Customer Journey Mapping & Attendance Allowance

On my other blog - two of the posts that have proved to be more popular than most have been the links to Stoke City Council's work on customer journey mapping. Indeed partly as a result of the interest they have received via my otherblog - they are now running workshops about their model. (The links can be found here and here)

I wish them well and look forward to hearing about their workshop which is happening early in November. (I have just found out this morning that the workshop is very nearly full - so I am very happy to have played a small part in this success. Watch this space for a report of the workshop.)

I think the idea of a process to enable and encourage service providers to see their service through the eyes of the user is enormously important. So often (and this is not just with public services of course) when you seek a service you get a response that appears to not only talk a different language to you - but also live in a very different world.

From recent experience of trying to understand how the process of 'Attendance Allowance' works (on behalf of an older relative) - I have been met with what appears to be a Catch 22. The eligibility criteria for obtaining Attendance Allowance say that "your disability must be severe enough for you to need" help with washing, dressing etc. In my dictionary the word 'need' implies that you cannot do without such help. However, Attendance Allowance ostensibly exists (at least in part) to help people with disabilities live independent lives. But how can this be the case because if you needed such help - you would not be able to (albeit possibly struggling to...) live alone.

So I phoned the Department for Work and Pensions helpline yesterday. I had a confidential and non attributable chat with a very helpful adviser. She explained that some people who should receive Attendance Allowance often do not apply because of this issue. She gave the example of a person crawling up their stairs on their hands and knees to get to bed. That person may feel they don't need assistance but they could do with some help. Their lives could be immeasurably better with some help. A person in such circumstances would get Attendance Allowance. However... would that person apply?

This seems to be a clear example of where some 'customer journey mapping' might help to sort out this service / benefits arrangement. Have the DWP ever spoken to people in these circumstances to understand their perspective on all of this?

I do not want to have a cynical view that the DWP has an interest in people not applying for Attendance Allowance - but unless they look again at the language of the legislation and guidance - as given on the relevant page of theDirect.gov.uk website then I may have to revise my view.

So I hope the DWP will show leadership here (and maybe even attend the workshop being run by Stoke City Council) and think about Attendance Allowance from the perspective of the claimant.

Original blog posting: http://jonharveyassociates.blogspot.com/2009/10/customer-journey-mapping-attendance.html

 

Developing a cornucopia...

Some months ago I established a newsblog to support, celebrate and share examples of where people have taken the initiative to improve effectiveness or efficiency or both in the public and third sectors. There are over 250 examples of this on the blog now.

Here is one posting from a few months back - as an example:

http://smallcreativeideas.blogspot.com/2009/03/regular-cornucopia.html

One council sent me a long list of the many suggestions made as part of their improvement scheme. Some of these are being implemented, others about to be and some still yet to be considered by their scheme panel. I reprint a selection of them here in recognition of the energy and enthusiasm for improvement that this council has evidently generated: 

 

