Tennessee Department of Transportation
 

Scope of Work:

Early in the 1990s, the Tennessee Department of Transportation (TDOT) faced changes and challenges brought on by numerous external and internal forces. TDOT had to respond to successive federal transportation laws (ISTEA in 1991 and TEA21 in 1998) requiring environmental sensitivity, cooperation with various federal and state agencies, greater workforce diversity, improved intermodal transportation systems and a more process-driven approach to construction projects. Internally, TDOT needed to improve its long term planning, break down barriers among its various divisions, better recruit and retain professional engineers, reengineer core business processes and improve management development training. To meet these challenges, department executives committed to examining their leadership responsibilities and to institutionalizing a strategic planning process.

The Bukiewicz Organization’s (TBO) approach with TDOT has been to develop long-term relationships with executives, senior managers and middle managers to guide the creation of a strategic planning process and improve management skills. A “quick fix” strategy clearly was not appropriate. The “slow and steady” approach, however, has proven to be very successful in our collaboration over the past eight years including two changes in administration. TBO has been meeting with various levels of department managers monthly since 1995 to guide and coach an organizational change process. Meetings with the Executive Leadership Team keeps that group focused on strategic issues. Coaching of Strategic Goal Teams helps them implement and monitor the five major department goals. Workshops and seminars with senior managers tie them into the strategic direction and help them with tactical decisions.

Current work includes management consultation with the department’s Design Division to effect an orderly restructuring. Similar efforts are active with the Civil Rights and Planning divisions. Team development work is also underway with the newly formed E-Strategy and Customer Service cross-functional teams. TBO’s work with TDOT will continue at least through the summer of 2001. 

Accomplishments:

The Department Strategic Plan, created in 1998 and updated annually, has fostered a Department-wide unity of purpose. A focus on five specific strategic directions – human resources, transportation system capacity, process improvements, safety and long range planning -- has created measurable goals and objectives and high-level teams to oversee progress. This planning process has served as a model for other Tennessee State agencies. These efforts have brought clarity of purpose that has resulted in a greater sense of teamwork and commitment to work process integration by staff, and to a major business process reengineering of construction project management. Middle managers and first-line supervisors are re-examining their performance measures. Newly created department succession planning and skills development programs are helping all staff adjust to changes in the organizational culture and to prepare for continued change over the next decade.