Building a performance culture Conference presenters
1000 Miles: A Journey of Change
	Commander Grant Dale Royal Australian Navy

Review presentation by Commander Grant Dale (Microsoft Powerpoint presentation, 6 Mb)

Commander Grant Dale will share his experience of creating and leading change in arguably one of the most ingrained and static cultures in Australia, the Royal Australian Navy. In particular, Grant’s cultural change efforts were applied as the Commanding Officer of HMAS Westralia.

Grant will explain his ship’s journey of change and how the Organisational Culture Inventory and Lifestyles Inventory were an integral part of success. Grant will outline how the culture aboard Westralia was transformed from one that expected failure, to one that expected success and believed that individual effort makes a difference.

About Commander Grant Dale

Grant Dale began his career as a 15 year old Cadet Midshipman at the Royal Australian Naval College, Jervis Bay, in 1976. After graduating in 1980, his early sea-going career was spent in a variety of ships including Patrol Boats, Minehunters, Destroyer Escorts, Guided Missile Destroyers, and an Aircraft Carrier. He qualified as a Bridge Watchkeeping Officer in 1982, as a Principal Warfare Officer in 1986 and as a Navigation sub-specialist in 1988.

Shore staff appointments along the way included a taste of Navy Headquarters in 1984, a teaching spell at the Navy’s Navigation School in 1987, and a period in charge of the Navy’s Shiphandling Simulator from 1991–1993.

In April 1993, Grant returned to sea as the Navigation and Operations Officer of the underway replenishment ship HMAS WESTRALIA, and in September that year became the Executive Officer and Second-in-Command.

Grant returned to shore duty in May 1995 as the Operations Coordinator at Maritime Headquarters in Sydney. Following promotion to Commander in January 1997, he was posted to the Headquarters of Naval Training Command, at HMAS CERBERUS in Victoria, where he was responsible for the coordination of all non-technical training. In January 1998, following a reorganisation of Naval Training Command, Grant headed up a new division focused on Strategic Development of the Command. It was in this position that he gained his first exposure to organisational performance measurement and organisational culture.

Grant returned to sea in Command of HMAS WESTRALIA in November 2000, and in the ensuing 18 months brought the ship back into full operational service, taking part in operations as far separated as Australia’s northern waters and neighbouring South-East Asian regions, and the deep Southern Ocean.

On being relieved in June 2002, Grant was posted to Navy Headquarters in Canberra where he is currently responsible for the strategic development of Navy’s surface warfare workforce.