MODERN BUSINESS
‘ priorities ’ which are merely tickbox exercises to placate boards or other stakeholders .
The point is this : If the culture isn ’ t ‘ right ’, then customer-related tactics and strategies can count for very little .
One of the key reasons why culture is not addressed directly relates to its complexity . Read any book on corporate culture and almost without exception , if a definition is provided , it will be complex , academic or philosophical . That ’ s where my concept of UGRs – unwritten ground rules – has a big part to play .
UGRs are defined as people ’ s perceptions of ‘ this is the way we do things around here ’. They drive people ’ s behaviour yet paradoxically , they are seldom talked about openly . Sample UGRs in a company include :
• At our meetings it isn ’ t worth complaining as we know nothing will get done
• The only time anyone gets spoken to by the boss is when something is wrong
• The company talks about the importance of customer service , but we know they don ’ t really mean it so we don ’ t have to worry about it
It is the UGRs in a team or company that constitute its culture .
So What Have UGRs To Do With Customer Service ?
For customer service initiatives to realise its potential , the culture – and UGRs – must be right . As a first step , a vitally important question ought to be considered to ensure the cultural side of the equation is addressed . The question is :
What are the Key Cultural Attributes ( KCAs ) we need in place for us to deliver the kind of service we ’ d like to deliver ?
This is called ‘ envisaging ’ the kind of culture that is necessary . And it is recommended that the final list of KCA numbers no more than five or six . For illustrative purposes , let ’ s presume the following KCAs are identified among the top six :
1 . Quality inter-departmental relationships
2 . Customers considered as part of all key decisions
3 . People are keen to look for better ways to do things
Once the priority KCAs have been agreed , it makes sense to get a fix on the prevailing culture as it relates to those KCAs . This can be undertaken by conducting a ‘ UGRs Stock Take ’ – a methodology that was created after two Australian universities funded world-first research into UGRs . To get an understanding of the current UGRs , get people to complete the sentence to ‘ lead-in sentences ’. Using the above KCAs as an example , people could be invited to anonymously complete the sentence to these :
• Around here , when it comes to dealing with other departments …
• Around here , when decisions are made , the customers ’ perspective is …
• Around here , when it comes to change …
A large number of UGRs Stock Takes have been undertaken in companies across the world and the results are often a surprise to leadership teams responsible for the provision of customer service across the organisation .
Steve Simpson is an international speaker and author who works with organisations across the world to help them understand and strategically improve their workplace culture . He is the co-author of the recently released book A Culture Turned . Visit www . acultureturned . com
October 2016 ModernBusiness 47