Case Study: Snowy Hydro Limited
Improving organisational culture and communication
Snowy Hydro Limited is known for rising to immense challenges – none greater than the engineering icon of the Snowy Mountains Scheme itself. But its internal “re-engineering” is among its most significant achievements, with Mt Eliza executive education collaborating in that ongoing process.
A measure of Snowy Hydro’s re-engineering success is its 2005 Australian Human Resources Institute Award for Excellence in People Management – a more important measure is the organisation’s dramatic transformation in culture.
When Terry Charlton became its CEO in 2001, the former Snowy Hydro-electric Authority was not well placed for its imminent corporatisation or exposure to the National Electricity Market.
A cultural survey Mr Charlton initiated revealed core strengths and critical weaknesses.
Among the pluses were the employees’ deep pride in Snowy Hydro, their impressive technical skills and safety records, and excellent industrial relations.
But the old Snowy Hydro had also been bureaucratic and hierarchical. Its structure and culture had not fostered the innovation, flexibility and risk taking now demanded.
Snowy Hydro’s employees needed to manage change and become much more customer and market driven – but the leadership skills required had to be developed and recruited.
Sharon Howes, Executive Officer, Organisational Development, Safety and Environment, was involved in bringing Mt Eliza executive education on board. “Mt Eliza’s programs are flexible enough to be tailored to our needs. It offers for senior management the Leadership Development Program, and for middle management, the Foundations of Leadership, which receive good reviews.”
Ms Howes says that Mt Eliza’s course facilitators are very intuitive and have to contend with employees who can be highly intelligent and demanding but sometimes less comfortable with personal development.
Mt Eliza succeeds on both fronts. Among the “show me the data” tangibles are projects undertaken as part of the Foundations of Leadership program which promise benefits worth more than $1 million per annum.
Also critical to success are the strengthened communications and relationships between colleagues, thriving across the organisation and within departments. Mt Eliza reflects Snowy Hydro’s passion for continuous improvement in its programs and responds to feedback during and after to further tailor the programs to Snowy Hydro’s requirements, Ms Howes says.
After achieving record results over the previous three years, Snowy Hydro Limited faced the prospect of an IPO. Having successfully corporatised, Mr Charlton was confident that his team, with Mt Eliza still on side, was “match fit”, ready for privatisation.
