Helping improve a Regulator’s culture through a collaborative structural review

Improving Organisational Culture and Performance Through Workforce and Structure Transformation

Grosvenor partnered with a State Government regulator to address persistent cultural and leadership challenges, undertaking a whole-of-organisation review to diagnose structural and behavioural issues, engage stakeholders across the workforce, and design a future-state operating model and implementation roadmap that rebuilt organisational alignment, improved performance and strengthened delivery against its core regulatory purpose. This project was a comprehensive organisational culture transformation review which guided every phase.

Situation

A state regulator was experiencing persistent cultural and leadership issues across its workforce, which was inhibiting its ability to deliver on its core purpose effectively and efficiently

An organisation divided is an organisation that is not focused on its purpose and delivering value to the taxpayer. Worse, it is at risk of not meeting its legislative obligations because so much energy is consumed in internal power struggles, rather than to the task at hand. The need for a transformation of organisational culture and a systematic review was clear.

Task

This was the case for a State Government agency who approached Grosvenor for advice regarding their sensitive situation.

This project was only going to succeed if affected stakeholders were highly involved in the design of the new structure. Our stakeholder engagement expertise meant that we achieved high-levels of buy-in and support for the change. In effect, this buy-in was a critical part of the organisational culture transformation review in practice.

Approach

Grosvenor conducted consultations with all team members to gain evidence for the review and clear the air from legacy frustrations. This started the process of building commitment to a new vision for the organisation. It’s worth noting this formed part of our structured approach to reviewing culture transformation within the organisation.

We worked through a collaborative process with the organisation’s executive to understand the limits of changes which could be made, to ensure that we recommended fit for purpose options and solutions to the root causes of the organisation’s problems.

Our process highlighted key contributors to effective management and organisational performance. These included both structural and non-structural inhibitors. As part of a transformation review process, we targeted a shift in both culture and structure.

Key tasks in our methodology included:

• mapping the current service delivery model utilised and exploring from a stakeholder point of view what was working and what challenges they experienced
• on-site, one-on-one consultations to increase stakeholder comfort and transparency
• conducting better practice research to understand alternative models and lessons learned from other similar organisations
• identifying structural and other service delivery model changes to increase organisational performance and inform the organisational culture transformation review outcomes
• developing a clear implementation plan, as well as a change and communications plan, to equip the client with a clear roadmap for success.

Result

Together we developed a new, effective workforce structure and transferred valuable knowledge to the client along the way. We produced an evidence-based report that identified the root-cause of problems and how these could be immediately resolved. The project’s success was underpinned by a thorough review of the organisational culture transformation journey.

The benefits of the project that accrued to the client from our involvement included:

• organisation-wide commitment to change following a comprehensive culture and transformation review
• a clear, practical roadmap for implementing the changes
• better positioning to achieve the organisation’s strategic goals and improve organisational performance.

Testimonial

“Thank you for your invaluable assistance, guidance and the time which the Grosvenor team has given us. Your professionalism, as well as your preparedness to engage and listen, have been most welcome and most appreciated”

Explore this for your organisation.
For your own organisational culture transformation review needs, start a conversation with Sarika Bhana, Public Sector Lead