Primed work with AGL on a national leadership program, worked with AGL’s executive team and provided change management services to support a de merger.

What PRIMED made possible

Primed prepared a set of Real Play scenes that portrayed the ways of thinking and acting most common in the organisation.  The scenes formed the basis of a series of Real Play workshops.

We developed a future scenario, set in the first six months of purposive, guided change. Challenges included key players finding it difficult to enunciate real concerns, people not identifying or responding to the real challenges of teamwork, and some understandable resistance to “letting go.”

What happened as a result

Context

In 2003, AGL invested in a national integrated leadership program to develop effective leaders, leadership behaviours, skills and an organisational culture to:

• Increase employee engagement
• Improve business results
• Improve outcomes for individuals and society

What PRIMED made possible

2004 Unlocking Leadership Pilot

A pilot program was initiated in Agility Asset Services for all Resources and Operations Managers in across Australia.

Senior Management asked Primed how they might address staff attitudes and behaviours to leadership. We prepared a set of RealPlay scenes that portrayed the ways of thinking and acting most common in the organisation. The scenes formed the basis of a series of RealPlay workshops.

What happened as a result

Workshop participants were profoundly engaged by the performances. They acknowledged collectively that this really is how it is – and it needs to change. Collective acknowledgement galvanised them to action. The workshops provided an opportunity to identify what could be done differently, to practise different styles of communicating and leading, and to begin to design more appropriate systems.

• RealPlay workshops on the theme of leadership were followed by
• Targeted Leadership Development training for middle and frontline managers, and by
• Individual Coaching, as requested, on managing people, problem-solving and meeting targets

2005 Unlocking Leadership Agility Asset Management

Due to the success of the “Unlocking Leadership” pilot, service specific programs were similarly conducted in Agility Asset Management.

2005 Agility Executive Team Development

The CEO Agility requested that Primed support the Executive team to address challenges in bedding down team goals. Key issues surrounded collective decision-making, individual responsibility for change, silo protection and collaboration.

A RealPlay workshop and accompanying facilitated dialogue, powerfully revealed the current reality from all perspectives and enabled a rapid shift and team engagement that had not occurred in the 3 years the team had been together.

2006 Unlocking Leadership AGL Divisions

Divisions in AGL implement “Unlocking Leadership program.

2006 AGL Retail Change Program Process Ownership

Context

AGL engaged Primed in collaboration with KPMG to develop a change program for the implementation of process ownership across Retail Energy. The purpose of the new role was to oversee the “renovation/rationalization” of end-to-end customer processes. This would enable better business outcomes, operational efficiency and a secure control environment.

The new structure required a distinction in the responsibilities of Operations Manager and Process Owner and the accommodation of the new role evolving over time. Hence, a clear understanding of this distinction, a comprehensive change management and communications plan, and cultural readiness of the organization to adopt the process ownership model were critical success factors.

What did PRIMED do?

Primed was asked to design a RealPlay workshop addressing the key challenges of change. We developed a future scenario, set in the first six months of purposive, guided change. Challenges included key players finding it difficult to enunciate real concerns, people not identifying or responding to the real challenges of teamwork, and some understandable resistance to “letting go.”

What happened as a result?

Again, workshop participants were profoundly engaged by the performances. They acknowledged collectively the potential risks and challenges to successful implementation. Collective acknowledgement inspired action. The workshops provided an opportunity to identify what could be done to minimize risk, to practise different styles of communicating and leading, and to begin to design more appropriate change processes.

2006 Demerger AGL and Alinta

Context

The $6.4 billion demerger deal between AGL and Alinta resulted in significant change management issues. Getting staff to move beyond negative feelings and resistance to the change process to being open regarding the move to a new employer was particularly challenging.

What did PRIMED do?

Primed was asked by senior managers to design a RealPlay workshop that enacted the reality – situation and disposition – in an open, honest and non-confronting way.

What happened as a result?

This addressed the “noise” or negativity towards the change by reflecting back the reality from all perspectives and opened up dialogue for the people affected to work together on a process for change.