Category Archives: Demand

Cloud cuckoo-land

Posted on December 27, 2016 by

“What matters to me as a customer is getting everything for free. I’d appreciate it if all organisations could just go ahead and arrange that please. No, I didn’t think so.” This comment left on a recent post shows the typical command … Continue reading →

Posted in clarity of purpose, command and control, customer, Demand, systems thinking, vanguard method | Tagged , , , | 10 Comments

How NOT to do demand

Posted on January 14, 2016 by

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

3 signs that you don’t like your customers

Posted on July 21, 2014 by

Public sector organisations don’t really like customers. They’d prefer you’d go away and stop making all your unreasonable demands that are quite frankly BANKRUPTING them. You keep ringing them up,  walking through the door even, and worse… asking to speak to … Continue reading →

Posted in command and control, customer, Demand, public sector, systems thinking | Tagged , | 3 Comments

Why nobody sits down in a Greggs

Posted on April 24, 2014 by

I live in the North of England & I love Greggs. For anybody who doesn’t live in the North, Greggs is a bakery that sells cakes, bread, pasties, pies and that. It occupies a very special place in people’s hearts. Here … Continue reading →

Posted in customer, Demand, systems thinking | Tagged , | 16 Comments

Drip..drip…drip

Posted on June 26, 2013 by

“Just rang for a taxi – had an automated system in saying do you want to be picked up from X. Which I did so pressed 1….20 mins later no taxi so I rang them. Woman says ‘did you use … Continue reading →

Posted in Demand, learning, me doing it, psychology, very short posts | Tagged | Leave a comment

100% wrong

Posted on July 16, 2012 by

“Fill this in.” At a meeting in a Government call centre they are being asked to fill in a spreadsheet. An Excel spreadsheet, so accuracy is paramount. It probably has macros and everything. Call centre managers have to account for … Continue reading →

Posted in Demand, purpose, systems thinking | Tagged , , , | Leave a comment

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

Posted on October 3, 2011 by

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

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