Defence

Results through People

Stories: Results through People Network in the regions | Changing styles |

Results through People Network in the regions

The Results through People Network (or simply the Network for those in the know) was born in Canberra, but has spread across the country and even a bit further with a foothold in the United States (US). The Network seeks to provide an opportunity for all Defence people to pursue their interest in achieving Results through People, by providing a friendly, informal and trusting forum outside of work environments where Defence people can reflect on ideas for improving or changing the way that Defence achieves results.

While the Network Coordinator, Steve Newton, is based in Canberra much of his effort is aimed at the world outside Russell, an area affectionately known as "the regions". Whether it's Darwin, Cairns or Brindabella, Steve and the Network team seek to connect people with similar views on improving Defence, act as conduits for information coming from Canberra (such as "heads-ups" on the implementation of the Defence OH&S plan and the current Defence Reform) and bring back input to Canberra on issues that will affect us all (for example, how to make Defence values real for all of us).

In the regions, the Network is set up around 45 regional leaders who have applied for and been accepted to act as guides for Network activities. Each leader applied for his or her position and has been given the opportunity to undertake online training, in addition to receiving invitations to RtP Leaders workshops in Canberra and Brisbane.

The leaders meet with interested people in their areas and pursue RtP in a variety of ways:

• A Royal Australian Air Force (RAAF) base commander uses the Network to brainstorm base issues prior to making decisions.
• A Royal Australian Navy (RAN) base commander uses RtP relationship building techniques to ensure better communications between all the groups represented on base.
• A Melbourne leader is helping people look at how to set up a mentoring program.
• Several leaders have arranged for John Miller to present his "Seven Habits of Fit and Healthy People" seminar.
• Several leaders have arranged for guest speakers from both inside and outside Defence.
• The Cooma call centre has taken activity to heart in making their workplace a "great place to work".
• Darwin is using the Network support team to train facilitators to continue pushing out RtP principles.
• Corporate Services and Infrastructure Group (CSIG) Townsville has taken RtP principles to heart in their new customer service centre.
• Campbell Park recently held a Network activity aimed at raising awareness of the RtP Network and what is has to offer.
• Brisbane is kicking off their activities for 2006 with two health programs assisted by the RtP support team.

The RtP Network has grown in the last two years to incorporate not only individuals in Defence, but also groups and services. The Network has developed a close relationship with the Navy Sea Change team in sharing of information about Navy and the whole of Defence. Concurrently, the Network continues to help the Cooma call centre set and maintain standards of excellence.

The growth and support for the Network can be directly attributed to the Regional Leaders who have been supportive and proactive in identifying areas for improvement in their regions. The RtP Network Coordinator has helped develop each leader by providing access to online training from the Harvard Business School leadership development modules. For information about the Regional Leader in your area, visit http://intranet.defence.gov.au/cpa/resources/lists/rtpregion.htm.

Information about the Network presentations and the Personal Effectiveness Workshop is regularly communicated via DEFGRAMs, or you can visit http://intranet.defence.gov.au/cpa/manual/cgr/renewal/rtpnetwork.htm, or contact Steve Newton, Results through People Network Coordinator, on (02) 6265 4489 or via email at steven.newton@defence.gov.au.

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Changing styles

By Katharina Chase

The Results through People (RtP) Workshop—just another management course or is there more to it? Having recently experienced the workshop, I am convinced that there is more to it.

The workshop, as the name suggests, directly links to the Results through People philosophy promoted by the Secretary and Chief of the Defence Force (CDF). This is a workshop that explores both the critical technical management skills that are essential to achieving results and emphasises the fundamental importance of relationships as an essential component of effective management.

In their recent announcements on changes to Defence from 1 July 2006 (see the separate story on pages 12 and 13), the Secretary and CDF called for "continuing momentum with the Results through People philosophy as well as our Defence Values—empowering and equipping our people with the necessary skills to achieve effective results".

The workshop embraces that philosophy and explores it through a handful of fundamental management principles. In the process, it outlines an approach to both self management and workplace management, which highlights the importance of behaviour as the key to empowering managers to raise and maintain commitment levels in their people. The end result, if consistently applied, is to increase workplace productivity.

And we are all managers...

No matter what capacity you are working in, you are a manager—a manager of both tasks and of relationships. This is true in every part of our lives. At home we have work to do and relationships to maintain and both are important in ensuring a cohesive, happy and productive environment. At work the same principle applies because the role of a manager is to achieve results working with and through people. If you do not relate well to your co-workers, whether you manage them, work alongside them or they manage you, the workplace will not function at its optimum level.

RtP is about managing tasks (technical management skills) and managing our interactions with people (relationship skills). But, experience tells us that it is behaviours rather than knowledge that facilitate good relationships and, in turn, contributes very significantly to achieving desired results. Some managers are only interested in results and will do anything to get them, including compromising relationships. There are other managers who are more focused on getting along with their staff than on achieving results. The trick, for each of us, is to find the balance between these two fundamental responsibilities, and in so doing, to empower people to achieve better results.

The three-day RtP workshops are conducted for Defence by a contracted provider, Ross Begbie and Associates.

"Workshop participants, at every level and almost without exception, agree that there are a number of clearly identifiable factors that are important to them in maintaining high levels of commitment," Mr Begbie says, "and almost all of them are behaviours that demonstrate they are valued."

"If I had to pick the one that comes readily to most participants' minds it would be feedback—especially positive feedback.

"There is general agreement that feedback is most effective when it is personal and specific, delivered at the right time and in the right way for each person and each situation. It must also be absolutely genuine and when tailored to suit the individual's specific needs, it is one of the skills that are key to raising peoples' commitment levels and to developing and maintaining more effective working relationships which leads directly to greater productivity."

It looks like another management course, but...

The workshop provides an opportunity for participants to reflect on their own experiences, not just hearing the wisdom of the latest management 'fads'.

In developing an objective view of a relatively small number of crucial management and leadership skills, participants can characterise the managers who have been most effective in their working lives.

My own experience was that the workshop was about simple, practical things, demonstrated through history and by experience, that can change adequate managers into memorable leaders.

See the RtP Workshop web page for dates and locations of workshops, and for more details on the nomination process.

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