We hear about the postcode lottery all the time. "I can't get the same health care as those people in a different area - it's a postcode lottery." or "My child can't go to a school that's higher in the league tables - it's a postcode lottery." As if the problem is the fact that their postcode is the wrong one.
The argument is in reality an argument for sameness. Don't have any differences, diversity or experimentation anywhere, because the risk is it might turn out to be too good, and then people in other areas will complain that they are victims of the postcode lottery.
This is a stupid argument and symbolises a lot of what is wrong with our "choice" based public service culture.
The ability to develop different types of services and to experiment locally is vital. Indeed if we eliminate the "postcode lottery" there can be no such thing as localism.
But I'm going to use this postcode lottery argument, for I feel I have a higher calling.
I am a victim of the postcode lottery and it's affecting my life chances and social status.
My postcode is not SW1 1AA!
The woman who currently lives there has the advantage of this postcode. If I had her postcode - I would be the Queen. But I don't, so I'm not.
It's a postcode lottery!
Sunday 27 May 2012
Benn's last adventure
Mr Benn had been feeling better over the last day and was wondering whether he really needed to be going for a psychaitric assessment, but, in their effort to help, everyone at the GPs surgery was very insistent that he at least tried it.
As Mr Benn approached the door of the assessment centre, a woman came running out and said, " Oh the 2.30 - look, won't be a minute, go in, lie on the couch, will be with you directly." With that she scuttled off down the road.
Mr Benn walked in, got himself comfortable on the couch and waited.
Just then, the shopkeeper appeared.
Mr Benn screamed and passed out, dreaming of travelling down endless hospital corridors, he had a white coat and a stethoscope around his neck. This was another "adventure".
He awoke, relieved to find himself in a hospital waiting area, he stood up and paced around. He couldn't quitre remember what had happened at the psychaitric assessment centre, or since. He couldn't really remember why he was at the hospital - "tests I suppose" he thought to himself, "having some tests".
A voice came over the intercom system, "Mr Benn through door 3 please." Mr Benn walked through door 3.
In the room were a number of poeple like himself wearing gowns. He recognised these people. There was Blackbeard the pirate, his old astronaut friend, the King of Arabia and others.
"What are you all doing here?" asked Mr Benn.
"We live here Mr Benn - and now so do you." sang everyone in unison.
The shopkeeper appeared and laughed and laughed until his laughter turned to tears. He pulled off his fez and looked at it. He looked at Mr Benn.
There was a look of sorrow in his eyes,
"I'm sorry Mr Benn - I'm so sorry."
As Mr Benn approached the door of the assessment centre, a woman came running out and said, " Oh the 2.30 - look, won't be a minute, go in, lie on the couch, will be with you directly." With that she scuttled off down the road.
Mr Benn walked in, got himself comfortable on the couch and waited.
Just then, the shopkeeper appeared.
Mr Benn screamed and passed out, dreaming of travelling down endless hospital corridors, he had a white coat and a stethoscope around his neck. This was another "adventure".
He awoke, relieved to find himself in a hospital waiting area, he stood up and paced around. He couldn't quitre remember what had happened at the psychaitric assessment centre, or since. He couldn't really remember why he was at the hospital - "tests I suppose" he thought to himself, "having some tests".
A voice came over the intercom system, "Mr Benn through door 3 please." Mr Benn walked through door 3.
In the room were a number of poeple like himself wearing gowns. He recognised these people. There was Blackbeard the pirate, his old astronaut friend, the King of Arabia and others.
"What are you all doing here?" asked Mr Benn.
"We live here Mr Benn - and now so do you." sang everyone in unison.
The shopkeeper appeared and laughed and laughed until his laughter turned to tears. He pulled off his fez and looked at it. He looked at Mr Benn.
There was a look of sorrow in his eyes,
"I'm sorry Mr Benn - I'm so sorry."
Monday 14 May 2012
Only just managing
It seems to me that it is the acts, decisions, behaviour, and even the sheer existence of managers that cause public services and so many other businesses to be as bad and expensive as they are.
Bit extreme?
I don't think so. I'm not criticising the people themselves. Although I believe that at least a few managers, at least occasionally, realise that what they are actually doing is creating high cost, low quality services. We've seen it in local government, the health service, housing associations, and all manner of other more commercial businesses.
