Making a Difference
I call my making a difference skills training workshop "It's a Wonderful Council Life".
Councillors stand for all sorts of reasons, but all want to make a difference for their communities. This workshop is about stepping beyond the day-to-day and thinking about what you actually want to achieve.
A practical and reflective session for councillors who want to make the most of their time in office. We look at the difference you want to make, how to turn big ambitions into achievable steps, and how the everyday work of being a councillor can contribute to something bigger.
It recognises that many don't arrive on day one with a grand plan. Priorities may emerge from casework, conversations with residents or simply from discovering what matters to you as you settle into the role. This workshop helps councillors find that focus, turn it into action and recognise the difference they are making in residents' lives.
It covers:
- Why making a difference matters
- Identifying what you want to achieve
- Turning big ambitions into practical steps
- Moving from individual casework to wider change
- Recognising and celebrating your impact
- Dealing with frustration when change takes time
Agenda for a typical two hour online workshop:
- Welcome and framing
- Why did you stand?
- How can you create the space and opportunities
- Working out what you want to achieve
- Turning ambitions into action and keeping it on track
- Recognising and celebrating your impact
- Staying resilient when progress is slow
The workshop can be delivered online or in person and is designed to be interactive, with opportunities for councillors to reflect on their own priorities and experiences.
It is delivered by Liz Green, drawing on 24 years as a councillor and experience ranging from ward councillor to Council Leader and national local government roles. Real examples show how individual issues, casework and local concerns can develop into wider changes in policy and services.
The workshop works well for councillors at different stages of their term.
For newer councillors it provides an opportunity to look beyond the immediate demands of the role and think about what they want to achieve. For more experienced councillors it offers a chance to take stock, refocus and consider what they still want to change.
It can be delivered cross-party or to individual political groups.
The cost varies depending delivery such as online, in person or hybrid and level of adaptation required. We always offer value for money as we know council's have tight budgets.
As an indication, a 2 hour online workshop, without adaptations, would cost £750, but please contact us for an accurate quote.
It’s a Wonderful Life’s main character, George Bailey, thinks he has made things worse for everyone but by looking back on his life, with the help of an angel, he discovers how much a difference he has made to his town and the people around him.
Like George:
- we don’t always notice the impact we are making while we are busy with the day-to-day,
- making a difference isn’t necessarily about one big achievement. Small changes can add up to something significant
- what you achieve often depends on the relationships you build and the people you bring with you
The workshop is about working out the difference you want to make, taking practical steps towards it, and remembering to notice what changed because you were there.