The Impact of Building Unity and Purpose At Stream Water Data
I first met Tina about three years ago when I set up my own company. From that first meeting, I knew I wanted to work with her at some point – she’s sensible, aligned in terms of values, and has a strong strategic mindset.
When I began working as Co-lead for Stream and realised we needed more strategic change input, Tina was the first person I thought of and we haven’t looked back since.
Initially, our challenge was that each of the 16-member water companies was at a different stage in terms of ambition and capability. Tina came in and put processes and structures in place to assess where each company was in their journey and help move them forward. Her work enabled the water companies to become more active members of the Stream initiative, delivering a return on investment by publishing data. She also helped us communicate the Stream story more effectively, both internally within the water companies and externally to data users.
Creating a Unified Effort Towards a Shared Vision
One of the most significant things Tina led was breaking down our vision (unlocking water data to benefit customers, society, and the environment) into a clear three-year strategy. This strategy outlined the key achievement stages we were aiming for and brought structure and cohesion to the team. Everyone now had a common understanding of where we were headed and how far along we were at any given point. Tina was fundamental in setting up that foundational structure, ensuring everyone was on the same page and moving in the same direction.
Essential to that is clarity of purpose, so why we’re all here, what we have in common, and creating that common view of where we’re going. That awareness and desire is the foundation for everything, and Tina brought a very systematic way to achieve that.
Introducing Pillar Champions
Tina also introduced an integral ‘pillar champion’ system, which allowed us to work systematically toward our goals. Instead of simply hoping that our actions would move us in the right direction, we now had a more deliberate approach. Every quarter, we could plot out what needed to happen and ensure we were making progress.
The process of creating this strategy went through several rounds of review and challenge which Tina handled incredibly well. She facilitated the discussions in a way that welcomed challenges as a way of “kicking the tires” to make sure we weren’t overlooking anything. We weren’t looking for consensus but for alignment, and Tina made sure everyone had a chance to contribute while staying focused on the end goal.
Another of the challenges she identified was accountability within the water companies. Instead of just passively publishing data, they became active members driving the initiative forward. That’s where the pillar champions came in – it created shared, rotating accountability. So, for one quarter, four water reps from different companies take on the role, and the next quarter, it’s another four companies. We’ve received really positive feedback, and productivity gains were clear as well.
There was one example where someone was initially skeptical about the pillar champion role. With Tina’s help, they were encouraged to take it on, and later said it was one the best things they’d been involved in. They were able to bring their expertise and really take ownership. It moved the initiative forward in a way none of us would have been able to do alone.
A Master of The Art of Change
Something we really value about Tina is how great she is at observing and diagnosing. She takes the time to listen, understand where friction points are, and then works with everyone to solve those problems together. It’s not about telling us how to do things, but rather involving everyone in the process. That way, it feels like the change belongs to us. If you feel the change is being done to you, it’s unlikely to stick. When you’re part of creating the change, you feel ownership – that’s what Tina was able to create.
She sees the big picture but is also very human in her approach, understands people and ensures that no one is left to do it alone. Like a true change leader, Tina’s able to connect with people, support them, and guide them through the process without them even fully realising they’re on that journey.
Gold Dust
As a co-lead, my remit is really broad. I could see all these things from a change perspective that needed to be done, but I didn’t have the bandwidth to do it myself. Having Tina in the team just meant I could go, “I know it’s covered, I can sleep well at night.” She’s such a safe pair of hands and that’s gold dust.
We now have a solid framework within which we can work, and everyone understands it. It’s simple but effective, and it allows people to get involved when they’re ready. Having that structure frees us up to focus on delivering value from releasing data.
There will still be moments of friction, but at least we’re starting from a strong position, and we have the common language to address any issues. It helps us move forward at pace, which we need.
I can’t speak highly enough of what Tina brought to the initiative. She’s a highly skilled professional in strategic change, and she’ll find a way to make any problem go away and turn it into something valuable!
Melissa Tallack is co-lead at Stream Water Data, a collaboration between 16 water companies aimed at driving transparency, trust, and innovation by opening up more industry data. Their vision is to unlock the potential of water data to benefit customers, society, and the environment and to use data to address key water sector challenges.
