Devon County Council’s “Create and Innovate” Programme is about “thinking differently facilitated through experimentation, discovery, play, learning and reflection.”
Perspectivity was invited to support this goal and at a time where further significant budget cuts are forcing a serious rethink and redesign of Council services.
Senior members from across different departments of the council including corporate services, emergency response, health and social care came together for an afternoon. Their expectations of the session ranged from “surprise me!” to “how different sections/roles within DCC can help influence/shape change” and “new ways of thinking to help families in crisis to problem solve.”
The game was approached with some nervousness and “cautious strategies” as the group grappled with the ambiguity of the game – yet a few ‘conflicts’ certainly warmed up conversation around the table. There was early frustration that the game did not invite opportunities to collaborate until the team realised that it was something they should have taken rather than waiting for it.
A participant responded “My work is all about enabling other people and I can’t believe I behaved like this” another said “I thought I knew about things like collaboration but we went back to quite an early age!”