Listening to improve Quality
In the age of austerity it is even more important that the question is asked, how might we get the service right for you?
“The greatest gift that we can offer each other is a framework in which to think for ourselves”
The Thinking Environment is an environment in which people are able to think for themselves and one in which they find the courage to put their ideas and thinking into action. Thinking is a multi-faceted process of intelligence; thinking includes feelings, creativity, speculation and intuition as well as cognition, analysis and computation. A Thinking Environment is one which enables a person to engage in trustful and respectful relationship. A central component of the Thinking Environment is ‘Attention.’ Attention is described as the laser that ignites the human mind. Good attention towards the thinker is characterised by: delight in the thinker as a human being; unconditional approval, encouragement and interest in the thinker’s thoughts.
In the many years that I have been engaged as a Thinking Environment consultant I can confidently confirm that: ‘The brain that contains the problem also contains the solution.’
It is crucial that service providers pay respectful attention to clients and staff to access ideas on how to improve and transform services.
Listening – a key to the behaviour of respectful attention. Transformational service providers need to ensure that there are opportunities for listening for service improvement. Client’s needs require attention and solution. Staff need to have the skills to: listen effectively, develop sensing mechanism to provide early warning of possible serious trouble, and that staff members are flexible and adaptable to maximise conditions for anticipated opportunities.
The drive to be exemplary, to be efficient and effective in an ever increasing uncertain environment means that service providers are well placed to ask clients and customers how might we sustain and improve quality for you? Listen to the answers and be honest with clients about what is possible. Services can be transformed when clients and customers are at the centre of the decision making. The quality of the decision is equal to the quality of the thinking that has informed the making of the decision.
Conditions that facilitated the transformation are:
- Strong emotional intelligence
- Getting feedback through the use of thinking councils
- Planed transformation by diagnosing the source of the issues to be addressed. “Transformational service providers tend to look to four arenas to find the basic information they need to make a good interventions.
(1) The service provider engaged in personal introspection to determine strengths, weaknesses and blind spots in the quality of the service.
(2) The service provider facilitating analysis and introspection among a critical mass of individuals who are in the front line of service delivery to ensure that teams work together for improved quality rather than team members working against one another.
(3) Organisational control systems were generated to provide good data on the key quality standards
(4) Rigorous attention given to careful scanning of the environment
The above diagnosis is based on planed opportunism, outlined in Noel Tichy’s work.
The complex task of listening and responding to improve and maintain quality with an effective cultural change management can be enhanced by: One-to-one listening, Thinking Environment coaching and Thinking Environment Council sessions with staff. By asking clients and customers: What do you think? Feel or want to say about the issues and solutions?
Donald Schon states:
The first and perhaps most critical leadership task is framing the problem ….. The process by which we define the decision to be made, the ends to be achieved, the means which may be chosen…..
As Managing Director of Beacon Organisational Development and former Chairman of a Primary Care Trust with 21 years Non-Executive experience I have used David Rock’s work on ‘brain-based coaching,’ Dan Siegel’s work on ‘Interpersonal Neurobiology’ and Martyn Newman’s work on ‘Emotional Capital’ in association with Nancy Kline’s work to lead complex and transformational change. I have first-hand political acumen and leadership skills to support you and your organisation to succeed in these uncertain times.
Neslyn Watson-Druée, Thinking Environment Consultant, Emotional Capital Coach and Accredited Trainer of Emotional Capital Report & System.
See www.beaconorganisationaldevelopment.com
contact@beaconorganisationaldevelopment.com
Tel: +44 (0) 208 241 4762
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