๐ช๐ต๐ฎ๐ ๐๐ณ ๐๐ฟ๐ถ๐๐ฎ๐ถ๐ป'๐ ๐๐ถ๐ด๐ด๐ฒ๐๐ ๐ ๐ถ๐๐๐ฎ๐ธ๐ฒ ๐๐ ๐ก๐ผ๐ ๐๐ผ๐ ๐ช๐ฒ ๐ฆ๐ฝ๐ฒ๐ป๐ฑ ๐ฃ๐๐ฏ๐น๐ถ๐ฐ ๐ ๐ผ๐ป๐ฒ๐, ๐๐๐ ๐๐ผ๐ ๐ช๐ฒ ๐๐๐ฑ๐ด๐ฒ ๐ช๐ต๐ฒ๐๐ต๐ฒ๐ฟ ๐๐ ๐ช๐ผ๐ฟ๐ธ๐ฒ๐ฑ?
The Conservative Party's recent graphic claiming that ยฃ631 million was spent on Diversity, Equality and Inclusion in policing has generated predictable debate. Supporters and critics have argued over whether the investment was justified, whether the money should have funded more frontline police officers and whether Diversity, Equality and Inclusion has gone too far.
The more I reflected on the debate, the more I realised that everyone seemed to be answering the same question.
Almost nobody was challenging whether it was the right question in the first place. This is because every experienced board understands that significant investment begins with one discipline.
Before approving a major programme, leaders define the problem they are trying to solve, agree how success will be measured and establish the evidence that will determine whether the investment has delivered value. Without that discipline, no responsible organisation would commit hundreds of millions of pounds, regardless of how worthwhile the ambition appeared.
That is why I found the Conservative Party's graphic so interesting. Like all political communication, it presents a compelling argument built around a carefully selected statistic.
The figure may be accurate within the methodology used, yet the headline naturally directs our attention towards the cost of the investment rather than the framework used to evaluate its success. Those are not the same conversation.
The real leadership challenge is much bigger than policing or Diversity, Equality and Inclusion. It is whether Britain has become more interested in debating the price of public investment than demanding clear evidence of the value it creates.
Until we agree how success should be measured, every political party can construct a persuasive narrative using the same set of facts.
Once you have read the post, pause for a moment and consider this.
If your board approved a ยฃ631 million investment today, would the first discussion be about the cost or would it begin by agreeing how success would be measured?
Perhaps that is the question we should have been asking from the very beginning.
See Differently. Lead Differently. Shape What Comes Next.
#DEI #Leadership #Governance #PublicPolicy #CriticalThinking #EvidenceBasedLeadership #PublicTrust #Policing #StrategicLeadership #NBWN #YouBelongHere
