GreenSquareAccord has just published its latest corporate strategy, and this post aims to compare it to their 2019 strategy.

In 2019, the organisations Chair, Robin Bailey, stated that GreenSquare had faced difficulties in the past year. However, Bailey expressed confidence in the new Board and Executive team, led by Ruth Cooke, to focus on becoming a great landlord and building high-quality homes. The statement also acknowledged the organisations efforts to address health and safety issues and make the safety of residents a priority.

The 2019 strategy aimed to improve GreenSquare's financial performance and efficiency and return to G1 status from G2. Despite changes in leadership, the statement expressed confidence in the talent and alignment of the new team to work towards becoming a well-respected and well-governed organization.

By 2020, Ruth Cooke had assured stakeholders that GreenSquare had addressed issues regarding repairs and maintenance. An email from Ms Cooke discussed the ongoing consultation with GreenSquare's customers on a proposed merger with Accord. The aim of the merger was to expand and enhance locally-focused services to customers across a wider operating area, creating a stronger and more resilient organization. Ms Cooke also acknowledged the regulatory notice and judgment GreenSquare received in 2019 and the improvements made since then. The new senior team was focused on meeting obligations to customers, colleagues, and stakeholders.

GreenSquareAccord launched a three-year corporate plan aimed at delivering a change in focus to become a great landlord. The plan included improvements to the contact centre, obtaining feedback from customers, health and safety compliance management, repairs and maintenance services, and providing new homes. The organization claimed to be financially strong and able to manage the business effectively, supporting the development of new homes and better services for their customers.

However, three years later, GreenSquareAccord has failed to achieve some of the goals in Ms Cooke's first corporate plan. While COVID-19 may have hampered these plans, the organization also failed to develop clear and measurable objectives, identify key performance indicators (KPIs), assign specific responsibilities and accountabilities to individuals and teams, publish a timeline with specific milestones and deadlines, communicate the strategy and objectives to residents and stakeholders, provide resources and support to enable individuals and teams to execute on the strategy effectively, foster a culture of continuous improvement and learning, solicit feedback from stakeholders, and hold individuals and teams accountable for delivering on their responsibilities and meeting deadlines.

GreenSquareAccord also failed to recognise and reward success, make course corrections as needed, or listen to residents' feedback. The organization removed comments on Facebook, employed communication plans, made threats of legal action, blocked emails and social media accounts, and dismantled their 'voice of the customer' panel.

So that, in a nutshell, was the last three years and the promise of first "Simply Brilliant" and later "Simply Brilliant Together." Now, let's look at the next five-year (!) plan - "Simply, Stronger, Better."

Their ambition is to be achieved by 2028. GreenSquareAccord recognises that it still needs to simplify and strengthen its operations to deliver better services to its customers and build stronger communities.

• Simpler: The organization will focus on providing services where it can deliver the biggest impact and simplify the way it provides services.

• Stronger: The organization will become more financially and operationally resilient, better able to adapt to change, and will improve its governance and accountability.

• Better: The organization will provide quality homes and excellent social landlord services, support its customers, and help to build stronger communities.

Sounds like the last corporate plan I think you’ll agree, have GreenSquareAccord learnt from the mistakes of the past?

How they plan to simplify and strengthen their business

The ultimate goal is to become an efficient and high-performing social landlord that provides excellent services for customers. In order to achieve this, the focus needs to be on delivering services that contribute to a strong financial position, enabling the best value for customers. The plan involves investing in services that can deliver the biggest impact for customers, building resilience to manage external challenges, strengthening systems and processes to empower colleagues, consolidating and integrating systems and processes to deliver value for money, simplifying and consolidating funding arrangements, and regaining and retaining the G1 governance rating.

To simplify and strengthen the business, the company intends to standardise systems, processes, and services to deliver for customers more effectively and consistently. The review of the service portfolio will start to build financial resilience and improve effectiveness. The review will continue to build resilience, leading to further investments in systems and improvements in services. By the end of the process, the service offer will be well-established, the organization will be fully integrated, and there will be significant investments in developing systems.

How they’ll improve their  customer offer

The primary objective is to meet the needs and expectations of customers by creating a customer-centric culture within the organization. The plan involves engaging customers directly in the process and working with partners and suppliers to deliver high-quality services while maximising value for money.

To improve customer service, the plan will focus on the areas that matter most to customers, such as clearing the repairs backlog, reducing response times, enhancing the role of the Customer Panel, reviewing customer data to improve tenancy sustainment, creating a tenancy sustainment fund, developing a customer service training program, and refreshing the community investment strategy.

The first stage will involve making quick and effective improvements to customer service by standardising and improving systems and processes, rolling out training, and recruiting Customer Champions. Ultimately, the goal is to deliver significant improvements and improve customer satisfaction.

How they’ll improve the quality of their existing and new homes

The company's objective is to provide affordable, safe, and high-quality homes to all, including those affected by the housing crisis. While acknowledging the need for significant improvements to some of their homes, the company plans to invest in compliance with new fire and building safety regulations, maintenance of homes to a high standard, and energy efficiency upgrades for all homes. They also plan to continue building more affordable homes in their communities.

To achieve this, the company will conduct assessments to determine investment priorities for 2023-2024, focusing on improving existing homes in priority areas. They will explore additional funding sources to speed up new home development.

