Unfreezing some attitudes promoting team effectiveness and win-win relationships is a primary behavioural intervention and one which is often avoided. The traditional war games exist between too many functions and departments in the internal supply chain. In a public service client, the admin support people did as much as possible to alienate the people they were supposedly serving.
The recipients of the service were local citizens and users. Because not all users understood the Council’s processes they were treated with distain by officials who were supposedly servicing their needs.
What was required was basic educational intervention about service provision provided to the service users. Simple infographics would have explained the somewhat bureaucratic and outdated protocols that the Council relied upon in in delivering to them. There was no customer focus instead employees almost put up bureaucratic roadblocks.
The underlying problem was staff in some areas were so far removed from the customer that they had lost all customer focus. They are not to blame, but those who led managed them needed to tune into the customer revolution.
Training is perceived as a waste of time
Change does not come about in neat packages. Even planned change is erratic, difficult and painful, which means it can also be time-consuming. Failing to invest in prevention (i.e. training), can kill any planned change and remove enthusiasm for it.
Quick Fix: If it ain't broke, don't fix it
The reputation for the quick fix is still prevalent because of a failure to prioritize because there is no apparent sense of urgency has to be explored.
Not wanting change
Of course, the real problem for culture change is people who do not want to change or believe that change will stop and they can return to the old ways. Change is seen to be painful. We know that people dislike change, and we can put extra effort into ensuring they are actively involved. If a firefighting culture remains, there will be nothing but cosmetic change.
To find out how to eradicate the firefighting culture contact Philip