Systems Thinking in the Public Sector: The Failure of the Reform Regime.... and a Manifesto for a Better Way

John Seddon has written a great book, which I hope becomes a management classic and mandatory reading for all politicians and managers.
In it he explains how the current government focus on micromanagement and targets has made services worse and more expensive.
Do targets work? They work inasmuch as they encourage people to meet the targets - that's what they get paid on - but in order to do so they will 'game' the system. I have never known a system where this has not happened. So they meet the targets, but at the expense of customer service.
John shows that targets are destructive and counterproductive. An example I have witnessed. A time limit was put on telephone enquiries. So after one question, if the customer had a second question, some operators would tell them they had to call in again to get the second question answered. (I always wondered if the manager who made the call length target also reduced the length of all their conversations and meetings to 3 minutes). This is an excellent example of arbitrary management decisions, not based on any reality, but with the thought that by focusing only on a step in the process they can reduce costs. Of course, without looking at the whole process, it is more likely to increase costs. We all know of other examples - I have just received a form from the tax man to be filled in without any return address or envelope to send it back in. So I call them to find out. These failures in one part of an organisation make more work elsewhere. Getting service right first time is always cheaper (and if you don't agree, in explaining why, you've just proved my point!)

More importantly, John shows what you can do about it: simple practical steps that do not need an army of consultants or massive IT projects.
Who knows best what the work actually consists of? The managers in their offices? The people in head office?
Why not get the workers to fix the customers' problems, and where they cannot, get them to drive the process changes (with the help of their managers - you knew managers had to have some role). This is illustrated with lots of examples. Whilst John is very wary of quoting the sort of productivity improvements you can get, his examples range from 20-40%. But setting out to save money is a way to fail; getting the service right (not necessarily the best service, but as John shows, service that does the job in the way the customer expects) is the way to lowest costs.

Lots of ideas in a powerful book. Enjoy.

Why we pay so much in taxes and its got nothing to do with fat cats.... (4/4 people found this helpful)

This book is a follow up to Freedom From Command and Control which was about how a management style called "Systems Thinking" could make the service sector much better. That book itself was excellent but I feel that John has eclisped it with the latest book, particularly if you have an interest in the way the public sector operates (and lets face it, we all should have as thats where our taxes go). The book paints a clear picture of just why the current government (regime) has failed to make a significant improvment in public sector services (health, education, police, local govt etc)despite drastically increasing spending (our taxes).
John is claiming (and I recognise much of what he is saying as true from experience)that the way government actually run the public sector through standards, targets and meauring the sector to death is the reason why it is failing, and NOT, as the media often wrongly claim, is it down to poor employees or managers.
Sadly this is a point that is only rarely picked up by the media (possibly because its easier to blame people than a system) but is the fundamental truth behind why we pay so much in taxes and seem to get little in return. For anybody who has used any area of the public sector and received less than good service, this book has the answer.
Readers will in future recognise why they are receiving poor service and ask "what is the target behind this poor service".
John eloquently describes several case studies and scenarios which illustrate his claims and thinking. The style is easy to read and understand and in addition to the content there is also a host of useful information that any manager can pick up and use as an added benefit.
You should buy this book if you are a manager in the public sector and want to make a difference, or a tax payer and you want to know where your money is besing wasted. If you are a committed Command and Control management style thinker, then you will find your current beliefs challenged and undermined by this book.

Turn the ship around (5/5 people found this helpful)

Currently, the UK Government is wasting Billions on public services with no improvements discernable to the population. John Seddon says this is caused by the Government (he uses the term "regime") managment method of target setting and process auditing. By putting targets aside and and designing the system to meet the demand made of it by the customers - us, improvements made in customer satisfaction and efficincy are enormous. Real examples in housing, police, benefits show reductions in service times of 90%. Britain needs to read ths book - and act on it.

Systems Thinking in the Public Sector: The Failure of the Reform Regime.... and a Manifesto for a Better Way

John Seddon

Reader Reviews:

Why you get bad service; and how organisations can fix it. (0/0 people found this helpful)

Why we pay so much in taxes and its got nothing to do with fat cats.... (4/4 people found this helpful)

Turn the ship around (5/5 people found this helpful)

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