AWWA ACE63208

AWWA ACE63208 Labor and Management Collaborative Initiatives Sustaining Competitiveness and Improving the Workplace Environment: Kansas City, Missouri Water Services Department
Conference Proceeding by American Water Works Association, 06/01/2006

Brice, Donna J. Campbell

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This paper discusses the Kansas City, Missouri Water Services Department (WSD) and its 11-year history of Labor and Management Collaborative Initiatives, whichsustains competitiveness and is constantly improving workplace environment.Labor/Management improvement initiatives began in 1994 with the collaborativeimprovement process, Associates Creating Excellence (ACE). ACE laid the foundationfor labor/management team-based participation, improving the culture of theorganization's environment. WSD has achievements resulting from three sustainedcompetitive initiatives, a Labor/Management Advisory Committee (LMAC), a traininginitiative, a GED program and a Toastmasters program. The 11-year ACE/TQMcollaborative process, the Competitive 2001 (C2P) initiative for which we received theAssociation of Metropolitan Water Agencies (AMWA) Gold Award, the CompetitiveBusiness Plan, and the LMAC afforded WSD to successfully plan and initiate thefollowing major initiatives:ACE Project Teams;Self-Directed Work-Teams;In-Tact Work Groups;All-Hands (all employees) Meetings; and,Functional Planning Work-Groups.The ACE Process encourages and supports all employees to express new ideas andimprove the services WSD provides. When employed with WSD every associateautomatically receives an ACE pin. Since the ACE journey began, many associateshave been trained as team leaders, facilitators and in problem solving skills. Numerousimprovement projects have been identified. All WSD associates are encouraged to learnmore about ACE and to become involved in the ACE process. There are variouslabor/management trainings such as:ACE 400 - Team Leader, Facilitation and Problem Solving skills training;ACE 200 - ACE/TQM orientation during the WSD New Associate Orientationwhich informs associates about the TQM process;ACE 300 - Team foundation's training, when an ACE team is chartered this isthe very first meeting held and it trains the ACE team members in the teamfunction, process and procedures;ACE 500 - Quality Council Training where leadership training is presented;Self-Directed/Managed Work Teams training; and,Responsibility/Answerability Training. Includes tables.