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When visitors arrive at Tube Lines' modern headquarters in London's Canary Wharf, they are shown into a waiting room where a barista offers tea or coffee, the day's newspapers are available and a television provides entertainment.

En route, they pass a collection of photographs of Tube Lines employees. In other companies this might comprise mugshots of the chief executive and members of his or her board, or the duty health and safety officers. At Tube Lines, however, the photographs represent the most outstanding employees, whose work or ideas have made a difference. It is just one of the many innovations introduced by Louise Brooker-Carey, director of communications at the company, since her arrival in January 2003.

Previously, Brooker-Carey worked as internal communications manager for Infraco JNP, a company formed to take advantage of the government's decision to establish a public-private partnership to run the London Underground. When Infraco JNP (later renamed Tube Lines) won the contract to maintain and upgrade the Jubilee, Northern and Piccadilly lines, it also assumed responsibility for almost 2,000 former London Underground workers.

'They were a very demotivated workforce, lacking drive and enthusiasm,' recalls Brooker-Carey. 'They worked hard but were never kept informed about what was going on, and they were worried about redundancy. There were also rumours they would lose their pensions or benefits, such as travel rights.' The pension issue was particularly emotive. Many employees had spent their entire working lives on the London Underground. Indeed, every year Tube Lines holds an awards dinner for staff members who have at least 25 years under their belt. In the year Tube Lines was formed, one employee had reached 49 years' service.

'Some people had worked at the company man and boy,' explains Brooker- Carey. 'They were scared of the private sector. We had to tell them - and make them believe - we were not changing their terms and conditions.'

Remote workforce

That might be a relatively easy task when a company's employees all work under one roof or have an intranet system. But when the vast number work at night down tunnels, using remote, poorly equipped depots as their base station, it becomes more problematic.

Brooker-Carey's solution was to send the executive directors to the coalface. 'We went on a roadshow and held questionand- answer sessions where staff could raise concerns,' she says. 'For three weeks, directors spent every night visiting employees where they worked. They went to depots where there were five people, and depots where 200 people worked. If the directors needed to walk along a tunnel to meet staff members, that's what they did.'

The directors answered all the questions, and emphasised the company's intention to provide maintenance and repair staff with new work wear, such as steel-toed boots, and equipment for their personal protection. 'The employees were suspicious,' recalls Brooker-Carey.

'They asked all kinds of questions, but the tone and the way they asked them showed they were hostile.' The roadshow was followed by a special edition of Platform, Tube Lines' internal staff magazine, and special information packs were sent to employees' homes. 'We tried to humanise the directors in the magazine, so we asked them silly questions like, What did you want to be when you were 10?' Just one wanted to be a train driver. One wanted to be a goalkeeper for Bristol City, while two wanted to be 11.

The directors continue to set aside a week, at least twice a year, when they do a round of night visits to see staff members at their place of work. 'They need to do that to see the working conditions,' explains Brooker-Carey. Chief executive Terry Morgan also hosts regular staff breakfasts where anyone can quiz him over a plate of bacon and eggs.

Current affairs

Tube Lines recognises the importance of staff contributions, and has created an environment whereby employees can suggest ideas and innovations to improve working or safety conditions. 'We help them work through ideas,' says Brooker-Carey. 'We hothouse the suggestions, and then introduce Six Sigma [a data-driven methodology], where we systematically work through the process to eliminate any defects.'

One employee suggestion that has now been adopted throughout Tube Lines is a special box that indicates when the current is no longer running along the tracks. 'The employees have a window of perhaps four hours between the last train arriving at its destination and the first train leaving the next morning in which to work, and it can take over half an hour for the current to be completely off,' explains Brooker-Carey.

Staff members who make a contribution beyond their remit are recognised with a Track Award. They can be nominated by any colleague and receive gift vouchers. Those who receiv e company awards meet the chief executive and have their photograph displayed on the wall of honour.

Keeping employees informed is a constant battle. Many do not actually work at a fixed location while others visit depots, which have little storage space. 'We drop off copies of Platform at the depots and we are introducing little IT booths, where staff can access the intranet, receive emails and keep updated on company news,' says Brooker-Carey. The company is also looking into the possibility of mobile communications, such as hand-held devices.

Brooker-Carey understands the importance of such efforts. The first staff survey conducted in the aftermath of the switch to private ownership revealed a workforce desperate for news. Two years later 76 percent felt they were better informed, and motivation levels had risen by 13 percent.

Troubled times

There are times, though, when Brooker-Carey is aware that the company's role is to provide emotional support for the employees. Nowhere was that more evident than in the aftermath of the terrorist attacks on July 7, 2005.

Some staff members are trained to deal with all happenings on the underground during the day, ranging from changing signal bulbs to retrieving bodies from under tube trains. But this event was unprecedented. Tube Lines employees were the first to arrive at the sites of the incidents. 'It was very unpleasant work, dealing in hot and dusty locations,' says Brooker-Carey. 'Our people supported and advised the forensic officers. They would find pieces of train or rail and explain where it had originated, for example.'

They also remained on site long after the rescue teams had departed. The staff worked long shifts in four locations, often without going home during breaks. Tube Lines provided counsellors at these locations, and continues to provide services for those who require them.

'We offer ongoing support,' explains Brooker-Carey. 'And they have received recognition for their efforts both internally and externally. We celebrate success within the company. Too many people hear only about things going wrong, but for us it is quite important that our staff members get recognition. They are the real heroes.'

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