Public Sector: How digitalisation is changing the role of managers

Public companies and the public administration are also pinning high hopes on digitalisation, because new and more complex tasks have to be fulfilled with scarce financial resources. In addition, there is a shortage of qualified workers and an increased need among many employees for a sense of purpose, freedom and participation. In a nutshell: The world of work is undergoing radical change. Our white paper “The Digital World of Work in the Public Sector” explains why managers are now the most important factor - and how to (re)train them correctly.

It is clear that standardised change management, which includes stakeholder integration, communication, training and implementation support, is no longer sufficient. This is because we often see a lot of uncertainty, even among managers. They fear that they will no longer be able to inspire employees for new things and feel that previous management concepts are no longer effective.

It is therefore important for public companies and the public administration to invest above all in their managers, in addition to new technologies. This is because, in the future, the focus will be much less on employee control and the execution of tasks. Instead, it will be about “human leadership” that encourages personal responsibility and the courage to find one’s own solutions – while keeping an eye on the organisation’s values and goals. The following is specifically important:

Good management at a glance

1. Trust: In order to lead employees, it is necessary to have confidence in oneself.
2. Relationships: Another step is building strong relationships.
3. Meaningfulness: Interesting tasks make people feel more appreciated.
4. Stabilisation: Managers shape the organisation according to the needs of employees.
5. Integration: Managers ensure respectful and mindful interaction with each other.

But how can you (re)train the managers in such a way that they are able to fulfil these tasks?

A suitable programme should encourage managers to join in and have fun. You can achieve this, for example, by offering learning apps and quizzes or enabling interaction between participants. It is also useful if participants can design their own training programme and “help themselves” using a modular package. We offer self-paced learning using knowledge nuggets on a platform that is remote and accessible around the clock, and at the same time allows you to orchestrate the learning process.

We also recommend combining theory with practical empirical values by supplementing face-to-face workshops with opportunities to exchange, reflect and develop ideas. In addition, methods such as peer-to-peer consulting and individual coaching promote joint learning, implementation in practice - and round off the programme.

You can download our white paper free of charge here.