After a self assessment of their organisation, senior management from Fairfield City Council discovered that they wanted to do more than they were already doing. This resulted in a cultural and behavioural change leading to a high performance workplace.
In September 1998, senior management undertook a Human Synergistics LSI, exposing them to feedback on their individual effectiveness. This was followed by a June 2000 Organisation Culture inventory which gave senior management a 78 per cent response rate.
“The results showed that while we were supportive and friendly, we as an organisation had some bad habits of opposing new ideas, resisting change and avoiding responsibility so that we wouldn’t get the blame,” said Council’s Executive Manager Corporate Support, Linda Williamson.“What was holding us back on our effectiveness was our oppositional and avoidance behaviours, which took our focus off the desired end results – community outcomes.”
Therefore, Council embarked on a process that addressed the need for cultural and behavioural change. The process that senior management implemented included the following.
- Structure change.
- Local Workplace Action Planning.
- Continuation of the LSI rollout.
- Development of a new feedback and development system.
- A new reward and recognition program.
- Culture coaches.
- Little Blue Book and Blue Thought of the Week emails.
- Employees as Partners team.
- Development of In the Field employee newsletter.
- Leadership Impact Program.
As a result of these changes, senior management have experienced a number of positive results.
“Our oppositional spike is still there but slightly less pronounced. We have reduced our avoidance, indicating we now tackle difficult issues, unhealthy conflict and performance issues and have more effective habits of focusing on end results, collaborating and taking responsibility,” Linda Williamson said.
For further information, contact Linda Williamson on (02) 9725 0222.
