Management Innovation:

The leadership of Culture, Sports, Leisure, and Social Development of the Rosemont-Petite-Patrie Borough of Montreal is a vibrant and essential part of the community. Since its establishment in 2002, this leadership has been dedicated to offering a wide range of free services to residents. Its mission encompasses organizing cultural, sports, and leisure events, implementing sustainable infrastructures such as green alleys, and managing other free services including libraries and arenas. These efforts significantly contribute to the cultural development of Montreal’s third-largest borough. Additionally, the leadership is involved in social development initiatives addressing food and urban security and homelessness. With a team of 165 employees, half of whom work seasonally, this leadership is a cornerstone of community life in Rosemont.

Managers working for the City of Montreal must meet several human resources objectives outlined in a performance management workbook. As the borough’s director of culture, sports, recreation, and social development, Martin Savaria consistently seeks training opportunities to help his team meet these objectives while promoting the development of skills and knowledge. During a conference hosted by the borough’s human resources division head, Martin learned about the importance of workplace recognition and the Orange Program, a training initiative focused on integrating recognition practices among managers.

Eager to innovate and explore new development approaches, Martin canvassed his managers for their interest in the course. The response was positive, making it a promising option for the team.

The Orange Program’s flexibility and structure were particularly appealing. It allowed busy managers to train individually while participating in co-development sessions to foster team exchanges. This approach enabled Martin to implement group training without disrupting daily activities. The practical exercises provided a concrete and enriching learning experience for the team, and the administrator’s ability to easily monitor progress ensured participation and engagement.

Martin decided to enroll his 10 managers in the Orange Program, complemented by an introductory conference to familiarize the team with recognition concepts. The participants opted for group learning, organizing co-development sessions throughout the course to share experiences and results from practical exercises.

“The Orange Program offered us a common project that consolidated our team; through regular exchanges and shared experiences, we got to know each other better. It was like team building in action,” said Martin Savaria.

The team has significantly improved its recognition practices, which are now a natural part of daily life. The tools and methods learned during the course continue to be used even months after its conclusion. The managers value the skills acquired, understanding the benefits of recognition for their employees, particularly in terms of team mobilization.

“My management team benefited greatly from the lessons learned in the Orange Program. We were already conducting recognition activities within work teams, but the concepts developed by the Orange Program enabled us to go even further. It was also a great opportunity to improve team cohesion among the managers in my department.”

Martin Savaria, Director of Culture, Sports, Recreation, and Social Development for the Rosemont-La Petite Patrie borough.

Managers continue to apply the lessons learned from the course daily and stay updated on the latest trends in recognition, particularly through resources provided by Altrum. Regularly, the team organizes moments dedicated to recognition to showcase employees’ work. These occasions can take various forms, such as team lunches, gift card distributions, celebrations of successful projects, direct gestures and words of recognition practiced daily.