1. Using water saving devices in toilet cisterns
2. Reducing the number of waste bins per office
3. Using the telephone holding system for advertising/promotion instead of playing music
4. Monies from parking fines on taxi ranks go to Licensing budget
5. Hold a bumper sale of surplus council items
6. Charge for the replacement of lost bus passes
7. All mailing lists should be split into internal and external recipients to avoid internal recipients being sent mail by external post
8. Have one day a week with no internal emails
9. Create themed guided walking tours of the town
10. Provision of more recycling facilities in Council offices
11. Include ‘Please consider the environment before printing this email’ at end of emails
12. Make an administration charge for cheque payments that bounce, especially in respect of taxi/private hire drivers
13. Selling off items of confiscated equipment that the Council takes possession of in noise nuisance cases
14. Chevron style parking on larger roads and charging e.g. £1 per day for using the car parks out of the tourist season
15. Installation of solar panels on council buildings 
16. Using waste paper bins as the default bin for recycled paper and each team having one bin for non-recyclable waste
17. Promote a culture of organising and running training courses for other local authorities as a way of funding our training 
18. Promote NHS stop smoking services, smoking helpline and Together Programme more proactively
19. Reduce number of offices required through working from home and hotdesking.
20. Reduce number of receptions.
21. The new Local Area Agreement should take the opportunity to include countywide performance targets with financial reward as in the 2003-06 PSA agreement 
22. Install movement detectors so that lights work automatically according to whether there are staff in an office, or install a cut out system after flexitime ends (already being done)
23. All appropriate printers to have the double sided print option as a default setting to save paper (already being done)
24. Eliminate lease cars and offer a cash alternative. Where a leased car is required, the council requires that these be dual powered/electric powered (hybrid) vehicles (already being done)
25. Provision of more recycling facilities in Council offices
26. Remove at least one large refuse bin from behind the Town Hall and replace with recycle bins 
27. Stop sending mail shots with pay slips
28. Produce a council calendar
29. Chipping felled tree branches and shrubs for footpaths & mulch 
30. Issue salary slips only when amount differs by £5 or more
31. Have one central location on Intranet for procedure guides
32. Have ‘recycle for xxxx’ & logo printed on envelopes
33. Reduce temperature of hot water to sinks
34. Use biro refills instead of ordering whole pen
35. Send email version of termination form to Payroll
36. That the document image processing system currently used by local taxation be used by the Council as a whole
37. That a way be investigated into ensuring that the water flushing for urinals happens only when premises in use and not 24 hours a day, seven days a week
38. That a consortium of bank staff be set up with other Councils 
39. That staff appraisals are programmed for January and February and training plans submitted by the end of February so that the training budget can be allocated by the end of March each year
40. Instead of sending a remittance advice for officers expenses through the post, email it instead
41. That the Council leases a suitable vehicle which can be driven to many locations in residential areas throughout the town and act as a mobile ‘bring site’ 
42. That the radiators in the corridors at the Town Hall have thermostatic valves added to allow better control over the heating 
43. That staff are encouraged to turn off lights in meeting rooms once they are vacated i.e. with extra signage.
44. That the notice board in the reception area at the Town Hall be replaced with an electronic TV style screen/monitor similar to that in the Registrars reception to display meetings etc
45. That in areas where people are constantly walking in and out i.e. toilets, kitchen areas, store cupboards, that instead of a light being kept on all the time, light sensors be installed 
46. Mobility Scooter Drag Racing to ‘tie in’ with the ‘Go Fast’ event.
47. Set up the property title reference number base so that when title reference numbers are required they are recorded, then the next time it is looked up, the Council need only pay £3.00 instead of £6.00 (Being investigated)
48. That all waste paper be treated as confidential waste
49. A free book exchange library
50. To coincide with the opening of the Cultural Centre run a competition for staff to submit a piece of artwork that could be displayed in one of the galleries
51. Have a VAT calculator on the Intranet so staff can input their gross and the net and VAT is worked out for them. We could also have a section to input what category the item purchased is under to insure that it is a vatable cost
52. That staff with mobile phones on the same network make free calls to each other and mobile phone numbers are displayed on the Intranet.
53. That instead of having a photo ID/warrant card, swipe card and name badge, these are amalgamated into one card
54. Could junk email be stopped at the post room and returned enmasse with a delete from mailing list request.
55. Provision of online resources i.e. email, intranet, internet and other services in meeting rooms.
56. Instead of the Council leasing vans it would be more beneficial to buy them.
57. More students could be used to fill posts at less cost.
58. Use alcohol gel hand sanitizer instead of soap, water, paper towels or dryers in toilets and kitchens.
59. Use only envelopes without windows and print addresses onto envelopes or labels instead so they can be recycled.

If you have any more ideas that you would like to add - please go to the blog and add some - as a comment - or email me (jon@jonharveyassociates.co.uk) - thanks!

http://smallcreativeideas.blogspot.com/

The blog is free, searchable and open to all. 

 

 

 

 

 

Authentic leadership: who are you today?

Authentic: "authoritative," from O.Fr. autentique (13c.), from M.L. authenticus, from Gk. authentikos "original, genuine, principal," from authentes "one acting on one's own authority," from autos "self" + hentes "doer, being." Sense of "entitled to acceptance as factual" is first recorded 1369. Authentic implies that the contents of the thing in question correspond to the facts and are not fictitious; genuine implies that the reputed author is the real one. Authentication is recorded from 1788. Authenticity dates to 1657 (in form authentity). (Thanks to theOnline Etymology Dictionary for this)

On this basis - authentic leadership means being the author of one's own life and being true to oneself.

