Gateway / Partnership process

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Why would you need to implement a Gateway / Partnership process?

Why does your company need to change at all ?

Especially if you're currently doing very well.

Why Change the way you do things ?

· In today’s global economy only 2 states are possible – Expansion or Contraction, Drive forwards or slip Backwards

· Standing still is no longer an option

· Your competitors will be moving forward, the world around us moves forward on a daily basis

· To simply retain what you currently have you need to expand and move forward at the same rate

· To really get ahead of the game, you need to do something different: -

So you start a Lean manufacturing implementation program

You get some small initial wins, but after the initial enthusiasm things start to slip due to lack of involvement and buy-in.

It seems to be left to a handful of individuals to drive change.

It is almost impossible to build anything lasting on a foundation of quicksand

For anything to endure, it must be built on a solid foundation.

This fact remains true for organisational change programs every bit as much as it does for physical structures.

If you were investing large sums of money into a new factory or office block, you would make damn sure those foundations were going to hold the thing up !

"Gateway" gives you that foundation to build your organisational change from.

"GATEWAY" = WORKING TOGETHER FOR THE MUTUAL BENEFIT OF ALL

· Mutual trust and respect between the shop floor and management

· A spirit based on the simple yet critical realisation that the welfare of shop floor employees and management are interdependent.

· Working together in this stable environment contributes to the success of the company

· The employees come to realise and are proud of the fact that they contribute directly to the company’s growth

· In doing so they are also improving their own tomorrows.

So What is Gateway ?

· It is a process by which Employees, Unions and Management have the opportunity to be involved in shaping the future of your company – TOGETHER

· You decide, as a team decide what does and doesn’t go into each Gateway Package – If the package isn’t balanced, if it does not provide a win / win for the management and employees, it doesn’t go forward

· It is a process specifically designed for cooperation and success for all

· It is a process designed to contribute towards long term job security for all employees

Introduction to "Gateway"

The ‘Gateway’ process is a highly flexible framework in which change can be managed in culture and working practices to support the long term business objectives.

‘Gateway’ provides a mechanism for a partnership approach to the design, implementation and communication of business change.

Involvement is the cornerstone of the process.

All significant business change which involves employee participation should be channelled through the ‘Gateway’ process.

Gateway is a process which will develop with time.

Although the design of the process allows for the creation of a long term plan, decisions on each gateway step are taken incrementally (e.g. the content of Gateway four is only decided 75% through the implementation of Gateway three. Using the long term plan to choose activities suitable at the time)

Overview of "Gateway" Implementation

Roles within Process

Gateway Steering Team -

made up of key senior managers, senior trade union official and site convenor.

Steering Team meet monthly and act as sponsor and reviewer of process effectiveness and achievement against original objectives.

Also act as overall owner of timescales (3 Management members/1 Senior TU/1 Convenor/1 ER Manager).

Gateway Implementation Team -

made up of Company Senior Operational Managers/Site Senior Shop Stewards and Convenor - Implementation team have self designed management review process and are responsible for:

· Proposing tasks to Steering Team

· Prioritisation of tasks into Gateway process

· Design of Gateway activities (involving stakeholders/employees)

· Communication output to both Management team and Trade Union (+ employee comms as appropriate)

Implementation Team will have 4 company managers/4 TU representatives, a facilitator and chairperson (who also sits on Steering Group).

Other “Experts” will be called into the team as required.

Operating Principles

The key drivers for the "Gateway" process are the Operating principles.

These are an agreed upon set of guidelines, with which all gateway proposals will align.

These principles are normally agreed upon at a facilitated session during the early part of the process roll out.

An example set of Operating Principles are shown below:

Operating Principles

In support of the companies objectives and to promote long term job security, management, union and employees will operate on the basis of the following key principles:

1) We will have systems, processes and behaviours that build trust and empower our teams. This will be facilitated by the appropriate training.

2) We will give all our employees the opportunity to be involved in the future development of our Company.

3) The process of change will be open and transparent at all stages.

4) Our leaders through their behaviours and actions visibly support and embrace cultural change.

5) We will work consistently to the agreed and correct policy or process.

6) We will make the best use of the available skills, talents and time of each individual.

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