In 2009, the stakes were high for
the Federal Aviation Administration as it worked to modernize the
nation's air traffic control operations. The agency was facing looming
deadlines to implement the Next Generation Air Transportation System. At
the same time, labor organizations representing the workers
implementing the program were filing hundreds of thousands of workplace
grievances. NextGen was a huge project and it needed to happen.
The FAA and the labor groups saw NextGen implementation as a "great
rationale" to begin the process of working together better, says Cathy
Wright of Overland Resource Group, a
consulting firm focused on labor-management relations. The groups
brought Overland in to help both sides collaborate around shared
interests like NextGen implementation.
"If they weren't in it together," Wright says, "they were going to pull
apart and not be able to accomplish that modernization and assure the
safety and efficiency of the modern airspace."
Wright has been involved with the NextGen project since its inception.
She has worked with FAA leaders, the Professional Aviation Safety
Specialists and the National Air Traffic Controllers Association since
2009 to create a more stable and collaborative working environment for
labor and management. Since working with Overland, FAA's ranking on the
Best Places to Work in the Federal Government listing has jumped from
214 of 216 in 2009 to 114 of 292 in 2013 -- and grievances have
plummeted.
Historically, air traffic controllers and FAA management officials have had an adversarial relationship, so Wright's
work focuses on concepts like communication, understanding and, most of
all, collaboration. "They've been really good at fighting. They've done
it for years," she said. "And this is about saying 'hey, there's a
different skill set required to lead in this kind of collaborative
environment.' "
Overland works through shared interests to create a positive
environment for all stakeholders in organizations like the FAA, Wright
says. In this case, the overall performance of the agency was important,
but bringing NextGen along was a major goal for all involved.
Other agencies can learn from the FAA's experience. While the Transportation Security Agency workers' recent union contract is a positive step, there is still work to be done across the federal sphere on relations between labor and management.
"Each agency has its own culture and environment," Wright says. "The
value of putting collaborative processes in place benefits everybody."
To hear the entire interview, listen or subscribe to the Excellence in Government Podcast.
Original Article and Podcast: http://www.govexec.com