Many years ago I read a book by Warren Bennis "On Becoming a Leader" and one of his key themes was authenticity. To lift a quote (and thanks to the Amazon sitefor making this easy!): First and foremost, find out what it is you're about, and be that. Be what you are and don't lose it...It's very hard to be who we are because it doesn't seem to be what anyone wants.

I sometimes wonder in this age of competency models and evidential assessment whether sometimes people end up believing that leadership is some kind of puzzle to solve - a bit like one of those spot the difference competitions. If I can just tick enough of the boxes on the leadership framework, I too can become a senior manager, a director, a chief...

Warren Bennis and I (& no doubt many other people) say something different: first and foremost, being leader is about being yourself and being true to yourself. It is about knowing who you are and relaxing into being you.

How are you today?

Who are you today?

___________

http://jonharveyassociates.blogspot.com/2009/10/authentic-leadership-who-are-you-today.html

 

X Factor - leadership lessons

For those who don't know, X Factor is a UK based (but syndicated in many other countries including the USA) reality TV show where members of the public audition to take part in a live pop singing show. It is a very compelling programme which dominates the weekend schedules for several weeks each year. I will come clean and admit that I am fan - mostly because I am captivated by the journeys that the various contestants go through. See http://xfactor.itv.com/2009/

 

But watching the programmes over the weekend - I got to thinking - what does this show say about leadership? (OK - it is mostly about entertainment - and leadership is probably not high on its agenda but...)

Firstly I recall a video by Tom Peters from many years ago - where he was talking to a large group of managers in the Albert Hall (I think). To paraphrase - he said "if you don't like people - don't become a manager! You have to really delight in seeing people grow and develop to be a good leader".

I think this is partly what makes Simon Cowell a good leader. Yes, of course, the cynic in me says that all is ever in his mind is a stream of pound notes and dollar bills. However, looking carefully at him when people perform (or don't perform) - I see a gleeful twinkle when anyone excels. Moreover, he smiles even more, when people appear to have been on a journey of development and discovery. I think this is what marks him out as a good leader. (For the record I would put Cheryl in the same category - but I am not sure about Louis and Danii...)

So leadership lesson one is: delight in reflection, growth and development and show it - your followers will aim for even higher things as a result

What Simon is also excellent at - is giving feedback. Yes, he plays to the crowd sometimes and can be quite cutting. If he is ever harsh (and some might say cruel) - he does it with a clear purpose designed to either get the person to give up on hoping to become a celebrated singer or to get the person to improve. His criticisms are never just extraneous. He is also honest and direct.

Leadership lesson two: give feedback purposefully and helpfully - say what you believe and believe what you say. Of course in a work context, giving developmental feedback needs to be more than the one liner from a reality TV show - but the principles are not that dissimilar.

One of the themes that Simon and other judges often return to is self belief. Comments such as 'she is really beginning to believe in herself now' pepper the show. I think one of the most important attributes of a good leader is the ability that they have to inspire true and deep self confidence in the people that they lead. I suspect that singing coaches, also know this - and whilst there are undoubtedly techniques and tricks to learn - I am guessing that the most important aspect of a good singer is confidence. Leaders and coaches need to act on this.

Leadership lesson three: Do all that you can to build confidence among the people you lead - indeed, look to create the leaders of the future.

Original blog post: http://jonharveyassociates.blogspot.com/2009/09/x-factor-3-leadership-lessons.html

Is leading change like designing and operating a rollercoaster?

Can change be managed or should it, indeed, be led?

Readers of this blog will know that I have titled several posts as 'Change Alchemy' with the first one explaining why I used this term. Making change stick still seems to me to be a " daunting mixture of alchemy, tenacity and luck". On this blog I have sought to outline what are, for me, some of the critical ingredients that need to be added to the crucible.

Certainly there are many elements of change leadership that might be reasonably called change management. There are various tasks that need to be manipulated and sequenced, and critical decisions need to be made. But all this seems to be to be more like the project management of change. So change management is a subset of change leadership. The question is, what are the extra ingredients?

I am reminded of an apocryphal comment on someone's professional development review 'not a born leader, yet'. I am pondering whether the ingredients that make change leadership different to change management can be learnt? I hope and believe so - since I am about to craft a workshop entitled 'change leadership'! Here is my starter for ten (and the beginnings of the workshop agenda) of the three most critical ingredients:

Number one for me is passion. Change leaders have and express a passion for where they want to go. This passion is sufficiently infectious and sincere to inspire others to take the journey as well. Change leaders are comfortable with creating visions of the future that are compelling both logically and emotionally. However this passion is not rigid or brittle like cast iron. This passion is strong like an old tree, able to bend in the wind and adapt whilst standing firm.

