Anthony Vuleta, CEO, Town of Victoria Park

Embedding a positive culture after periods of change

The Town of Victoria Park

Agenda for the day

• Where we were• What we went through• What we did• What we achieved• Where we are going

The Vic Park Story snapshot

• Established 1994• Retiring CEO• Executive concerned with culture• 2009 Started with 360 degree feedback on Executive, Cultural

Journey started• New CEO arrived, six-nine months to convince of the need for

change• Cultural change program commenced• Structural changes occurred• CEO left• Acting CEO for 18 months as a result of Reform• Post reform a New/Old CEO what’s he gonna do?

What is organisational culture?

How we do things around here…The messages people get about …

• How they should behave • What we value and emphasise as important • What we ask people to focus on • What we reward / what we punish • What happens when we make a mistake• What we encourage /what we discourage

Culture... what is below the surface

Climate... what is above the surface

Culture and Climate What’s the Difference?

• How many signatures you need before you can implement a decision

• Punctuality – is it ok to be late?

• How long it takes to make a decision

• How much employees can influence decision making

• Energy and enthusiasm in a place – the ‘Pulse’

• Whether people help each other out or just do their own thing

• How hard it is to get new ideas implemented

• How performance is rewarded/ how non-performers are managed

• What happens when someone makes a mistake

Examples of culture ….

Change curve

First shot at Vic Park

How we measured it?

• Gut feel to start with• Needed some tools• Needed a method• Needed the language

• Human Synergistics tools (LSI & OCI/OEI)

• Most widely used, well researched tool for measuring organisational culture in the world

• Used by seven out of the eight ‘Ivy League’ colleges, 321 of the Fortune 500 companies and all of the Top 10 Fortune 500 companies

• Many elite sporting teams

The Tools

The OCI MeasuresConstructive StylesPursue a standard of excellenceMaintain personal integrityBe supportive of othersCooperate with others

Aggressive Defensive StylesOppose new ideasPlay politics to gain influenceCompete rather than cooperateAppear competent and independent

Passive Defensive StylesGo along with othersNot rock the boatPlease those in positions of authorityWait for others to act first

31% more adaptability31% higher quality/service

30% higher satisfaction

80% higher role clarity

13% more likely to leave

60% more stress70% higher job insecurity

ORGANISATIONS N = 2,500

78%Organisations

22%Organisations

An organisation (OCI)

The cultural gap in most organisations

Reaching full potential: Individual and Organisational

BeliefsValues

AttitudesExperience

CommitmentEmpowerment

ActionsSkills

CompetencyTraining

DecisionsPlans

Shared ValuesShared

AspirationsNorms

CohesivenessEthics

Myths & Legends

Policies and Procedures

Goals/TargetsProcessesResources

Org Development

IND

IVID

UA

LO

RG

AN

ISA

TIO

N

INVISIBLE(Unseen)

VISIBLE(Seen)

Method

“Objective is to reach our Potential – A high performing team”

• What’s the problem – assessment (LSI, OCI, OEI)?

• All of the Executive need buy in

• Values alignment

• Coaching

• Training

• Leading by example

• Cross-functional Cultural Optimisation Group (COG)

• Communicating

• Challenging each other

• Measuring the effect

• Focussed effort on the gaps

• And keep doing it…..

Language

• Blue, Green and Red

• Constructive discussions – “the orange”

• Internal locus of control – “tail-gating car”

• Seek to understand

• On the court or in the stands

• Vibrant Lifestyle, PIC, CAFE

• Fight or flight

• View + Action = Result

• Quality solution + Acceptance = Effective Solution

• Authenticity

• Feedback – criticism or gold?

The Town of Victoria Park“What we wanted to be”

July 2009

Preferred Culture Circumplex; N = 4

2009 OCI/OEI Results

• Lowest performing causal factors

• Use of rewards• Employee involvement• Goal clarity• Articulation of mission

Creating a meaningful, shared vision (Articulation of Mission)

• Vision - Vibrant Lifestyle• Mission - Creative, Attractive, Friendly, Environment (CAFÉ)• Values - Positive, Inspirational, Caring (PIC)• Collaborative process (employee involvement)• Organisational rebranding and restructure• For example, Business Life, Community Life, Future Life, Built

Life and Renew Life

Consciously chosen culture that flies in the face of the actual

culture = PIC

Preferred Culture

Initial Culture

LSI 1 & 2 for Leadership TeamOCI/OEI Time 1 & 2Staff Satisfaction

Excellence in Leadership ProgramsIndividual and Group Leadership CoachingCert IV in Leadership and Management

PIC LaunchPIC Awards CeremonyPIC Promotional Material

PIC Team MeetingsCOGAppraisals

Program Scoping and PlanningPIC Creation and Alignment

Integration of PIC

• COG - Culture Optimisation Group• Reward and recognition - feedback, BlueLive,

Refresh day and spontaneous• Performance management - SDR alignment• Business acumen e.g. WCE deal, Belmont Park,

Local Government Reform• Conflict resolution - constructive model

PIC

Lessons Learnt

• Vibrant Lifestyle • Culture – foundation of all we do• Need to create the right environment for change• The power of cross-functional teams• Everyone needs to hold each other to account• Need to keep it fresh - momentum• Communication• Systems focus is also required

2014 Retest- Transformed

2014 Human Synergistics Transformation Award

1 of 3 awarded in Australia and New Zealand

Culture = Performance

• Increased staff satisfaction

from 58% in 2010 to 91% in

2014

• Improved resident

satisfaction from 68% in 2010

to 73% in 2012

• Reduced staff turnover from

24.12% in 2009/10 to 14% in

2013/14

Change curve‘Reform’

Welcome down to South Park

Arranged MarriageLessons learnt

• Two different Cultures - needed alignment• Created sense of urgency• New vision created• Gold Rush• Communication critical – keep the staff feeling safe• Facilitation needed to keep moving forward• Trust, ego, posturing, acceptance, roller-coaster ride.• Difficult discussions – constructive model• Positive approach• Plan A and Plan B• Both partners need 100% commitment• Using the tools – change management plan

Change Management Plan

Change curveNo reform

Ding-Dong the Reform Witch is dead

• Then what?• Where to from here• Refresh Day• Burning platform• ‘On the Bus’• Transforming Vic Park• Operational reviews• One team approach• Whole of organisation approach• Start working on the seen – more with less• Transforming Vic Park five year plan

The importance of leadership

• A dead fish rots from the head• Need to hold people to account• Being authentic• Not about perfection, its about potential• People need to believe change is possible • Hold the vision, embed the values, influence the people, create a pathway• Be quietly disruptive and nurture innovation• Empower the people to make the change• Make the change or make the change sooner rather than later• This is not a one-shot job, it is ongoing.

“Engage and they will follow. Empower the people and they will lead. Lead the people and they will exceed your expectations.” (quote A. Vuleta CEO ToVPK)

#winnerwinner

The End…. Or is it the beginning?