Kent County Council Employs TLC to Reduce Waste
Cut backs, restructuring and increased demands at Kent County Council’s Environment, Highways & Waste department had left its workforce feeling unmotivated, and under stress from increased workloads.
Executive Director for the department, Mike Austerberry, was concerned that without change, the directorate team under him ran the risk of making poor decisions that could end up wasting the department’s budget, and ultimately cost Kent’s 1.6 million constituents.
TLC was therefore commissioned to carry out Team Development workshops. The aim of the programme was to work in a group environment to identify a clear set of collective objectives for the department, and align the team to them so that these objectives would be delivered.
Mike Austerberry says: “As well as shouldering big cuts, changes in Governmental policy with regards to recycling and landfill meant the team was understandably under pressure. This has ultimately had a negative impact on the department’s output.”
TLC worked with the team to re-establish its objectives and purpose against the business agenda so that all team members could work in unity to them. TLC also set goals for high performance working, so individuals are able to deliver greater value when operating together.
“It has been a very beneficial experience,” concludes Mike. “Better alignment and personal accountability means the department is focused and efficient. We’re making tax payers’ money go much further even as we reach government targets for recycling and waste, and TLC has played a real part in helping us achieve that.”