Description

This initiative involves a department with a varied mix of teams working at multiple sites across the municipality. Previously, the culture had developed for teams to work separately from one another, even if they were working with the same members of the community or in the same open-plan office space. Now, there is a shared structure, capacity building, and skill sharing across the teams. By focusing on improving culture and keeping “Together We Achieve” in mind, everything is now shared across the departments, with combined team meetings, shared resources, and knowledge.

Who

It was initiated, led and driven by the department Manager, with strong buy in from the staff members, good will from the Coordinator group and encouragement from the Director and CEO.

How

It took 14 months for the Manager to engage with the staff, asking questions to gain an understanding of their work and the culture. The Manager met with all 90 staff members, the vast majority of whom work part-time.

The main catalyst for the change to “Together We Achieve” was a full team off-site day. Topics discussed included stages of a group, forming a shared structure, capacity building, and skill sharing. The CEO and Director attended this day to share the broader Council view, helping team members see how and where they fit in the organisation and its priorities. A graphic recorder was invited to the day to capture these discussions and commitments visually. This visual was then sent to all team members, printed, and made accessible for all to refer to, and has been included in all team communications and conversations since.

Almost 5 years later the team are still always talking about “together we achieve”.

Outcome

The initiative has led to several positive outcomes, including flexible staffing, where staff members who wanted extra hours can now work across different teams as needed, and the development of a pool of relief staff who can support all teams. Additionally, there is a greater appreciation of each team member’s strengths, fostering a more collaborative and supportive work environment. These outcomes have significantly enhanced the department’s overall efficiency and morale, reinforcing “Together We Achieve”.