Turning the organization around

Summary I have endeavoured to describe exactly how I am “turning Transport Canada around”; through this discussion I've tried to respond to many of the questions raised in the outline. However, to summarize I will try to cover some of the questions that may not have been referred to directly. 1. The corporate will is asserted through our committee structure, our operational planning system, and the corporate priorities/corporate directives system. This will be reinforced once all the reorganization has taken place. 2. By involving senior management at the front end of strategic management decisions and then tracking performance through the operational planning system, we have adapted to the changing times. 3. We have had to radically change our traditional appoaehes in order to turn around the department; through our changes in systems and resource management we are linking our priorities with our desired results and resources. 4. In Transport we have a multi‐disciplined team, most of whom know exceedingly well the department, its markets, customers, products, and services. Even with all the changes, our present complement of top senior managers averages in excess of fifteen years transportation experience. 5. The team leaders' management style is critical to the success of the turn around, as the leader sets the example. His or her methods tend to become the methods of subordinates and in this way the management style permeates the organization. Critical elements in this style are total management involvement, good communication and, above all, mutual trust. 6. Finally, in terms of turning the organization around, we are modifying for the moment decentralization of decision‐ making and the traditional involvement of employees in the change program. However, we have an established communications program that keeps everyone informed of decisions taken by the management team.