Kingston Fossil Plant Organizational Effectiveness

We assessed operational and cultural strengths and areas for improvement that could impact Kingston Fossil Plant's (KIF) organizational effectiveness. We determined overall, KIF has significant opportunity to improve its effectiveness. While we identified strengths associated with trust of first-line supervisors and teamwork, KIF's operational performance in fiscal year 2015 was mixed, and the morale of the workforce was low primarily due to a lack of trust between plant management and employees. The specific areas we identified for operational improvement included: (1) work management, (2) ammonia operations staffing, (3) training, and (4) inventory. In addition, we found a number of factors that impacted trust and employee morale, including: (1) behaviors displayed by a few influential employees, (2) consistency of disciplinary actions, (3) ineffective communication, and (4) unresolved conflict. We also identified concerns based on corporate decisions surrounding staffing levels and management selections that have directly impacted employees. These operational and work environment issues, if left unresolved, could increase the risk that KIF employee engagement and performance levels will not be sufficient for the plant to meet its mission.