Search Results for: listening to demand

Systems thinking in Benefits-listening to demand (part 2)

Posted on October 3, 2011 by ThinkPurpose

Arguing is a good sign. Arguing is a good sign that people are engaging with listening to demand and are having to think through what they are there for. As described in the previous post, after each intial demand listening … Continue reading →

Posted in Check, Demand, me doing it, systems thinking in housing benefits | 3 Comments

Systems thinking in Benefits-listening to demand (part 1)

Posted on October 3, 2011 by ThinkPurpose

Listening to demand is exciting. Really powerful and enjoyable. I loved sitting behind a reception desk listening and watching a young lad proudly show me how he had arranged his files and leaflets, and how he deals with different people … Continue reading →

Posted in Check, Demand, me doing it, systems thinking in housing benefits, vanguard method | 5 Comments

How NOT to do demand

Posted on January 14, 2016 by ThinkPurpose

Just like Batman, demand management is an insane attempt to solve a problem. In this case demand  management is an attempt to solve the problem of less money in the public sector, but in a totally insane way. We here … Continue reading →

Posted in all wrong, clarity of purpose, command and control, Demand, purpose, systems thinking, targets, vanguard method | Tagged , , , , | 4 Comments

That marbles post

Posted on February 17, 2016 by ThinkPurpose

I’ve noticed that loads of people search the blog for the word “marbles” and I think it’s this post that they’re looking for. So here it is on the front page for easier findings. The problem with having to go … Continue reading →

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How to break the first rule of systems thinking

Posted on June 3, 2014 by ThinkPurpose

The problem with having to go into a room to speak about systems thinking is The First Rule. You know, the first rule… 3 months ago I had to go into the senior leadership team meeting to say what had … Continue reading →

Posted in communication, me doing it, systems thinking in housing benefits, vanguard method | Tagged , | 32 Comments

It’s not rocket science

Posted on January 7, 2013 by ThinkPurpose

Rocket science? Piss easy. Just maths with equations calculators and that. Rocket engineering on the other hand…ROCK HARD The equations and science behind rockets are relatively straight forward (I am reliably informed by the internet). But the engineering of that, … Continue reading →

Posted in change, systems thinking | Tagged , | Leave a comment

How to make a pig fatter (part 2 of 2)

Posted on December 2, 2012 by ThinkPurpose

The best customer feedback I’ve ever seen. And nobody asked them for it. Customers were so delighted at their re-designed service they spontaneously said these words. But before all this, before the thinking changed the service, this was how we … Continue reading →

Posted in customer, knowledge, me doing it, systems thinking, systems thinking in housing benefits | Tagged | 1 Comment

Where’s the data?

Posted on October 14, 2012 by ThinkPurpose

Hello Peter! Hello Jane! Do you know where the data is? Let’s go for look for it! Books! That’s a good idea! But not there Jane. Try again! Not in there! Not down there either! Where could it be? Is … Continue reading →

Posted in data, knowledge, Uncategorized | Tagged , | 2 Comments

Command and control makes me sick

Posted on October 28, 2011 by ThinkPurpose

And you. And everyone around you. That’s a SCIENTIFIC FACT.

Posted in systems thinking, Uncategorized, vanguard method | Tagged , , , , | 6 Comments

51 things I have learned doing Systems Thinking in Benefits so far.

Posted on September 27, 2011 by ThinkPurpose

Listening to demand is exciting, enjoyable and worthwhile I thought I knew about Systems Thinking, turned out I had just memorised content from books. People like looking at control charts You don’t need to follow good design when putting data … Continue reading →

Posted in Check, experiment, me doing it, systems thinking in housing benefits, vanguard method | Tagged , , | Leave a comment

Systems thinking in Benefits-before

Posted on September 13, 2011 by ThinkPurpose

I have worked at a local authority for several years in performance management, the authority has no background in systems thinking and as far as I am aware no-one else there was interested.  I spent my time consistently boring people … Continue reading →

Posted in me doing it, systems thinking in housing benefits, vanguard method | Tagged , , | 1 Comment

Why do you need a hole in your head?

Posted on July 25, 2016 by ThinkPurpose

Why is it that a…  …is a really essential thing to have? Here’s why! You’re the head cook in a primary school. It’s your job to design the menu and make the meals. You want to make the healthiest food … Continue reading →

Posted in knowledge, systems thinking | Tagged , , , , | Leave a comment

One weird trick to outfox the Henry Ford gambit

Posted on May 30, 2015 by ThinkPurpose

I done got a letter from a reader! Here is a dramatic reconstruction…. Remember these two diagrams? THIS one, the usual, the boring old triangle? And then there is this one, the one thats not a triangle, the one that … Continue reading →

Posted in all wrong, command and control, plausible but untrue, public sector, purpose, strategic, systems thinking | Tagged , , , , , | Leave a comment

How to make a pig fatter (part 1 of 2)

Posted on November 28, 2012 by ThinkPurpose

I went on holiday to Spain and this is what happened. At the “meet and greet” welcome meeting on the second day I gathered with other people in a sweaty room overlooking the pool outside. It looked lovely out there. … Continue reading →

Posted in customer, data, learning, systems thinking | Tagged | 2 Comments

The Van Halen Manifesto

Posted on August 9, 2012 by ThinkPurpose

“Listening to the radio one day, I heard the story behind rocker David Lee Roth’s notorious insistence that Van Halen’s contracts with concert promoters contain a clause specifying that a bowl of M&M’s has to be provided backstage, but with … Continue reading →

Posted in communication, purpose | Tagged | 2 Comments

Milking turnips

Posted on July 3, 2012 by ThinkPurpose

Firefighter, School Crossing Patrol, Police Officer, Ambulance Paramedic.  You can tell from the uniforms. Go into any workplace and see if by standing at the door you can tell what it is that happens there. If you are at the … Continue reading →

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interesting important potato tomato

Posted on May 5, 2012 by ThinkPurpose

A person at work was talking me through something she was doing, explaining what it was trying to show. I was listening, and said “uh-huh. Interesting“. As it was. She replied, “It’s important because etc etc” I listened and agreed … Continue reading →

Posted in communication, psychology, systems thinking | Tagged , | 3 Comments

Punk rock purpose

Posted on March 20, 2012 by ThinkPurpose

There you go, 3 chords, now form a band. This cartoon from a Punk fanzine in the late 70’s tells you that you, yes you, can form a band. No years of training, no expert or arcane knowledge. It doesn’t … Continue reading →

Posted in clarity of purpose, experiment, knowledge, systems thinking | Tagged , , , | Leave a comment

purpose from PUSH to PULL

Posted on September 21, 2011 by ThinkPurpose

The following types of council services THOUGHT they knew what their purpose was, until they listened to their customers and looked at actual demand on their service. Using data gathered from their customers, listening to the problem the customer had, … Continue reading →

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