CLIENT: CLEANAWAY
Cleanaway is a leading Australian waste management company offering tailored, sustainable waste disposal and resource recovery services that meet diverse needs while supporting environmental sustainability.
THE CHALLENGE
Leadership gaps in a high-risk, distributed workforce.
Cleanaway operates across more than 300 sites nationwide, with a workforce of nearly 8,000 people. Around 50% of its Frontline Operational Leaders and Branch Managers are promoted internally, many stepping into leadership roles without previous management experience.
As a result, several key opportunities emerged:
- Confidence addressing conflict or underperformance: In a busy operational environment, where performance or conduct issues can emerge; leaders need to be able to identify and address performance or behavioural issue early, clearly and confidently.
- Effective management of employee relations matters: Leaders need to feel confident and capable to manage complex interpersonal matters to ensure they aren’t unnecessarily escalating matters to senior leaders, drawing them from their own responsibilities into operational detail.
- High-Pressure situations without support: Operating across remote sites, night shifts, and community-facing roles, leaders needed stronger skills to respond confidently to safety incidents, customer escalations, and interpersonal conflicts, often without immediate backup.
- Pressure of organisational change: With ambitious targets and expectations requiring significant organisational change, leaders are required to not only manage day-today operations but also to lead teams through periods of uncertainty and transformation.
These leadership development opportunities presented a clear and consistent need; the ability to hold effective conversations built on strong relationships, trust, and accountability. These were essential to achieving Cleanaway’s goals and strengthening its leadership culture for the future.
THE SOLUTION
A targeted, national rollout.
Cleanaway chose Crucial Conversations for Accountability after a careful review of solutions, recognising it offered more than a theoretical model. It provided practical, proven skills leaders could apply immediately.
Key reasons for selecting Crucial Accountability included:
- Global recognition and strong evidence base
- Scalability to embed a consistent language and approach across a large, dispersed workforce
- High-quality content and facilitation, backed by local support from Crucial Dimensions
- The program aligned closely with Cleanaway’s focus on safety, performance, relationships, and fostering a strong speak-up culture.
The training was delivered in-person by Crucial Dimensions facilitators across Queensland, New South Wales, Victoria, South Australia, and Western Australia.
Participants included:
- Senior Leaders
- Branch Leaders
- Functional Leaders
Following the initial success, Cleanaway plans to extend the training to frontline leaders and beyond.
THE RESULTS
Early gains and a platform for lasting change.
While Cleanaway sees this as the beginning of a broader journey, early results have been positive.
Behaviour shifts:
- Leaders have reported proactively addressing difficult conversations they would previously have avoided, such as a Branch Manager successfully retaining a valued employee who was considering leaving.
Operational improvements:
- Leaders are more confidently managing team performance issues early, reducing the need for escalation and freeing senior leaders to focus on strategic priorities.
Business outcomes:
- Leaders now have a practical framework for building stronger teams and handling workplace challenges with greater confidence.
- As part of a broader program of work this has contributed to positive shifts in engagement and turnover.
WHAT’S NEXT?
Cleanaway is committed to sustaining and building on this foundation:
- Continuing Crucial Accountability training for all new leaders and now integrating Crucial Conversations for Mastering Dialogue.
- Training HR Business Partners (HRBPs) as internal facilitators and coaches to support leaders on the ground.
- Integrating the skills into everyday leadership practices through ongoing coaching and reinforcement.
By developing and embedding these crucial capabilities, Cleanaway is building a leadership culture that supports safe operations, strong relationships, and sustained business performance.
"This training gives the tools and confidence to tackle difficult and important conversations honestly, respectfully and effectively."
RESULTS AT A GLANCE
- Leaders now address difficult conversations they previously avoided
- Improved early intervention on performance issues, reducing escalations
- Improved engagement scores and turnover as part of a broader program of work
- Leaders equipped with a practical framework for team and culture improvement
To learn more about how your organisation can benefit from Crucial Conversations for Accountability training, click here.
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