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Elevating culture through leadership excellence 

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A major infrastructure services organisation needed to transform and mature safety culture. 

Despite achieving improvements in safety performance, performance was plateauing.

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A comprehensive leadership behavioural change program was designed and implemented that moved the organisation along the maturity model through evidence-based approaches.

 

Emphasis was placed on behaviours that built trust with the workforce to engage them in the highest levels of participation and ownership in how work is undertaken. 

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The program delivered measurable cultural progression, reduced performance variation across business units, reduced incidents, introduced new innovation in critical risk management and received industry recognition. 

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12%

Reduction
in High Potential Events

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14%

Reduction
in TRIFR

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60%

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34%

Reduction in serious injuries

More 5 & 4
star drivers

Challenges

Performance variation

Too much inconsistency across business units preventing industry-leading performance 

Reactive culture

Emphasis on compliance over innovation and
trust-building

Leadership gap

Investment in frontline capability but no structured program
for senior leaders

Persistent incidents

A reducing trend in high-potential incidents, however, persistence continued

Client expectations

Increasing demand
for innovation in managing emerging and critical risks 

Regulatory pressure

Heightened scrutiny from regulators
raising compliance standards

The organisation recognised that focusing solely on systems and compliance would only achieve limited improvement. A fundamental shift was required to progress cultural maturity. 

Our Approach 

Phase 1:

Discovery and alignment 

  • Understand current performance, cultural maturity and stakeholder expectations.  Identified:

  • current processes and system were mature however inconsistent application led to variation and performance plateau

  • performance between "Bureaucratic" and "Proactive" maturity levels

  • Industry benchmarking

  • Established pathway for cultural progression - focused on leadership behaviours 

Phase 2:
Behaviour Framework Development 

  • Co-designed evidence-based leadership behaviours that drive cultural change 

  • Self-reflection and assessment program established, and roll-out program designed

Phase 3:
Leadership Development Program 

  • Implemented program designed by leaders, for leaders 

  • Roll-out was by business Champions

  • 180-degree self-assessment and reflection

  • Monthly engagements - peer support, coaching and mentoring

Phase 4:
Measurement Evolution 

  • Cultural assessment developed and aligned to new behaviours

  • Transitioned to pro-active performance indicators 

  • Introduced "Index" focusing on leadership commitments and employee engagement (market innovation in safety reporting)

  • Implemented real-time dashboards enabling data-driven decision making

Results Achieved

Cultural Progression: 

  • Progression along cultural maturity model 

  • Enhanced leadership accountability and consistency

  • Improved employee engagement and safety ownership

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Performance Improvements: 

  • Pro-active indicators improved: hazard reporting ↑183%; critical risk assurance ↑62%. 

  • Injury, high-potential event and claims reductions: TRIFR ↓47%; claims ↓18%, high-potential events ↓65% and serious claim ↓50% 

    • better than industry claim performance for serious claims and mental health claims 

  • Enabled leadership and culture program through new driver technology resulting in recognition as safest drivers in Australia and New Zealand: 65% reduction in overspeed events

 

Stakeholder Value: 

  • Enhanced reputation and increased client confidence

  • Industry recognition 

  • Improved regulatory relationships, and introduction of industry campaigns

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Testimonial

"Christian’s strategic planning and influencing skills drove positive outcomes across our business, including safer workplaces and strategic differentiation"

 

Ron Cicoria - General Manager Safety

Infrastructure Industry

1. Leadership Co-Creation Drives Ownership

Developing behavioural frameworks with senior leaders rather than imposing external solutions was fundamental to program success. Leadership champions provided credibility and sustained momentum beyond initial implementation.  

2. Integrated Systems + Behaviours Approach

Cultural progression requires the combination of solid systems, good governance, and excellent leadership behaviours. Focusing on behaviours alone creates inconsistency; symbolic technology investments demonstrated commitment while enabling the right behaviours.

3. Measurement Enables Behavioural Change

Shifting from reactive incident metrics to predictive behavioural measures (leadership engagement, accountability actions) encouraged proactive ownership and provided real-time reflection of leadership effectiveness. 

4. Cultural Maturity Creates Differentiation

The organisations clients increasingly selected partners based on risk management maturity. Generative safety culture became a competitive advantage, with customers recognising superior contract performance and recognising the organisation for complex, high-risk projects.

Do you need to progress your culture? Let’s talk! 

Insights

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