And Charlie Parker, who is currently working about two days a week in Jersey and is due to officially take over on 8 January, has warned that anyone who stands in the way of that change will not be tolerated.
Speaking to the JEP, Mr Parker said he wanted to take people with him on the journey to change, but that did not mean he would not hold them to account if necessary.
‘There will be a bit of carrot and stick,’ he said. ‘If we have got people who don’t want to do it and who aren’t part of it and however much we work with them they deliberately try to undermine the process then we have got to be robust with them. But that is not where we start from.’
He added: ‘It is not about being aggressive, it is about being a strong leader with a clear message, providing clarity to staff and stakeholders, which I am optimistic will be something they will respond positively to.’
On Wednesday Mr Parker presented his vision for the organisation over the next two to five years to about 120 senior managers in the States of Jersey.
He said that the detail of his plans would follow in due course, and would be informed by the work of the transition team led by four highly paid external consultants which has already started its work.
Mr Parker, who describes himself as ‘challenging, but straight’, set out his vision for a ‘right first time’ culture where the States acts as one organisation, not in the ‘silo empires’ that exist currently.
In his speech to staff, which has also been circulated to all public sector workers and is printed in full in Thursday’s JEP, the outgoing head of Westminster City Council said: ‘We’ve reached a critical turning point – a crucial moment of change – which has been driven by global factors and local challenges.
‘We’ve recovered from the global downturn, but now we’re facing the uncertainty of Brexit, the continuing international pressure on offshore financial services and constant criticism of how we conduct our corporate tax policy.
‘While the Paradise Papers controversy last week wasn’t about Jersey, we are caught up in the wider criticisms of offshore finance. And that’s not going away.’
He added: ‘So what does this mean for you as leaders and managers? You’re part of the solution, but you have to want to be. The modernisation train is at the station and will be pulling out soon for the future. I want managers to come on that journey of change and be part of the future. There’s no point in getting on the train if you’re not willing to lead by example – to support a wider collective leadership model. If any don’t, then they may well be left behind on the platform.’
