Win the future through leadership, management and innovation

 

The Portuguese railway sector defined an innovative program whose fundamental thesis argues the following: the process to modernize the sector with the aim to increase the productivity and competition will only succeed if it is properly grounded in the systematized and programed development of leadership, management and innovation skills.

This thesis is supported by the socioeconomic challenges that derive from the advent of the information and mobility society and the diagnostic of the sector in respect to the ambitious goals of the European Union and Portugal. This thesis is reinforced by best world practices examples and other economic sectors that went through recent liberalization and transformation processes, such as the telecommunications, banking, energy and aviation sectors.

The new competitive context from the 21st century is impelling the railway sector to seek for new formulas. The White Book from the European Politics of Transportation states that the railway sector needs to go through a true cultural revolution. In order to deal with the demanding challenges of the future, the railway sector must attract, develop, motivate and retain the best talented individuals and invest in systems for competencies’ development, with focus on leadership, management and technology innovation skills.

More than ever, the railway sector needs oriented and innovative leaders, capable of attracting, motivating, and managing talented individuals and teams at all levels in order to obtain sustainable economic results.

 

The great challenge of required skills

The main challenge is to define the balance between the degree of investment in the modernization of the sector and the corresponding degree of investment in new skills.

“The significant investment in the railway sector, particularly in high speed, requires new competencies and protagonists. It is necessary to prepare company staff to respond to new challenges, retain mastery and knowledge in technical disciplines, maximizing future gains for the country. This program of skills development, with the participation of all the agents of the sector, will be a fundamental instrument to meet these objectives”, says Fernando Moreira da Silva, director of organization at REFER. 

 

The sector mobilizes

In this context, responding to the initiative and proposal of LBC, representatives of the main entities of the Portuguese railway sector, in conjunction with the Office of the Secretary of State for Transport and the General Secretariat of the Ministry of Public Works Transport and Communications (Gabinete da Secretaria de Estado dos Transportes e da Secretaria Geral do Ministério das Obras Públicas Transportes e Comunicações):

1. Carried out a strategic exercise of analysis and definition of the key competences to achieve the desired future; e
2. Defined an Integrated Skills Development Program his project was managed by Fernando Moreira da Silva and involved representatives from the following entities: CP,  Fernave, Ferbritas, Fertagus, Rave, REFER, REFER Telecom, General Secretary of MOPTC and the State Secretary for Transports.

 

Critical competencies needed in the railway sector
Taking into account the competitive context, the challenges of the rail sector, the diagnosis of the situation and the international benchmark, three dimensions of organizational development (leadership, management and technological innovation) and eight groups of competencies were defined. Within each competency group, key competencies were defined, out of a total of 20. These included defining the six main competencies for the rail sector to meet future challenges:

• Talent identification and development;
• Change management and planning;
• Management by the value;
• Contractual management;
• Market/customer orientation;
• Technological innovation management.

These six competencies are the most critical to accomplish the strategic objectives of the sector and to surpass current limitations.

 

Skills development program in the sector

Considering the required critical competencies, the project defined an Integrated Program for the Development of Competencies to improve the responsiveness of the sector in regards to the modernization, productivity and competitiveness challenges. The main goals of this program were:

   I)     Creating a global and mobilizing vision of the modernizing process;
   II)    Increasing the acquisition and dissemination of knowledge in relevant topics;
   III)   Stimulating the development of innovation and applied investigation; e
   IV)   Improving Human Resources qualifications.
 

The program was structured in three main strands of action and eight intervention areas.

The strategic field had an oriented impact and focuses in the politic initiatives and the sector’s organizational structure. This field included the following intervention areas: HR Sectorial Governance and Sectorial Politics.

The strategic aspect had a guiding impact and contemplates initiatives on policies and the organization of the sector, including the following areas of intervention: HR sectorial governance and sectoral policies.

The operational aspect had a direct impact on the development of the sector’s competencies and was directly responsible for the management and development of human resources, including the following areas of intervention: education and development, HR practices and processes, innovation and knowledge, marketing/communication.

 

The support field had a transversal impact. It was constituted by support actions to facilitate the implementation of the program, and included the following intervention areas: knowledge portal and change management program.

 

Detailed initiatives were defined within each intervention area. The critical success factors of this program were:

• Disclosure of the program to the sector;
• The adherence, mobilization and compromise of the agents and entities with the program;
• Fast management and allocation of adequate resources; e
• Focus in key activities
  
  

The challenge of action

There is a structured model of action that is open to the participation of agents in many fields of the sector. The Knowledge Portal of the sector was launched (managed by Fernave). The Development Council was also established.

The sector players have to show that they are capable of taking the initiative and putting it into practice.  This is the time for leaders to step up. Leaders who focus on action and delivering results rather than dispersing themselves in detailed discussions. The tuning is done with practice. Leaders who are aggregators of collective wills.

 

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