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CEO’S WhatsApp group
Now into its fifth year, Campbell Tickell’s online community for housing chief executives is a valued source of advice, support and guidance
INNOVATION & IMPROVEMENT
Greg Campbell
Partner, Campbell Tickell
James Tickell
Partner, Campbell Tickell
Issue 72 | July 2024
Being a chief executive isn’t easy. You are the organisation’s key leader, the public face, where the buck stops. You’re the one who has all the answers – except of course when you don’t. And in constantly challenging and unscripted times, where do you turn for advice, support and guidance? Because it’s lonely at the top and there’s no one single route to find the support you need, to enable you to provide direction to your staff team, and the answers your customers and partners are seeking.
This was what confronted CEOs all over the country as the pandemic arrived in March 2020. And at CT, with a good deal of experience working with CEOs to help them identify and tackle problems, we too were keen to focus on this issue. We had heard of a WhatsApp group operating successfully for CEOs of health trusts. We saw this as an initiative to replicate in housing – at a time leaders needed support more than ever.
Strength in numbers
So, in early March 2020, ahead of the first lockdown, we set up the group as a confidential forum for CEOs of housing providers. The aim was to provide an environment for sharing good practice and advice, and to promote collaboration and mutual support.
It proved an instant success. Colleagues joined in significant numbers and found the forum constantly useful. For the first few months of the pandemic, we were typically seeing up to 150 posts a day – often including weekends.
The topics were wide-ranging but in some ways predictable, such as sources for quality PPE, dealing with emergency repairs (what if tenants didn’t want operatives in their homes? What if operatives weren’t sure what risks they would personally encounter?), supporting vulnerable tenants, addressing staff mental health difficulties, and much more.
A problem shared
One striking aspect has been the way members have engaged positively with one another and been keen to share. Frequently for instance, a CEO has asked a question in the morning about how other colleagues are tacking particular matters, and received a string of responses within a few hours. The ‘docs’ area of the group is a veritable treasure trove of policies and procedures, and links to useful documents.
Frequently issues have been raised that merited wider discussion, and we have arranged online meetings to explore matters, such as maintenance services and the labour market, in greater detail.
Open to all
Perhaps most remarkably, the group is now into its fifth year and still going strong. It has 250-plus CEOs of housing associations and arm’s-length management organisations (ALMOs), with colleagues from some of the largest organisations in the sector to some of the smallest, and with general needs, supported housing, and homelessness strands all represented. Members come from all parts of the UK and Ireland.
The number of messages being posted now has (fortunately) reduced to more manageable levels, but it is still common to have 20-30 in a day. Topics range from regulation to operating costs, IT systems to pay awards.
I will leave the final words to members of the group.
“The CEO WhatsApp group has been wonderful for seeking support, sharing good ideas and I think that, without doubt it has improved collaboration in our sector. People are generous with their support and time and I’m certain that it has made life easier for so many of us doing what is often a lonely job in difficult circumstances. It provides a really easy way to ask for help and know that people are willing to help you. It’s also given me more than a few laughs over the years.”
Aileen Evans, CEO, Grand Union Housing Group
“Being the CEO of a housing association at the moment isn’t easy. I like the fact of the group includes everybody from the very big to the very small, North, South and all points in between. Having such a cross section to check in with is incredibly helpful. It helps to give a sense of perspective and fosters camaraderie and understanding of the issues we face.”
Ian McDermott, CEO, Peabody
“The WhatsApp group shows the sector’s leadership at their best, collaborative, collegiate and very supportive. It’s a safe space to share an idea, a concern, or a frustration. Knowing that someone in the group will have dealt with an issue you’ve been grappling with is really helpful. That a group set up to help through Covid is still going strong years afterwards tells its own story.”
Alan Brunt, CEO, Bron Afon Community Housing
“The group provides access to a phenomenally experienced and skilled group of individuals who come together to share challenges, policies, successes, frustrations, support, guidance, act as a sounding board and so much more… Campbell Tickell have provided and continue to provide support and guidance by facilitating and servicing this group, in addition to the additional discussions, round tables, sector insights you provide. From a personal and professional perspective this group is a huge support and will become even more so in the coming years. Please do keep up with this group and the great work.”
Rachael Fullwood, CEO, Lincolnshire Rural Housing
“CT have fostered a brilliant online community for housing CEOs. It’s great having somewhere to go for informal advice, market intelligence, evidenced gossip and the occasional group therapy session.”
Nick Horne, CEO, Wythenshawe Community Housing
“Being part of and connected to the CEO WhatsApp group has been a great experience. Having colleagues that are so willing to share learnings, policy and vital data, especially during Covid, helped enormously – especially as the CEO role can be an isolated role at times. It’s also good craic!”
John Hannigan, CEO, Circle Voluntary Housing
CT publishes the summary of key themes discussed from the WhatsApp group on our website periodically. Find them in our insights page.
If you are a housing chief executive and would like to join the group, please contact Greg Campbell or James Tickell
