Little strokes fell big oaks

The first objective of the programme was to determine the current maturity level of the organisation according to the EFQM model, i.e. to carry out an internal status assessment with regard to strengths and potential for improvement. Therefore, the managers were first trained to conduct assessments according to the EFQM model. The first results showed that the application of the instrument - and thus the technical aspect - was basically understood. On the basis of the EFQM criteria model, the business unit carried out self-assessments over a period of three years, which led, among other things, to improvements in process and project management and to the establishment of an initial stakeholder management system. The incentive was the ESPRIX Swiss Award for Excellence. A place on the final list was to crown the project. This goal was achieved - nevertheless, the result of the first "external evaluation" was rather sobering: The ESPRIX assessors appreciated the current state of improvements and achievements, but also pointed out the insufficient management attention as well as a missing cause-effect relationship. Therefore, after achieving the project goal (finalist position at the ESPRIX Swiss Award for Excellence), the time-limited project "Business Excellence" became the Business Excellence (BEx) program integrated in the strategic fields of action of OP.

Self-assessments continue to take place annually. The assessment teams are made up of internal managers and external EFQM assessors. This enables a balanced view of things. After analysing the feedback report, the management of the business unit decides which measures are to be implemented for the business unit. In one of the first assessments, for example, it was criticized that there was no uniform procedure for dealing with the interest groups. This resulted in an OP-wide stakeholder management according to the St. Gallen management model, which comprises the seven stakeholder groups customers, employees, state/authorities, suppliers, investors, the public/associations, competitors and contains a support plan.

Module training
At the same time, the training concept was completely revised, because an organisation that wants to become excellent does not need "assessors", but "implementers". As in the "classic" EFQM assessor training, knowledge of the model in its three dimensions of basic concepts, criteria model and RADAR logic was trained. However, less emphasis was placed on the assessment of a company than on the interpretation and meaning of the ideas underlying the model and the concepts. For this reason, two training courses were initially designed:

-Module 1: In this half-day training, an external specialist introduces the basic concepts of Excellence to the management staff/leaders. The focus is on the philosophy, the basic attitude and the success factor "leadership". The EFQM criteria model serves as an instrument for clarifying the cause-effect relationship. At the end of the course, the participants will have an idea of how these thoughts and instruments support them in their work and how their activities can contribute to the achievement of OP's goals. For example, the importance of leadership (appreciation, clear goals, role model function, information, involvement of employees, etc.), the need for continuous improvement and customer orientation in everyday life are emphasized. A maximum of 12 people can participate in a module training.

-Module 2: On two half-days, the managers (target group = middle management) deal with result orientation. There are approximately two weeks between the two half days of the course in order to be able to complete the transfer task. The focus of this training is on the goals derived from the vision and strategy, which are agreed with the employees according to their scope for action. OP's vision: As the most modern rail operator in Europe, we make rail for our customers: safe, punctual, clean and at marketable conditions. The Head of Train Preparation therefore has the goal of ensuring a certain level of cleanliness on SBB trains in accordance with the agreements with the customer (Service Level Agreement). For his part, he will now agree measurement criteria with the team leaders at the locations in order to guarantee the desired level of cleanliness. The participants identify the relevant indicators for their organisation and map them in a so-called management cockpit, a management tool for mapping the key figures. Based on the basic concepts and a simple management model, they develop optimization potentials for their own organization. They understand how to measure and evaluate the impact of implemented measures.

-Module 3: This third module training was launched at the same time as the change program "OP 2016". This offer focused on customer orientation and the continuous development of the organization. Module 3 (duration: two half days) was designed with a focus on "alignment with the needs of customers" and "the manager in the area of tension between employees, customers and the environment" as well as the methods of corporate development. Module 1 is intended for specialist, basic and middle managers and is a prerequisite for attending modules 2 and 3, although these two are independent of each other, i.e. 3 can be attended before 2.

The two half-days of module training courses 2 and 3 are about ten working days apart and include preparation and transfer tasks, because the objectives of the training courses can only be achieved if the participants link what they have learned to the concrete experiences of their everyday working lives. To ensure active participation, the courses are primarily designed as workshops. Discussing what they have understood and sharing their own concrete practical examples not only reinforces their understanding of the concepts, but also enables participants to learn about other management methods and "best practices". The participants' satisfaction with the content and methodology of the courses is generally very high. They particularly appreciate the exchange with other colleagues and the practical relevance.

Further development of the modules
The courses have been offered since 2011 and have always been adapted to the current needs of the organization. Module 2 initially focused on the development of leadership tools, such as leadership cock-pit and one pager (overview of all dimensions of the organization: stakeholders, challenges, products...) and leadership cockpit (relevant key figures). The main point was to focus on an efficient and effective achievement of objectives. Therefore, the course focused on the questions regarding the own cockpit: Am I measuring the right things? What are relevant results? Last year's further development of this course module took into account the principles of "transformational" leadership (see box) on the one hand, and the central principle of results and goal-oriented leadership on the other.

Lessons learned
To ensure the sustainability of what has been learned, management attention is important not only at the beginning of the project phase, but also beyond. Therefore, even after several years of dealing with the EFQM model, a clear positioning is necessary. This is because, especially at an advanced level of maturity, "quick wins" are no longer easy to achieve. As a result, optimizations are perceived as rather time-consuming and energy-consuming. Furthermore, it is important to convey the acquired knowledge and the basic attitude to new employees.

Even if the employees are generally enthusiastic about the courses and have many new ideas in their heads at the end of the course, everyday life with its operational problems often catches up with them again quickly. For this reason, the program management inquires after three to six months whether the measures planned in the course could actually be successfully implemented. It is also important for the programme management to find out where difficulties have arisen in the implementation and where the managers need further support.

The success factors
Due to the close cooperation between the organisation and the lecturer, the module trainings could be adapted exactly to the needs of SBB. The examples discussed in the training sessions are very practice-oriented, for example

• How do I involve my employees in the target agreement and monitoring process?
• Do I have the relevant indicators for my organisation?
• How can I actively fulfil my role model function?
• Do I know the current and future needs of my customers?

The most important success factor, however, is that the management of an organisation develops a clear understanding of business excellence and makes the corresponding time and financial resources available. This creates the opportunity to put what has been learned into practice and not to get lost in the ope- rative hectic of everyday life.

Outlook: The next steps
All courses are still offered to new employees. Due to changes in the organization and strategy of the business unit, the content of the training courses also changes. As a result, employees should repeat a module training approximately every three to four years. The business unit uses the basic concepts as a guiding theme: one basic concept is the focus for one to two years at a time. For 2016, this was "Achieving outstanding results". The strategic challenges facing the business unit in terms of mastering rolling stock and its orientation towards a liberalised market make "Promoting creativity and innovation" appear to be the order of the day. The development of a further module with this content therefore appears to make sense. Managers have also expressed a desire to apply the assessment method to their area or location. This makes internal competition possible, for example between locations of an organisational unit.