{"id":4986,"date":"2017-12-08T15:00:16","date_gmt":"2017-12-08T15:00:16","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/blogs.kent.ac.uk\/change-academy\/?p=4986"},"modified":"2017-12-14T14:51:56","modified_gmt":"2017-12-14T14:51:56","slug":"does-best-method-always-mean-best-results-impacts-on-service-exellence-2","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/blogs.kent.ac.uk\/change-academy\/2017\/12\/08\/does-best-method-always-mean-best-results-impacts-on-service-exellence-2\/","title":{"rendered":"Does \u2018Best\u2019 Method Always Mean \u2018Best\u2019 Results? Impacts On Excellence"},"content":{"rendered":"

\n<\/a>
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\"\"<\/a>This blog was launched 6 years ago.<\/p>\n

We continue to issue key early contributions alongside new articles.<\/p>\n

An earlier version of the following was posted on December 8th 2014<\/a><\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n

Best practice standards are commonly seen as a sure-fire route to successful improvement. After all \u2013 who could question the value of implementing best ? If you are by now used to my Best practice standards are commonly seen as a sure-fire route to successful improvement. After all \u2013 who could question the value of implementing best writing style you will have guessed that I am one person who would question the value of \u2018best practice\u2019.<\/p>\n

\"Does
Does one size fit all?<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Why question it?<\/p>\n

Any method has to make sense in the context and purpose of what it is trying to deliver. Best practice in cleaning tables might be vital in preparing an operating theatre but might be excessive, costly and irrelevant when applied to a door making factory. The purpose of the work is important. Best practice in answering a phone call succinctly, clearly and efficiently might be the last thing that a service caller with an unusual problem wishes to hear.<\/p>\n

I can remember being told by a customer service clerk, when attempting to return a clothing item in exchange for a refund or credit note, that \u201cthe company\u2019s returns policy was recognised as best practice in the sector<\/em>\u201d \u2013 but sorry \u2013 no<\/strong> I could not have a refund (they suspected, or should I say assumed, that I had already used the item \u2013 which I plainly hadn\u2019t). Their answer was no answer and no help to anyone (I did eventually get my refund).*<\/p>\n

In services you need to build in flexibility<\/a>. This means that you have to think carefully about what your users want and therefore what you must do to meet that need \u2013 otherwise a poorly considered method will not deliver what is really needed. Deming always asked\u00a0\u2018by what method?\u2019<\/p>\n

Over and above this, if you do implement a standard way of working, you tend to build in both rigidity (a lack of flexibility to meet differeing needs) and you push users\u2019 experiences further away from the ideal. Seddon states \u201cDon\u2019t codify method\u201d in services \u2013 in other words don\u2019t write it all down and demand that everyone sticks to the written code.\u00a0 But why\u00a0 \u2013 surely standardisation will ensure quality (especially if the standard is shown to be best)?<\/p>\n

Imagine \u2013 you call a service centre with a particular query in your mind \u2013 the telephone menu asks you to press 1,2 or 3 for different services, then at the next menu another 1,2,3. Even if you get through cleanly to the final stage do you really feel satisfied as a user? And what about the false trails, the accidental hangups or the misdirection to the wrong department? It all gets a bit depressing and, frankly, wasteful.<\/p>\n

Even in Ofsted inspections of schools<\/a>, the error of inspecting and expecting a best method of teaching is now discouraged since the method is dependent on the learning needs and nuances of the students at the point of the teaching intervention. Yes \u2013 it figures.<\/p>\n

To paraphrase Mitch Ditkoff<\/a>, when imitation replaces creativity, something invariably gets lost \u2013 and innovation eventually goes down the drain.<\/p>\n

Deming, W.E. (1993) The New Economics, MIT CAES, Cambridge MA.<\/p>\n

Seddon, J. (2005) Freedom from Command and Control, Vanguard Press, Buckingham, UK.<\/p>\n

http:\/\/www.bbc.co.uk\/news\/education-26161340<\/a><\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

*P.S. As I gave my explanation they could see my receipt where the value of other items I had bought (with no refund requested incidentally) far exceeded the value of this item by about a factor of 5! As a clearly \u2018valued\u2019 customer (read: insulted) I chose to withdraw my custom from that outlet \u2013 for about 15 years \u2013 the lifetime of family clothing purchases \u2013 not out of spite, I may add \u2013 I just lost any sense of preference to buy from that store.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

<\/div>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

This blog was launched 6 years ago. We continue to issue key early contributions alongside new articles. An earlier version of the following was posted on December 8th 2014 Best practice standards are commonly seen as a sure-fire route to successful improvement. After all \u2013 who could question the value of implementing best ? If … Continue reading Does \u2018Best\u2019 Method Always Mean \u2018Best\u2019 Results? Impacts On Excellence<\/span> →<\/span><\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2246,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":[],"categories":[161682],"tags":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/blogs.kent.ac.uk\/change-academy\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/4986"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/blogs.kent.ac.uk\/change-academy\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/blogs.kent.ac.uk\/change-academy\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.kent.ac.uk\/change-academy\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2246"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.kent.ac.uk\/change-academy\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=4986"}],"version-history":[{"count":6,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.kent.ac.uk\/change-academy\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/4986\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":4999,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.kent.ac.uk\/change-academy\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/4986\/revisions\/4999"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/blogs.kent.ac.uk\/change-academy\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=4986"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.kent.ac.uk\/change-academy\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=4986"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.kent.ac.uk\/change-academy\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=4986"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}