“Our people finished the program wanting more. They realised the innate value of working with an expert, independent coach focused on developing one core leadership capability at a time,” said Cherie Johnston, Senior Organisational Development Consultant at the Department of Transport and Planning (DTP).
Victoria is Australia’s fastest-growing state, with its population projected to exceed 10 million by 2050. To support this growth, DTP is advancing the state's transport, planning, land, precinct, and policy functions.
Each year, DTP oversees the state’s transport assets valued at $190 billion, delivers and maintains more than $135 billion of infrastructure investment and provides public transport services to more than 500 million passengers.
With over 7,000 public servants within the department, DTP creates a safe, inclusive and constructive place to work. With this, it advocates for flexible work and prioritises personal and professional development programs.
Cherie Johnston
Snr. Organisational Development Consultant at DTP
With an over flow of demand for existing structured learning and development programs in 2024, DTP engaged Hellomonday to partner with and deliver a 50 person pilot program to enhance leadership capabilities across a variety of leadership levels (VPS5 – SES) and functions. To achieve organisational uplift across core capabilities, Hellomonday Amplify was deployed enabling individuals to focus on one core capability at a time, across three expert one-to-one coaching sessions.
To achieve meaningful behavioural change, manager involvement in the program was key. Participants worked in collaboration with their direct line manager to nominate one of the 15 Amplify capability topics to focus on in their coaching sessions. Together, they would explore what capabilities the individual needed to develop and discuss how they could support continued growth at the completion of the program.
“The ability for our people to individually select the topic of development empowered them to be in the driver’s seat of their learning journey," said Cherie.
"Interestingly, the most popular development topics were; influencing with impact, powerful performance conversations and developing a leader’s mindset,” she continued.
With over 118 areas of development completed, every DTP participant reported that Hellomonday’s Amplify program had a meaningful impact on their development.
“This program helped me reconnect with my existing skills, gain new tools and build confidence through personalised coaching and tailored resources," said Anna Cai, Driver Project Fatigue Manager.
"In just three sessions, I learned practical techniques, like the staircase model for influence, that have strengthened my ability to communicate and adapt effectively,” she continued.
While Amy Coghlan, Contract and Commercial Bus Infrastructure Manager said; “My coach was wonderful to work with, equipping me with practical techniques and the confidence to navigate difficult conversations."
“This was my first time receiving coaching, so I didn’t know what to expect. It was a positive experience, offering a supportive space to discuss challenging topics and clarify my needs. I appreciated having an engaged coach that tailored materials to help me build my skill sets,” said Andrew, Manager, FOI.
Amy Coghlan
Over the recent years, DTP has undergone multiple machinery of government changes requiring multiple functions to change structure with shifting priorities and new responsibilities, leading to change fatigue and fiscal strain.
“Within this environment of continued change, Hellomonday Amplify helped our people build their resilience, reset their personal development goals and re-envision how to lead their teams, with the support of an external coach,” said Cherie.
The flexibility of the program with its digital-first delivery enabled participants to choose their preferred coach, decide when they meet and fit the coaching sessions within their busy schedules. Beyond this, as an external provider, Hellomonday’s coaches provide a trusted, confidential and space for leaders to express their hard truths and develop greater self-awareness.
“The significance of a coach is the ability for them to bring out the knowledge within the leaders themselves. With a confidential and safe space, our leaders could be truly vulnerable, directly face their areas for growth and challenge their firmly held beliefs,” Cherie continued.
With a suite of existing internal leadership and development programs on offer, it was paramount that Hellomonday’s Amplify program aligned to these strategic initiatives and capability framework.
"What separates coaching from other forms of development is it allows people to be authentically themselves, sharing their challenge and shifting their perspective with guidance personalised to their needs, in that exact moment,” said Cherie.
With the success of DTP’s pilot program, the department is formalising Hellomonday Amplify as one of its core leadership development offerings with a renewed program in 2025.
