The Challenge: Workplace, industrial, and governmental reforms were besieging this branch of the Navy. Morale was low, and a coercive mindset was also adding to the problem.

The Solution: A curriculum was developed to enhance leadership skills, create an atmosphere of teamwork, and facilitate self-leadership and empowerment.

The Results: Policies and procedures are reviewed continually to ensure that they support the new culture and paradigm shift. Productivity has also increased, morale is up, and communication has improved. In addition, people are clearer about its goals, and feel more empowered and knowledgeable.

Background

New Zealand has always been proud of its Navy, believing it to be the key to a strong influence in the South Pacific. So, its directive has always been to retain a small and viable, yet effective, maritime force.

Several years ago, however, workplace, industrial, and governmental reforms besieged the Royal New Zealand Navy (RNZN). As a result, employees at RNZN were overworked, morale was low, and the Navy was staggering from recent upheavals caused by the reform initiatives. In addition, RNZN’s mindset espoused only a coercive, autocratic style, which perpetuated the already low internal morale.

Simultaneously, new rules, regulations, and laws were set in place that focused on outcomes, cost accountability, and technical review. In addition, new Navy pay reviews resulted in no monetary increases and loss of seagoing and overseas location allowances. This increased resentment and furthered divisions among the ranks. As a result, morale spiraled to new lows.

Although the need for change was clear, RNZN knew that they needed to focus on a balance between traditional command and unilateral authority. It was essential to preserve the traditional chain of command with an emphasis on building self-reliance and managerial effectiveness.

A complete change in organizational structure and culture emerged, which became known as Project AMORANGI. Amorangi is a native Maori word that means “strong leader.” A central theme of the project was to build better trained, qualified, motivated, and “equipped” leadership in the RNZN from the most junior to the most senior people.

Process/Solution

An analysis of existing policy was described by naval personnel as “. . . fragmentary, misdirected, outmoded, unclear, conflicting, non-existent, general, [and] unrealistic.”

As a result of these analyses, Project AMORANGI was authorized to develop updated employment policies that would consolidate, clarify, and specify training that, when directed appropriately, would remove conflict and lead to higher productivity and morale.

Policy evolution in the area of development of roles and duties was attacked as a bottom-up exercise—a breakthrough in military thinking.

In addition, the following goals were established:

• Place less emphasis on Command and more on Leadership.
• Identify standard roles and duties for rank, regardless of trade. Let sailors know what was expected of them, and hold them accountable for delivery.
• Delegate authority to the lowest competent levels.
• Develop an empowered workforce within identified Key Responsibility Areas for rank.
• Develop leadership competency as a feature of the RNZN corporate culture—in a conscious progressive manner.
• Adopt a standard corporate approach to leadership— across all ranks—that seeks continuous improvement.

With the goals in place, major policy initiatives followed. Personal responsibility and empowerment became the emphasis in all inaugural training courses and manuals. These groundbreaking initiatives included concepts totally new to the military environment.

• Detailed standard employment expectations by rank providing progressive sets of roles and duties
• Training requirements for officers and sailors that set forth models for reinforcement of values and practices within the context of individual role expectations
• New standard prerequisite promotion rules
• New training courses designed to support the new employment and promotion rules, including publication of a personal issue manual that included several programs and processes from The Ken Blanchard Companies^®

AMORANGI was launched and managed through a system of informational and educational tours and documentary support.

In order for the AMORANGI mission and vision to succeed, it needed to emphasize follower development, rather than be viewed as leadercentric. Furthermore, everyone, not just those with authority, needed to take a lead in the modern Navy. This included adoption of modern leadership practices that would apply across ranks to every person in the Navy.

RNZN felt that a major factor in their plan to develop leadership at all levels involved training and development. Four key Blanchard processes were selected and tailored for each level of the Navy. Situational Self Leadership, The One Minute Manager, Situational Leadership^® II and Building High Performing Teams® were progressively delivered as mandatory prerequisites and prepromotion training to all ranks.

New recruits and officer cadets were trained in the principles of Situational Self Leadership (SSL), which focuses on identifying and maximizing an individual’s leadership potential. SSL encourages everyone to be a leader and provides a game plan for self-management, which is an essential prerequisite for managing others.

The midshipmen (next two levels up from new recruits) received training in the principles of The One Minute Manager, which focuses on goal setting, rewarding good performance, and redirected behaviors. The philosophy for this level was to provide just-in-time training for candidates who were just beginning to manage others.

Situational Leadership^® II (SLII^®) was delivered to all principle supervisors and petty officers at the divisional level. SLII® focuses on the concept that there is no one best way to lead, and that effective leaders diagnose the individual’s development level and the situation to determine the appropriate combination of direction and support in their leadership style.

Finally, the Blanchard Building High Performing Teams process was utilized at both the chief petty officer and divisional levels in order to develop skills necessary for cohesive teamwork.

Training delivered by The Ken Blanchard Companies was linked to the project goals in a number of ways. The interventions improved productivity, morale, motivation, confidence, and job satisfaction of staff, which encouraged the use of new technologies and skills, thus having made a measurable impact on naval professional behavior.

Outcomes

Today, the principles and policies of AMORANGI are a key part of the existing culture. There is continual support for educational programs. And policies, support structures, and training strategies are continually reviewed and improved as the new paradigm is embedded into the culture.

Since the introduction of Project AMORANGI, The Ken Blanchard Companies has supported the endeavor with various training processes and intervention models, as well as through an ongoing partnership between their NZ agents and the project officer.

Empirical data shows that since the inception of Project AMORANGI, morale has greatly increased, productivity levels have significantly improved, and communication has increased, along with an accelerated introduction of more enlightened and flexible employment policies and practices.

Development of performance criteria for the entire service and interactive career planning and performance measurements are now the norm. People feel increasingly empowered, knowledgeable, and accountable. They understand their goals and their role in assisting the Navy in its continued journey toward proactive and productive culture change.