Summary
In 2023, Alpine Shire Council entered a period of significant transition. Under the leadership of new CEO Will Jeremy, the Council underwent a structural reorganisation, welcomed a new executive team, and navigated complex challenges — including one of the largest subdivisions in its history. With these shifts came a growing recognition that operational success must be underpinned by cultural clarity and leadership alignment.
“We recognised that we were facing a significant challenge with a workplace culture that was not tracking in a positive direction… We chose to partner with Dattner Group on the basis of their track record of successfully supporting organisations towards an improved culture.”
— Will Jeremy, CEO
An internal engagement survey identified the need for improvement in culture, capability, safety and wellbeing, the Council committed to a deeper examination of its purpose and values. Staff feedback made it clear: there was a strong appetite for more connection, greater alignment, and meaningful leadership development across the organisation.
To support this shift, Alpine Shire Council engaged Dattner Group as a strategic partner to help shape a more cohesive and purpose-driven culture; one capable of sustaining and growing high performing teams at all levels.
Background
Located in Victoria’s north-east, Alpine Shire Council spans over 4,700 square kilometres and includes the vibrant townships of Bright, Mount Beauty, Myrtleford and Dinner Plain. Known for its natural beauty and strong community spirit, the Shire services around 13,000 residents, with numbers increasing significantly during peak tourism seasons. Its economy is driven by alpine sports, agriculture, viticulture, and a thriving tourism sector.
The Council employs approximately 180 staff — a small but dedicated team serving a broad and geographically dispersed community. With a recent restructure under new CEO Will Jeremy and increasing community complexity, Alpine Shire Council recognised the need to re-centre its purpose, strengthen internal cohesion, and invest in leadership development.
This was not a case of something being broken. Rather, there was a strong foundation of care, effort and community-mindedness, with a ripe opportunity to build on that by creating greater alignment across the organisation.
Between 2019 and 2022, the Council conducted annual engagement and satisfaction surveys which consistently showed that staff were proud to work for Alpine and felt connected to its purpose. However, several persistent themes emerged:
- Leaders were seen as committed, but communication and follow-through needed strengthening.
- Staff wanted greater clarity around decision-making and more transparency at all levels.
- Systems and processes were frequently cited as barriers to working effectively and safely.
- Career pathways felt limited, with a desire for more visible support for growth and development.
- While people understood what success looked like, recognition and feedback were often lacking.
These insights, combined with changes in leadership, community expectations, and evolving obligations around psychological safety, made it clear that investing in culture and leadership was not just timely — it was essential.
In 2024, Dattner Group was engaged to help Alpine Shire Council co-design a program that would bring the organisation together around shared purpose and values, while equipping leaders and staff at all levels with the tools to lead effectively – and safely – into the future.
The Work
Following deep discovery work and organisation-wide listening, a 12-month culture and leadership transformation program was developed to re-anchor the organisation in a shared purpose and set of values, build leadership capability at all levels, and lay the foundations for a more inclusive, psychologically safe, and high-performing culture.
“The ALT Reconnection workshop was most valuable because it allowed the group to slow down and create space to choose next steps. Fabian creates a safe space – even with different personalities – and I was reminded that a good leader makes the hard choices and holds accountability.”
— Nathalie Cooke, Director Corporate and Community
Key Interventions Included:
- Formation of a Culture Change Team
A cross-functional, cross-level group of change champions formed to steward the cultural transformation. ALT+ (Alpine Leadership Team Plus) members developed heightened self-awareness around their own thinking and triggers, along with skills to engage teams and the organisation through cultural advocacy. They serve as role models and connectors — helping to bring their teams along the journey, supporting feedback loops, and activating ownership across the organisation.
- Purpose and Values Co-Creation
The Culture Change Team defined a unifying purpose and a set of lived values, grounded in the unique context and aspirations of the Shire’s people.
- Leadership Development for Executives and Managers
Executive Team, Managers and the Culture Change Team received deep leadership development and coaching to link personal styles, emotional intelligence and learning preferences to aspirational culture of Alpine (Life Styles Inventory™ LSI 1 & 2, MSCEIT and 4MAT). These sessions focused on leadership accountability, emotional resilience, role clarity, and shifting to constructive thinking.
- Culture Strategy Design
Culture Change Team developed a culture strategy map for the entire organisation, incorporating purpose, values, strategic initiatives and agreed means to govern progress, in alignment with the organisational strategy.
- All-Staff World Café (Scheduled for November 2025)
A council-wide engagement initiative designed to give every staff member a voice in shaping the culture. This highly structured event surfaces the most pressing cultural challenges, encourages ideation, and generates practical actions to embed positive change.
- Next tier leadership development
Cascading development for all teams across the organisation will see a pilot program extended to additional teams, including frontline staff, to progress collaborative leadership capability development. This will include learning preferences and peer-to-peer coaching skills, as part of extending the culture change initiative beyond the original Culture Change Team and building sustainable change.
“The Dattner Group was quickly able to gain an understanding of the organisational dynamics, establish the highest priorities and provide clear and insightful guidance on a roadmap to start shifting the dial. The Dattner Group in our first meetings was able to engage and involve staff across all levels in the organisation, which has been critical to getting the change journey underway.“
— Will Jeremy, CEO
The Impact So Far
Early outcomes show momentum is building:
- ALT+ has created visibility and traction across the organisation, helping translate abstract culture concepts into grounded behaviours and peer conversations.
- Leaders are beginning to shift from individual coping to collective ownership – taking greater responsibility for how their behaviour influences culture and psychological safety.
- Language is changing – terms like “clarity,” “role modelling,” and “strategic slowing down” are being normalised within everyday dialogue.
- There is a shared and understood roadmap for culture change, bringing coherence to previously fragmented efforts. Staff are clearer about why culture matters and how they contribute to it.
- Thinking and behaviour insight tools have offered deep personal reflection, with leaders reporting greater emotional awareness and more intentional ways of working.
“Whilst the journey sometimes feels like a slow one, our investment is translating into tangible change in the culture across our organisation, which we had been unable to achieve without engaging expert external guidance and support.” “The ALT Reconnection workshop was most valuable because it allowed the group to slow down and create space to choose next steps. Fabian creates a safe space – even with different personalities – and I was reminded that a good leader makes the hard choices and holds accountability.”
— Will Jeremy, CEO
What’s Next?
Alpine Shire Council is now moving into a phase of embedding and expanding. Key next steps include:
- ALT+ development continues, with additional coaching and capability-building to strengthen their role as cultural stewards
- All-staff World Café in November 2025 will provide a collective space for reflection, contribution, and cross-functional connection as the whole organisation (including councillors) is engaged to co-design culture.
- Cultural initiatives prioritised during the roadmap phase will be activated and monitored, with a focus on accountability, inclusive leadership, and system-wide transparency.
- Leadership behaviours will be measured over time, helping Council stay responsive and track progress against key cultural indicators.
Culture transformation work sits on a continuum and is always evolving in proportion to the effort put in by leaders. Alpine Shire Council is demonstrating what’s possible when councils invest deeply in their people, their purpose, and the way they lead.
To find out more about how partnering with Dattner Group could impact your organisation contact us.
