assets
DREAM
OPPORTUNITIES
Valued future
we want
DESIGN
Aspirations
Brainstormer
Opportunities
Rapid Prototyping
DEPLOY
Results Aspirations
and Action Plans Post-
Programme Momentum
Sustained
THE
DESIGN
TASK

6. METHODOLOGY
Once coalitions for action teams are formed, we will actively apply action-
learning principles, to support teams and the effective development of
enterprise innovations. We draw on non-directive coaching approaches,
(Including the GROW model) and creative problem solving methods, to
stimulate fresh thinking and ownership for innovations going forward. These
approaches are also used to stimulate on-going reflection on the process at
individual level with implications for wider impact. The implications of that will
be reviewed for leadership, team working and for wider communications with
citizens and partners.
SESSION TIMINGS
It is anticipated that delegates will have enough time between sessions
to maintain momentum and to actively engage new and existing service
users and partners, to trial ideas and innovations as they emerge. It is also
recommended that they meet as an Action Learning Set to review progress
over a 2-3 hour period at least once between sessions and continue this
practice to maintain momentum post programme.
FIRST AND FINAL SESSION SPONSORSHIP
It is recommended that senior leaders and politicians actively sponsor
proposals and innovations coming forward and that they participate at the
programme start and give feedback and developmental support to proposals
at the end of the programme, as part of a series of final day presentations.
09 Developing Futures Developing Futures 10
CASE STUDY:
MOVING
THROUGH THE
PLYMOUTH
CITY COUNCIL
PROCESS
The Plymouth pilot consisted of six facilitated days
with Futures. High-level sponsorship from senior
leaders was embodied by their presence and
decision making at two key events:
1. the launch and
2. the team presentations.

7. Between events the participants
were given enough time to maintain
momentum and to actively engage
existing service users and partners
to trial ideas and innovations as they
emerged. It was also recommended
that they met as an action team
over a 2-3 hour period at least
once between sessions - to review
progress, generate ideas and further
the project. There are currently
being encouraged to continue this
practice to maintain momentum of
their projects, post Phase I of the
programme.
Each participant had/has an identified
sponsor for this programme. They
were encouraged to meet their
sponsor at least once between events
and to continue these meetings post
Phase I.
11 Developing Futures Developing Futures 12
Coalitions for action teams were formed in the first event around
challenges of common interest. Those Directors and the Chief
Executive not directly engaged in the events, have been brought
up to speed through the recorded participant presentations made
during the programme.
• Psychometric tests, to offer
insights into personal, team and
organisational culture. Also
guidance on preferred styles
of leadership, learning and
management
• Coaching interventions to generate
positive goals for individuals,
teams and the organisations,
encouraging positive social and
environmental impact
• Creative thinking and problem
solving techniques
• Rapid prototyping
• Developing aspirational statements
and presenting for impact
• Customer service journey mapping
• Customer Value proposition canvas
• Sustainable business model design
• Stakeholder engagement strategy
• Business Case Proposal
Development
Utilising enterprise models and leadership development frameworks.
The programme made use of a variety of tools at different stages of
the process:
We also used examples of organisational breakthroughs from other sectors,
co-operative councils and flourishing organisations.
• Clean Car Travel using Electric
Vehicles at the Authority
• Transport Survey for Business in
PLYMOUTH
• The I-Ticket to promote greater use
of our heritage assets in the city
• The Hub reconfiguring customer
relations to support development
of our public spaces
• New working patterns for
maintaining refuse collection and
street cleaning services across
the city
• Strategic Business Planning
Models for Long Term Investment
• Commercialising Waste Services
(Garden Waste Management)
• Rethinking libraries to reach and
extend services to our citizens
• Staff Portal: Staff Intranet to
support learning, development and
cross departmental working
• My Ocean City: Personalised City
Council page for every citizen
• Outsourced IT support service
company DELT: Created a range
of strategic business planning
proposals to present to its
Executive Board.
Plymouth City Councils Enterprise Projects
Teams created 11 distinct proposals 10 of which were presented to members
of the PCC executive team. They are as follows:

8. An emphasis is placed upon
forming coalitions around common
challenges, working in these teams to
develop and later deliver incubation
projects. So the programme starts
with an emphasis upon the qualities
of a Clan culture, but swiftly moves on
to the features of an Incubator culture
– generating creative ideas, proactive
treatment of challenges, inspired
creation of ways forward emerging
from the working relationships
between service users and fellow
staff. People who are concerned
enough to risk getting involved and
welcome the challenge of change.
The discipline of good project
management, will subsequently be
essential to develop and implement a
well thought through timely solution.
The way people are engaged in
this type of programme facilitates
interpersonal development, whilst
growing individual confidence
and experience. The results have
surprised and even stunned some
participants, their managers and
the senior leadership team at
Plymouth City Council. How well the
organisation flourishes as a result
of this first pathfinder programme
and the subsequent planned new
waves remains to be seen. However,
at the end of the beginning we have
much good news to report and a
growing optimism from many towards
changing other parts of the Council.
13 Developing Futures
SUMMARY:
This Enterprise Leadership Programme invests: time,
personal development, support and faith in some
key people within the organisation, who lead each
cohort’s incubator projects.

9. FUTURES
WITH
PLYMOUTH
UNIVERSITY
The University is committed to the promotion of equality and
diversity. If you require this publication in an alternative format,
please contact us on the number above.
Developing Futures with Plymouth University
Room 203, Mast House
Shepherds Warf
24 Sutton Road
Plymouth, Devon, PL4 0HJ
United Kingdom
Web: www.futurescentre.org
Email: futures.centre@plymouth.ac.uk
Twitter: @PlymouthFutures