Three basics: 1. honest conversations, discussing the undiscussable of emotions and reasoning – nothing can develop unless there's a shared effort to get at the truth 2. clarity – no learning is possible, and productivity and psychological safety are unlikely, without clarity of roles, tasks, decision-making, and relationships 3. learning – true learning isn't possible without … Continue reading There are five core things which, if you make them your practice, are likely to lead to organisational success.
Local public services in the UK face a ‘perfect’ storm – we need Adaptive Councils
The challenges appear insurmountable. Conditions that are truly ‘turbulent, uncertain, novel, and ambiguous’. And we are running on empty. This paper, from @RedQuadrant and the Public Service Transformation Academy @ServiceReform, sets out twelve principles for an adaptive approach to meet the needs of our circumstances. Which of these twelve capabilities do you think is the … Continue reading Local public services in the UK face a ‘perfect’ storm – we need Adaptive Councils
What would you say if I told you customer intimacy was dangerous?
If you want to really satisfy your customers, read on. - Most organisations hear 'listen to what the customer needs' and say 'yes! optimise for this!'- They hear 'transactional efficiency saves money', and go 'yes! everything efficient!' Truth: there are two types of customer service flavours: 1) transactional - customers can reliably specify and find … Continue reading What would you say if I told you customer intimacy was dangerous?
‘the chick does not break the egg out of hatred for the shell – it does so out of a desire to walk under a wider heaven’
Here's a little exercise I developed nearly twenty years ago, useful for any kind of change where you have some vision or outcome which resonates. - Share the vision with the group- Ask 'if we are here in one year, doing the post-mortem, because we failed to make this happen, what barriers or obstacles will … Continue reading ‘the chick does not break the egg out of hatred for the shell – it does so out of a desire to walk under a wider heaven’
We’re all trying to make sense of things – in our own way and from where we are
Everyone responds to the incentives, demands, risks, and situations they face – only a tiny bit of this is visible to anyone else. That’s why I use the ‘blind men and the elephant’. My point is *not* that we can ever see ‘the whole of the elephant’ – forget it. Everyone’s world is their own, unique, … Continue reading We’re all trying to make sense of things – in our own way and from where we are
A practical approach to making decisions in complexity
First, you establish enough shared context to move on – so you all know what is happening around you. Then, you establish enough shared purpose or intent to move on. Remember, you all need to be able to move to the next step together – any problems, back down you go! Then, identify the critical … Continue reading A practical approach to making decisions in complexity
‘How the heck do I make decisions in this chaos?’
This was a client, but it might as well have been me! With things changing so fast, unpredictably, and it being hard to know what you can rely on, how can we make any kind of business decisions for 2021? Sure, we’ve learned! - How much we don’t know – the degree of uncertainty we … Continue reading ‘How the heck do I make decisions in this chaos?’
You should never publish your values or behaviours if you want culture change
Culture is the scoreboard, not the game. If you try to specify the score you want, you're far more likely to do things that are counter-productive than you are to work on the things that will change how the game is going. As soon as you publish values and behaviours, you get three things:1- indignation … Continue reading You should never publish your values or behaviours if you want culture change
The great big sh*t-shovelling machine
My client ran a housing repairs service Customers could wait a long time for an operative to answer a ‘hotline’. Or visit their Housing Office. There were six ‘levels’ of repair; each with a ‘resolution time’ (part of the ‘customer promise’). There were hundreds of codes for the different repairs. Customers and officers didn’t understand … Continue reading The great big sh*t-shovelling machine
Who wants to become an organisational Jedi?
Over several posts, I’ve outlined a dozen ways the Force operates in organisational life. The unseen energy that permeates all living things, that binds our working galaxy together. If you can’t see these forces – the dominant/other patter, the essential Viable Systems organisational logic, the impact of trauma and the lust for power – they … Continue reading Who wants to become an organisational Jedi?
chosen path 