New ways of working

The Canterbury Water Management Strategy has fundamentally changed our organisation. Transforming the way we think, operate and act calls for open minds and flexibility. Sharing power with the community and shifting from a rule maker to facilitator has required a complete shift in the way we work. Culture change takes time, patience and understanding.

Be brave

Doing things differently and employing creative approaches is encouraged. We’ve put people into completely different teams to fully utilise their skills. Being brave and looking for possibilities instead of obstacles is bringing us closer to the community. Everything that we do is focused on the community so we need to consider how they want to engage with us.

Act in unison

Everyone is involved in the strategy from staff right through to senior management and commissioners. This means we’re all aware of progress, challenges and solutions. Learning about the collaborative work process and how this is integrated into the way we work is an important part of our induction process.

Connect teams

Teams are not defined by their position within the organisation but by the goals they are trying to achieve. Cross-disciplinary teams work together and share information. It’s vital to bring different skillsets into the mix to develop holistic solutions. Learning to trust each other’s experience has helped us work together in a way that meets our stakeholders’ needs.