Our modern conception of management is basically the same one devised by Frederick Winslow Taylor over 100 years ago.
That's him.
He devised Scientific Management. He was very important and his ideas, together with those of Henry Ford, led to leaps in the way manufacturing, commercial services and government administration is organised. A very important change in thinking which revolutionised the way organisations work. The basic principles remain the same today embedded in this command and control philosophy. Top down functional hierarchies, controls, such as performance management frameworks with their "baskets " of Performance Indicators and SMART targets, and Golden Threads, cascading objectives, Mission Statements and the ultimate insult to humanity - "corporate behaviours" (where people are sent on courses to teach them how to empathise!) Bloated Human Resources departments, and Organisational Development & Business Improvement Directorates. It all seems so normal, so par for the course, making up the hegemonic values - the tacit assumptions and "common sense" of modern management.
However, a new revolution in management thinking is now needed. Indeed it has begun.
Systems Thinking is not understood by most managers. It will be considered alongside project management approaches like 'Prince 2' and becoming more popular - "Lean" as another tool or set of tools. But it is not a tool. It is different way - markedly different from the last 100 years of management thinking. You can't apply it using the same tired old assumptions, half baked methodology and flawed psychology. You can't add it to your toolbox!
'Management' has to unlearn everything it thinks it knows, including most of what is taught on MBAs.
Another day, I'll tell you why.
Bit extreme?
I don't think so. I'm not criticising the people themselves. Although I believe that at least a few managers, at least occasionally, realise that what they are actually doing is creating high cost, low quality services. We've seen it in local government, the health service, housing associations, and all manner of other more commercial businesses.
Our modern conception of management is basically the same one devised by Frederick Winslow Taylor over 100 years ago.
That's him.
He devised Scientific Management. He was very important and his ideas, together with those of Henry Ford, led to leaps in the way manufacturing, commercial services and government administration is organised. A very important change in thinking which revolutionised the way organisations work. The basic principles remain the same today embedded in this command and control philosophy. Top down functional hierarchies, controls, such as performance management frameworks with their "baskets " of Performance Indicators and SMART targets, and Golden Threads, cascading objectives, Mission Statements and the ultimate insult to humanity - "corporate behaviours" (where people are sent on courses to teach them how to empathise!) Bloated Human Resources departments, and Organisational Development & Business Improvement Directorates. It all seems so normal, so par for the course, making up the hegemonic values - the tacit assumptions and "common sense" of modern management.
However, a new revolution in management thinking is now needed. Indeed it has begun.
Systems Thinking is not understood by most managers. It will be considered alongside project management approaches like 'Prince 2' and becoming more popular - "Lean" as another tool or set of tools. But it is not a tool. It is different way - markedly different from the last 100 years of management thinking. You can't apply it using the same tired old assumptions, half baked methodology and flawed psychology. You can't add it to your toolbox!
'Management' has to unlearn everything it thinks it knows, including most of what is taught on MBAs.
Another day, I'll tell you why.
Channel Shifted
At Waterstones the book shop recently I couldn't find a book I was looking for (It was Jeanette Winterson's autobiography "Why be happy when you could be normal" and it was to be a present) so seeing a computer terminal I looked it up and found it at £8.00 on a list on the web site. At the same time my son found the actual book in the store, but marked at £14.00. I went and enquired with the cheerful scandanavian guy on the till.
"Unfortunately if you buy it from the shop it is £14. £8 is the price if you buy it off the web site." there was a pause as I absorbed the information.
"We can order it for you and you can pick it up from here." He said smiling and before I could speak he said "Yes, I know it's mad."
"Can't I order it? - take this one and you can replace the book with the one ordered off your web site when it comes in?"
"Sorry - I know it seems mad but I can't do that."
What was happening was I was being channel shifted. The consequence was that I did actually shift my purchasing channel. I ordered it from Amazon for £7.
"Unfortunately if you buy it from the shop it is £14. £8 is the price if you buy it off the web site." there was a pause as I absorbed the information.
"We can order it for you and you can pick it up from here." He said smiling and before I could speak he said "Yes, I know it's mad."
"Can't I order it? - take this one and you can replace the book with the one ordered off your web site when it comes in?"
"Sorry - I know it seems mad but I can't do that."
What was happening was I was being channel shifted. The consequence was that I did actually shift my purchasing channel. I ordered it from Amazon for £7.
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