Bay Area Rapid Transit -- Leadership Team

Situation

Like most organisations, BART is in the grip of dynamic change and transformation. The 30-year old transit company is dealing with multiple challenges: aggressive expansion goals, increasing customer demands and complaints, sensitive labor negotiations, aging equipment challenges, and new security concerns since September 11. In order for both the individuals and the organisation to flourish in such rapidly changing times, protect their health and perform at their peak they need to be able to handle stress, be more flexible, collaborative and resilient.

A strong advantage at BART is the maturity of the leadership team, many of whom have been with the organisation for over 20 years. Protecting the health of this experienced talent pool is key.

The HeartMath Project Goals:

• Improve resilience and ability to perform under pressure
• Improve productivity and communication
• Reduce fatigue, anxiety, stress

The HeartMath Solution:

The BART Leadership attended a one-day "Power to Change Performance" program. The program presented HeartMath's system of self-management technologies for improving personal and organisational performance, focus under pressure, communication and reducing stress.

Metrics

The benefits of the program were determined by assessing a number of health and business performance indicators before and after the program.

The Personal and organisational Quality Assessment (POQA):
A total of eighty-four (84) attendees completed the POQA prior to their training and fifty-one (51) individuals completed the follow up POQA approximately forty-five (45) days later. The POQA consists of 85 questions with 19 separate constructs tracking health, well being and business performance. Each question has a five-point response scale. The data below is drawn from the top two bins (i.e. "Often/ Most of the Time" and "Somewhat Agree/Strongly Agree"). This provides the most accurate snapshot of the key, critical areas of change.

Results

Results included both personal and organisational benefits.

Personal: Significant improvements were made in most categories of the personal well being and stress reduction constructs. This is highly noteworthy, particularly considering the difficult conditions and pressures the group was under. Most significant were reductions in worry, uneasiness, tension and anxiety as well as in feelings of exhaustion, tiredness and fatigue. Substantial improvements were also seen in sleeplessness and body aches.

organisational: Particularly strong improvements were seen in productivity, efficiency, job satisfaction and feelings of being appreciated and cared for. Gains were also seen in communication.

Four BART staff from the Training Department became HeartMath Trainers and coaches in order to deploy the tools to front line staff as well as to continue to support the management. HeartMath was also brought in the following year for a 1-day advanced training for the Leaders.

Personal Benefits
(participants that responded 'Often/Most of the Time' to initial assessment)
	Pre Training	Post Training
Mad	14%	10%
Tense	27%	18%
Anxious	35%	12%
Uneasy	13%	6%
Worried	32%	16%
Exhausted	26%	18%
Tired	35%	18%
Fatigued	31%	13%
Hopeless	4%	2%
Depressed	10%	8%
Worthless	6%	2%
Unhappy	15%	10%
Kind	78%	82%
Loving	75%	84%
Cheerful	70%	82%
Mentally alert	83%	86%
Sleeplessness	18%	12%
Body aches (headaches, backaches, etc.)	24%	16%

 

organisational Benefits
(participants that responded 'Agree/Strongly Agree' to initial assessment)
	Pre Training	Post Training
My supervisor and I communicate well with each other	74%	80%
I listen closely to my co-workers	85%	92%
I am productive at work	87%	94%
I am efficient at work	81%	86%
I understand the priorities of my work goals	90%	94%
I feel like leaving this organisation	19%	16%
I like my job	83%	90%
I am satisfied with my duties at work	79%	82%
I feel appreciated	64%	80%
I feel cared for	62%	75%

For Information
Telephone: (02) 9412 2500 (Australia)
Telephone: +61 2 9412 2500 (International)
E-Mail: info@macquarieinstitute.com.au

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