Margaret Ollivier, CEO of Expect, has spent the last 20 years dedicated to making a difference from within the charity sector.
What’s more, her approach to leadership is deeply influenced by the good managers she has encountered throughout her career. “The people that I admire are good managers that I’ve had and people who I consider to be good leaders,” she says.
These individuals have inspired her to bring out the best in her staff, encouraging active participation and fostering a strong ethical foundation. Her experience has been shaped by such excellent managers, especially since she became a senior leader about 15 to 18 years ago. These managers have earned her utmost respect by handling challenging conversations professionally and empowering their teams.
As the CEO of Expect, Ollivier emphasises the importance of treating everyone with respect, regardless of their status. “I treat everybody the same. It doesn’t matter who they are, everybody’s got a valuable input into the organisation,” she asserts. This inclusive approach is crucial for achieving the organisation’s strategic goals. She believes that leadership is about being a decent person and not instilling fear in others.
Communication skills are key to Ollivier’s leadership style. She stresses the importance of involving as many people as possible in decision-making processes. “Whenever I can, I involve the entire staff team,” she explains. This approach ensures that feedback is gathered on potential changes and new initiatives. For instance, when opening a new service, she tasked her Director of Operations with creating a strategic plan that involved input from as many people as possible.
Expect has various reward and recognition schemes, including CEO commendations and employee of the month awards. Ollivier believes in recognising and rewarding staff contributions. The organisation also encourages staff to propose new ideas that can enhance their work or save costs. If an idea has a financial benefit, the person who proposed it receives a bonus based on a percentage of the savings.
Leading by example is a cornerstone of Ollivier’s philosophy. “I don’t expect my staff to be in here at 9:00 in the morning if I’m running in at 10:00 every morning,” she says. She also participates in everyday tasks, such as making tea, to demonstrate her commitment to the team. For her, leadership is about common courtesies and not overcomplicating things.
Ollivier acknowledges that leadership has changed significantly over the years, becoming more inclusive and approachable. She maintains an open-door policy, allowing staff to meet with her regularly. This approach helps her stay in tune with the organisation’s needs and ensures that decisions are well-informed.
The passion Margaret has for the role of community in social care shines through. “We are community-based and are very community-led. Everybody engages within the communities,” she states.
She stresses the importance of clear communication with decision-makers, backed by evidence. “We need to be clear and concise in the message that we are giving and hope that those decision-makers are going to listen to us, ask for our evidence, ask why you’re saying that.”
Ollivier also highlights the shift from a caring role to a supporting role in social care. “Support work is incredibly different. We support people in doing things for themselves. We promote independence and having everything done for you does not bring about your independence.”
She advocates for better pay for support staff, recognising the complexity of their role. “It’s much harder to support somebody to be independent than it is to do all the caring for them… I really want to see a massive increase in the hourly rate that we can pay support staff.”
Approaching the end, the conversation turns to Margaret’s vision for Expect. “A legacy would be a happy staff team who felt valued, listened to, and rewarded financially, and very happy service users who are able to actually move on into more independent living.”
