Transit Systems leaders undertake tailored training program
Transit Systems is delivering an evidence-based organisational improvement program to strengthen leadership capability and further drive operational excellence across its business.
The training has been delivered through a dedicated Strategic Improvement Programme for the Senior Leadership Team, coupled with 24 managers undertaking the Organisational Improvement Programme over 12 months.
Rather than a conventional leadership course, the program applies quality improvement methodology with roots in Japan's post-war economic transformation, using the same evidence-based thinking that reshaped global manufacturing but applied to the operational realities of a public transport network.
Transit Systems Executive General Manager, People, Safety and Communications Tanya Smith said the methodology was deliberately chosen because reliable public transport depends on the strength of the systems behind it.
“We chose a leadership training approach grounded in proven quality improvement theory because it gives our managers a rigorous, practical framework to improve the things that matter most to our customers, not just to talk about leadership in the abstract," she said.
Delivered face-to-face by The Universal Improvement Company (TUIC), the program brings participants together for three-day sessions across four modules with TUIC’s Madeleine Lawler saying the approach enables leaders to build a deeper understanding of different parts of the business.
“It is designed to be practical and comprehensive, supporting teams to identify opportunities for improvement across the organisation. By strengthening the systems and processes that underpin service delivery, the initiative supports improved punctuality and reliability, key drivers of customer satisfaction, while enabling teams to contribute to continuous improvement in a constructive way,” she said.
Now halfway through its rollout, Ms Smith said the program has received fantastic feedback from participants and the Executive Leadership Team.
"What's striking is how quickly people are putting the learnings to work across different parts of the business. The first program has delivered enough value that we're now actively looking at a national rollout," she said.
