Chorus Australia: Redefining Community Services with a Flat Organizational Approach

This blog post is part of 50+ case studies of self-managing organizations we created for the 2024 inaugural ZeroDX awards. These organizations embody the principles of RenDanHeYi in their work structures:

• Zero Distance to customer: Decision what to build is based on insights from the marketplace

• Autonomy: Small teams with full decision-making autonomy enable speed in execution

• Shared Rewards: Everyone in the micro-enterprise participates in its financial success.

Overview

Chorus Australia, established in 1970, is a leading not-for-profit organization dedicated to enhancing community well-being through aged care, disability support, and mental health services. With a workforce of over 1,000 employees and volunteers, Chorus operates across Perth, Western Australia, as well as two regional cities. The organization's purpose is to enable local communities to thrive​.

Fresh Approach to Community Service

In late 2021, Chorus launched its “Fresh Approach to Community Service”, shaped by extensive co-design and community consultation. This initiative redefined the way services are delivered, with an emphasis on flourishing relationships and community-driven care.

The five key principles that guide this transformation include:

• Everyone can thrive: Creating a context of flourishing through networks of relationships.

• Start local: Creating structures, systems, and networks of relationships embedded in local communities.

• Put the ‘community’ back in community services: Activating local citizenship by tapping into local strengths.

• Get to know the care ecosystem: Connecting deeply with both formal and informal care networks.

• Teamwork sustains kindness: Moving away from compliance-focused care to creating kind, caring relationships.

This shift in approach demanded a complete overhaul of Chorus’ organizational structure, including a radical decentralization of decision-making and operations

Radical Decentralization: From Chorus 1.0 to Chorus 2.0

Chorus has embraced a decentralized organizational model that prioritizes local decision-making, autonomy, and team empowerment.

Here’s a comparison between the old centralized structure (Chorus 1.0) and the new decentralized one (Chorus 2.0):

Today, the organization consists of 20 small, self-sufficient teams that manage service delivery, connected closely to their local communities. This structure enables teams to make rapid decisions and respond effectively to the specific needs of their clients.

Customer-Centric Model: Building Strong Local Connections

The multi-skilled team approach means that Chorus customers have access to a small team of support workers who know them well and stay up to date with their changing needs and circumstances. Local teams know their customers well and share information, insights, and concerns in the weekly team meeting. If a customer has a question or a concern the people that they talk to are the people who are providing them services. It also means that when one member of the team is unavailable another member of the team can easily step in.

The transition to Chorus 2.0 has ensured deep connection between every Chorus employee and their end customer resulting in increased empathy and understanding as well as improved patient outcomes.

Chorus is also increasingly committed to delivering a positive social impact in the local communities in which they operate, and this local model and relationally oriented way of working is already showing positive impacts.

• The intergenerational playgroup brings together elders and young families creating rich connections.

• The All-Abilities Disco provides opportunities for a shared social experience for Chorus customers and customers of other providers who don’t have access to similar community facilities.

• The Ability Arts project offers a shared art, music, and pottery space for Chorus customers and other community groups to join in creating art.

• A recent "Tea and Technology" initiative brings together elders and teens from a local high school to support elders feel confident with their technology but which offers a much richer experience of sharing wisdom.

Vibrant Company Culture

At the heart of Chorus' transformation is a vibrant company culture that values collaboration, continuous improvement, and holistic well-being. Chorus places a strong emphasis on employee development, offering support through wellbeing coaches, formal learning programs, and community practice initiatives.

Formal learning is well supported across Chorus, exemplified by the approximately 100 people who are completing qualifications in community services, mental health, or leadership and management. The richness of their learning culture is best exemplified through:

• their health check process (a peer review internal audit process) and

• their playbook community of practice where team members across Chorus continually come together to create and share new knowledge and support collaborative decision-making, skill development, and problem-solving.

A unique feature of the culture at Chorus is the Contribution Diamond, a remuneration system designed to reflect the value employees bring to the organization. This system moves beyond traditional hierarchical pay scales and promotes fairness, motivating employees by recognizing their contributions in terms of both skills and leadership.

The concept features two dimensions of personal contribution - "Skills and Capabilities" and "Leadership", where each dimension has three distinct levels.

The definition of “contribution” arose from some basic principles of job complexity, but more importantly from observation and employee feedback on what “good” looks like in the organization now.

They came up with three different levels in "Skills & Capabilities" (A, B, & C), and three distinct levels in "Leadership" (1, 2, & 3). The three levels of Skills & Capabilities and the three levels of Leadership were then combined into 9 unique scores as shown in the diamond in this article: 1A, 1B, 1C, 2A, 2B, 2C, 3A, 3B, and 3C.

All these different combinations were then coupled to an actual remuneration package, where each combination belongs to a predefined pay grade. This system moves away from traditional hierarchical pay scales, ensuring fair compensation that reflects the value - or “contribution” - each person brings to the organization.

By promoting equity and motivation through this approach, Chorus supports a culture of contribution and mutual respect.

Outcomes

Seven years into its transformation, Chorus has seen substantial improvements in employee engagement, customer satisfaction, and community well-being. The organization has tracked best-in-class employee retention and has seen a 15% increase in time with customers over the past 18 months.

The focus on local decision-making and customer-centric care has not only led to better employee outcomes but also enhanced social impact in the communities they serve. Chorus’ initiatives, such as the intergenerational playgroup and Ability Arts project, are bridging gaps between diverse community groups and fostering meaningful connections.

Conclusion: A Progressive Approach to Community Services

Chorus has demonstrated that decentralized organizational structures can lead to more effective and compassionate service delivery. By empowering teams, prioritizing local engagement, and creating a culture of contribution, Chorus is driving positive change in the community services sector. As the organization continues to evolve, its focus remains on fostering thriving communities and delivering high-quality, person-centered care.