I am sure it does.

However social participation has also been the technology of choice for us human beings to make progress at all stages of Maslow’s Hierarchy – not just at the ‘self-actualising’ peak.

Competence in social participation (or what de Tocqueville called ‘association’) and the ability to negotiate self interest through effective collaboration is one of the critical enablers in community and personal development. Whether it is learning to share a cave (or a housing estate) to meet needs for shelter and warmth or pursuing self actualisation, effective ‘social participation’ is the key.

The challenge here is promoting social participation, collaboration, association. Not technology. In very few of the communities where I work is the REAL barrier to progress access to a networking site or high speed internet access (although these are cited usually after lack of money and skills).

It is usually a lack of understanding about how collective self interests can best be met through negotiation and association. About the need to see what can be contributed rather than taken. About the need to build real trust rather than uncomfortable bureaucratic ‘compacts’. The other barrier to social participation in the real world is an almost complete loss of belief that progress is possible – manifesting itself in apathy and resignation. A belief that perhaps this is as good as it gets – and, if it is going to get any better then those bloody politicians had better get their fingers out, because I AM POWERLESS.

The recent MacLeod Review on Employee Engagement emphasised the important role employee engagement will play in the economic recovery in all sectors. There’s likely to be a renewed emphasis on this – and on the role of leadership in improving engagement – in the coming months.

Turnover does present an opportunity to bring about this much-needed cultural change – but only if it’s handled correctly. Widespread calls for voluntary redundancies will disproportionally attract those most confident of getting jobs elsewhere. That means the highly skilled and highly employable – the very people local authorities need right now.

Councils could definitely do more to use people’s diverse talents, skills and knowledge – not just staff, but residents too. BCCDIY is a good example of the potential of this.

With 20% time (or whatever proportion), council workers could be freed up to work on things that interested them, including other teams’ projects within the council.

Then mix in some microvolunteering, where residents are able to volunteer time on a low-commitment basis to a particular project or even just a single, discrete task.

Combine both of these and you could see much more effective and responsive projects that make the best use of people’s diverse talents outside their formal work roles and better meet the needs of the community.

The point about leadership being partially about facilitating change is interesting, too. Also leadership itself has to change, in reaction to technology and working practices. How does a council manager lead and inspire when half the team never come into the office?

The financial situation will result in a remarkably high turnover of personnel over the next few months, and that itself may present an opportunity to get this culture thing fixed.