The Comment function is playing up. Here is a good one from Victor Meldrew: 

Judging from this blog, I think you should be cloned and stand in every available seat.

Your use of the phrase "the operational management of complexity" strikes a particular chord. This is a lost art in both the public and private sectors. It is also part of the definition of "leadership".

In the bit of the public sector which I was involved in for 15 years (the police service) strategy and policy were set by press release and eye catching initiatives which nobody really believed in, and which the brighter managers began to realise didn’t actually matter.

Given the ever increasing turnover of junior and senior ministers at the Home Office, it became obvious to an ambitious person of Chief Officer rank [some tautology here] that however ridiculous the latest scheme, it was easier to sign up to it than argue against it. Meet today’s set of targets and your career would continue its upward curve. Unsuccessful initiatives would be buried without any recrimination, and successful ones would be superseded by the next ministerial incomer’s bid for stardom.

After 10 or so years of this, forces are top-heavy with administrators and advisers, front line staff no longer know what they are there for apart from completing reports, their skills base has plummetted, and the public are left vulnerable. I’m sure there are parallels in other areas.

How on earth do you start rolling all that back?

Damn’ Good question. But I am hard at work on that cloning suggestion…

Ben:

I hope you do get an appropriate seat Charles. Very well written post, Dave should read it.

And Catherine:

Very best of luck, Charles! No one can accuse you of being in it for the money

Thanks, all.

Someone once said: "Democracy is like raft – it never sinks but your feet are always in the water".