We have all been there, sitting as I was with my son in a
Doctor’s office, subservient to a system that books us in to a specific time,
penalizes us if we miss it or are late for the appointment, but does not
compensate us, or even talk to us as
patients if the Dr. is inexcusably late.
Systems are valuable.
We create them on small scales to organize our lives and homes. That calendar in the kitchen, the notes on
the fridge or the software on your computer are all examples of small scale
systems to keep work and family life organized.
Organizations scale things up from there (sometimes way up), organizing and
codifying processes to create efficiencies, cut costs, and deliver products and
services.
I have a baseline question to ask about ANY system. For
whom does it exist?
The question is based on an observation and much personal
experience which suggests that at some point in time a system begins to exist
for the system itself, serving it’s own needs rather than the “customer”. It takes on a separate life of its own.
Let me continue with my story at the Doctor’s
office.
In my case – as we sat there coming up to one hour after
our scheduled appointment time, many were leaving. Only after people got up to complain did the receptionist acknowledge them and offer to
re-book. During a lull in the exodus she called a patient
who had missed an appointment that morning and informs them they will be assessed
a fee for that! The system said “issue a
fine”. The reality was that had that
person come, they likely would have left anyway (as I was also about to
do). Ironically it was a benefit to the
rest of us and the office operations that this person did not come!
The system was not serving people that day. It was serving its internal rules. Had the
system been focused around patients and employees, it could have empowered the
receptionist to make adjustments and judgment calls based on serving the
client. For instance, she could have:
·
Forgiven the missed appointment and rebooked
given the reality of that day’s scheduling catastrophe.
·
Proactively discussed with patients in the
waiting room that they were likely to be significantly delayed and would be
better served if rebooked.
But she did not.
The system’s rules were fixed and she followed them.
My bold bias here is that systems exist to serve people (customers,
clients, employees, volunteers). Systems are needed to deliver goods and services in an efficient
manner to customers & clients. They
are also needed to help employees and volunteers know best how to do that
consistently. NB-the common element here is the
people.
Most organizations begin setting up their systems with
the noblest of intentions and it usually involves a way they can best help
their people get their product or service out there to people. In subtle ways and over time adjustments to
the system can begin to favour internal ‘efficiencies’ and needs, thus drifting
away from benefitting the end user or the implementer. An outrageous and admittedly old example of
this is from an organization known globally for its extremely cumbersome
systems. At one point in its history the
United Nations suspended, for an entire day, its efforts at dealing with
drought, detente, and desert oil, in order to debate whether UN employees
should continue to ride first class on airplanes. (Systemantics; How Systems Work... and Especially
How They Fail -by John Gall. New York, Pocket Books, 1978)
When you create or make adjustments to a system, I
suggest you change your thinking in a way that will ensure your processes
continue to be oriented toward people.
Move your mind from an efficiency focus to a personal/end user focus by asking better questions when you set up your systems:
PURE EFFICIENCY Let's make rules for making appointments
PERSON-FOCUSED How do we manage patient flow?
PURE EFFICIENCY Standardize collection of student records
PERSON-FOCUSED How can we keep up to date with them?
PURE EFFICIENCY Get the computers handling all incoming inquiries
PERSON-FOCUSED How will we stay in touch and keep a customer loyal?
You still need a system - just take some time to orient your mind around who it is for.
Oh - and Doctor?...I know you
invested in a system – just don’t leave me in your office again for an hour
without at least acknowledging me (the one who pays your fees!).
Invest in me.
Harv Matchullis
harvey@visiontracks.ca