The project will be focused on improving the quality and safety of homes with the help of partners, regenerating certain areas, and finding solutions for homes that cannot be upgraded. They will also comply with new fire and building safety regulations. They will also  seek to improve the energy efficiency of all homes and invest £68m in building new homes.

Create a culture which empowers their people

GSA's objective is to establish a positive culture, invest in employees, and recruit top talent to provide exceptional customer service. To accomplish this, GSA will enhance the employee experience by offering a competitive remuneration package, improving workspaces, investing in development, empowering teams to make sound decisions, improving reward and recognition systems, and becoming an employer of choice.

These initiatives will improve the work environment at GSA and benefit both employees and customers.

GSA will accomplish its goals through three stages:

• In stage one, GreenSquareAccord will ensure that all employees receive a competitive remuneration package and invest in development opportunities, with a focus on leaders.

• In stage two, GreenSquareAccord will expand its learning and development program, streamline processes and systems, and continue to be a more inclusive employer.

• In stage three, GreenSquareAccord will become an employer of choice, offering all employees a competitive total remuneration package. GSA's workspaces will be welcoming, and a fully developed framework for development will be in place.

Highlights of the 2023-2024 project include continuing to work on developing a competitive remuneration package, making initial decisions on new workspace locations, launching a new development program for leaders, introducing a colleague awards scheme, and improving training for all employees.

Gauging the success of the strategy

The strategy's success will be assessed through key performance indicators, with customer feedback driving the plans. To ensure customers' needs remain at the forefront, the Customer Panel will oversee strategy delivery by monitoring progress.

All colleagues are expected to embody the GSA Way's commitments and behaviours in their work. Implementation of the strategy will align with the GSA Way.

The Pitfalls

In order for GreenSquareAccord to achieve this strategy and not repeat the failures of the last three years, it will be essential that they are mindful of the following pitfalls.

All of these ‘pitfalls’ caused the failure of the last strategy, as such GreenSquareAccord must ensure they are not repeated.

Pitfalls related to the plan to simplify and strengthen the business:

• Lack of focus on delivering services that contribute to a strong financial position

• Failure to invest in services that deliver the biggest impact for customers

• Insufficient resilience to manage external challenges

• Ineffective systems and processes that don't empower colleagues

• Inability to deliver value for money

• Complexity in funding arrangements

• Inability to regain or retain the G1 governance rating

Pitfalls related to the plan to improve the customer offer:

• Failure to engage customers directly in the process

• Inability to work with partners and suppliers to deliver high-quality services while maximising value for money

• Failure to clear the repairs backlog or reduce response times

• Insufficient review of customer data to improve tenancy sustainment

• Lack of progress in creating a tenancy sustainment fund

• Ineffective implementation of customer service training programs

• Inadequate refresh of the community investment strategy

Pitfalls related to the plan to improve the quality of existing and new homes:

• Inability to invest in compliance with new fire and building safety regulations

• Inability to maintain homes to a high standard

• Insufficient energy efficiency upgrades for all homes

• Lack of investment in building more affordable homes in communities

• Failure to conduct assessments to determine investment priorities for 2023-2024

• Inability to improve existing homes in priority areas

• Inadequate exploration of additional funding sources to speed up new home development

• Failure to seek solutions for homes that cannot be upgraded

Pitfalls related to creating a culture that empowers GSA's people:

• Inability to offer a competitive remuneration package

• Ineffective improvement of workspaces

• Insufficient investment in development opportunities for leaders and employees

• Inability to empower teams to make sound decisions

• Lack of improvement in reward and recognition systems

• Inability to become an employer of choice

Pitfalls related to the success of the strategy:

• Failure to assess success through key performance indicators

• Inability to ensure that customer feedback drives plans

• Insufficient oversight of strategy delivery by the Customer Panel

• Lack of empowerment for this ‘new’ Customer Panel

• Failure to align the implementation of the strategy with the GSA Way's commitments and behaviours.

In conclusion

Based on the provided information, it seems that GreenSquareAccord have a comprehensive plan to simplify and strengthen their business, improve their customer offer, and enhance the quality of their homes. There is also a determination to create a culture that empowers their people by investing in their employees' development and providing them with a competitive remuneration package.

The success of GreenSquareAccord’s strategy will be evaluated through key performance indicators and customer feedback, with the Customer Panel overseeing the delivery of the plan.

The GSA Way's commitments and behaviours are expected to be embedded in all colleagues' work.

Overall, GreenSquareAccord strategy appears to be well thought-out and focused on improving the customer experience, creating a positive workplace culture, and providing affordable, safe, and high-quality homes. However, the success of the strategy will ultimately depend on its effective implementation and the company's ability to overcome potential pitfalls.

• Was the last strategy just poorly planned?

• Has Ruth Cooke just bought herself another five years and over a million pounds wages?

• Is this the dawning of a new age?

• Will GreenSquareAccord now apologise for the false starts, hype, and arrogance displayed during the run of the last strategy?

• Could this mean an end to the GreenSquareAccord Resident website?

• Can myself and the team at GreenSquareAccord finally ‘hug it out’ and start a fresh?

Time will tell dear readers, time will tell…