This heralds a second critical ingredient which must beresilience. Change leadership is rarely easy. I recommend reading 'The Prince' by Niccolò Machaivelli. This quote come comes from the Penguin 1961 edition translated by George Bull:

‘It should be borne in mind that there is nothing more difficult to handle, more doubtful of success, and more dangerous to carry through than initiating changes in a state’s constitution. The innovator makes enemies of all those who prospered under the old order, and only lukewarm support is forthcoming from those who would prosper under the new. Their support is lukewarm partly from fear of their adversaries, who have the existing laws on their side, and partly because men are generally incredulous, never really trusting new things unless they have tested them by experience.’

The Change leader needs to know how to handle resistance and finesse the power of the resistors so that the goal is still achieved.

Thirdly comes being able to make change thrilling but safe. Change is a scary and threatening thing for both leader and those who are on the same journey. Change is always a process of letting go, not just of the past, but also the future. We can allow our past and present to hold us back from trying something new. We can have a fixed idea of the future we think we are going to have. However, ultimately change is about casting off and setting sail to another country. We may look back and think of the years we spent doing 'x' and feel driven to justify it. We may have hunkered down in a cosy image of our future...

But then a change leader comes along with something very different that challenges what we have done (in all good faith) and what we thought we were intent on doing in the future. The change leader will only be successful in these circumstances if they make it safe to change. Recriminations, blame and threats (whether intended or not) have no place in good change leadership. Instead the process of leading change is to create just enough discomfort with the status quo to make people want to change but not so much that fear of the future or justifications of the present way of doing things are provoked to emerge. Not only must the leader make it OK to change, they need to find be the balance between comfort and risk.

Perhaps the job of being a change leader is about designing and then operating a rollercoaster!

Original blog post at http://jonharveyassociates.blogspot.com/

 

Citizens not customers

There is much discussion and indeed mission statements in the public sector about the need to focus on customers. However, I don't think the public services have customers in the same way that say Pizza Hut has customers. I think the public services are there to serve & engage citizens whilst being accountable - through politicians - to taxpayers/citizens. This makes the whole relationship a far more complex one.

I think saying that the public services have customers simplifies and indeed commodifies the relationship. For example if I want a pizza, I buy a pizza: the transaction has ended. However, if I, as a police officer (say), wish to serve and help my community become a safer place to live and work, I have to work with the local citizenry to achieve that. I cannot do it alone. There is no simple one way transaction there.

Yes, all public service workers should give good customer service to the citizens / service users / public that they are there to support and help. That almost goes without saying in my view. But that is but one small part of a much richer relationship.

The role of public service workers is to be transformational not merely transactional. The job of the public services is to generate sustainable social outcomes, not merely perform a series of one way transactions.

Sadly, the use of the word customer has become all to common in the public services. People may defend its use as reasonable shorthand. I take a very different view. If there is a shorthand to use, it should be 'citizen' not customer.

For me the biggest danger in this use of the word 'customer' is that it shapes (consciously or unconsciously) the business of providing care, education, community safety (etc.) into being a commercial enterprise. It is not. It is more subtle, more complex, indeed more important than that!

Original blogpost at: http://jonharveyassociates.blogspot.com/

 

_____________

Not sure how to add a comment to the comments below - so here is my response as an edit...

Of course there are times when the word customer can be useful - indeed I would argue strongly that the public services do need to improve their 'customer service' in many quarters. However, the people being served are also users, patients, clients, travellers, etc etc. In my view it is the subtlety & diversity of the various relationships that need to be emphasised. I don't believe this is an ideological point but an organisational improvement one. What I believe is ideological is the idea that these complex relationships can be boiled down to one - that of customer. That, for me, is a dangerous ideology as it leads to inefficiency and ineffectiveness.

So citizens can occupy many roles - the essence of providing a good & efficient service is understanding the relationship, I believe.

As for the responsibilities of citizens - yes there are many. I have argued for the need for 'empowered citizenship' - where citizens are not only helped to be active - but actively do the right kinds of things. (See http://jonharveyassociates.blogspot.com/2009/05/empowered-citizenship.html )