Dear PPMA colleagues and Friends

Our last blog of 2018 is from our President Karen Grave, reflecting on a busy year for PPMA and the things that really matter in life.

Well, it’s finally here – Christmas 2018.  This year has been hugely busy for all of us I know but I hope that you are all on the way to winding down and spend time with loved ones.  As I have mentioned in previous blogs, PPMA has been doing some great work this year to advance our mission.  We’ve been doing that on our own, but increasingly with our MOU partners and our sponsor community.

We’ll be even busier next year I am sure, and I’m so looking forward to our new leadership team becoming increasingly involved and visible.  I’ve only got one reminder in this blog which is that PPMA Excellence in People Management awards closing date is MONDAY 7^th JANUARY 2019.  Please don’t lose out on making an entry – in my view the annual awards programme is one of the most important activities we undertake.  Hearing about the incredible work going on across public services is really humbling, inspiring and energising.   It’s a crazy way to start the year really as it’s always manic, but it’s also wonderful to have the awards take us through the end of Winter, which always to me feels like a struggle after wonderful Christmas festivities.

The most important thing this time of year is that we reflect on our own and our collective HR & OD family.  PPMA has seen new additions this year – Lisa Rathbone, our Rising Star 2018 and Sonia Grewal, our new VP Talent and Membership, have both welcomed new baby boys this year – we’ll see about very junior membership rates for them I am sure .  Whilst we have welcomed new life, we have also seen old PPMA members and sponsors retire and move on to a different phase of their lives; we’ve seen some move on from permanent roles to different careers and that’s a fantastic way to retain knowledge and experience but also give colleagues a new lease of life in the gig economy.  And unfortunately we have also lost dear colleagues and friends.  You will know already that we lost Keith Handley (SOCPO President 2001/2) earlier in the Summer.  And sadly, we also lost the wonderful Susan McNally several weeks ago.  We will be featuring an obituary to Susan in our January newsletter.

And, some of you will have lost family and friends in your own lives.  It’s the range of these events that reminds us really of what matters in the longer term.  Work of course matters, but what defines us over the course of our lives is, I think, the depth of relationships that we build and the good works that we leave behind.  The professional and personal relationships we build through PPMA are rewarding, nurturing and deeply sustaining.  It’s an honour to be a part of an association that focuses so much on building opportunities to develop and maintain these deeply human connections.  The world remains complex, sometimes incomprehensible and our political system increasingly maddening – but it’s comforting to know that we have a collective HR & OD community that deeply believes in the value of people and the contribution we can all make to the lives of others – particularly those who are the most vulnerable in society.

For those of you who find this time of year a challenge – please don’t feel that you are alone.  Reach out and find support where you can – I have always found that human nature is much better than we think.  There is far more love, joy, patience, compassion and kindness out there than our day to day lives would suggest.

So, the loves of my life and I wish you and yours the very best for Christmas and a 2019 filled with blessings, opportunities and love.

Best, Karen

Hello PPMA members and friends,

Sonia Grewal, HRD at Swindon BC, was crowned Peer of the Year at the PPMA Annual Conference in Bristol last April. She’s had an amazing year and as her term is coming to an end, she shares her experiences with us.

“The opportunity to participate in Peer into the Future (the partnership between Penna and PPMA) Cohort 4 was made available to me as I was joining Swindon Borough Council and local government from the NHS.

I was delighted when my application was accepted, but also slightly apprehensive as to what to expect. My aspirations from Peer into the Future were to tap into a strong network of other senior HR & OD professionals within the wider landscape of local government as well as the opportunity to benchmark and learn from others in the sector.

The structure and content of the sessions, featuring some truly inspirational guest speakers, together with the opportunity to have some clear thinking space, allowed me to reflect on the position of HR & OD in Swindon very early into my role.  There is no requirement to complete assignments or work outside of each module – it’s truly action learning. However, reflection and input to each session is essential, so taking some thought away about how you are going to implement them or consider them in the workplace is a must.  This is a great space to share ideas and challenge thinking in a safe environment.

Input from the guest speakers really sets a direction for how HR & OD professionals in local government, as well as across the public sector, develop and move into a wider space to ensure they are skilled to support the strategic challenges that our organisations are facing.  Much of this is about thinking in a different way as it is resetting our narrative and how we operate in a changing landscape. I took reflections from each session along with the shared learning with peers on the cohort back into Swindon, both in terms of my professional role and development as well as wider organisational challenges.

Peer into the Future has been fantastic for the networking opportunities and learning in the present, and has allowed me to develop into my first HRD role. It has also helped me reposition the critical role that HR & OD professionals play in the challenging context of local government.  This has significantly shifted the profile of HR & OD within the Council  from a traditional, transactional service to a true strategic partner sitting alongside the Corporate Team.

Each of the modules are really well thought out with great speakers and subjects but you get out what you put in.  It is beneficial to have a plan for how you use your time on the Peer programme and also for what comes after.

I enjoy being part of the PPMA Board and Vice Chair of South West PPMA as well as helping to shape the future of the PPMA as the national voice for the public sector HR/OD profession. I’ve also supported members of my team to attend Peer into the Future to ensure ongoing development for them and the organisation.

If you’re looking to reposition the role of HR & OD in your current organisation, I would certainly recommend Peer into the Future.  You’ll be given the opportunity to create some clear thinking space for yourself and become part of a network of past and present Peers’ and the PPMA.  There will also be access to coaching and mentoring as well as the opportunity to become involved with the PPMA in order to support other fantastic programmes such as Rising Stars and Apprenticeships.”

Sonia Grewal, PPMA Peer of the Year 2017, HRD at Swindon BC and Vice Chair of PPMA South West Region