Rule 5: Understand How the Work Works 287 Filed under - Archived Content It sounds a bit smug, doesn’t it? It isn’t enough to study the work, you also need to know how the work works. What does it mean? Let me give you a couple of examples: 1. How do you drive a car? It is one thing to know how to drive; mirror, signal, manoeuvre. That is a useful skill. Something you need to understand. But that isn’t the same as understanding how traffic works. How does it flow around roundabouts? Why does it bunch and relax in traffic jams? What will happen when your local council decide to add a bus lane or change the way traffic lights are sequenced? 2. How do you X-ray a patient? It is one thing to understand how to use an X-ray machine. How to position the patient and camera to create the sharpest images. It is another thing altogether to know how many drunks will arrive in casualty on New Year’s Eve, or why targets leave patients waiting for treatment. Work works at all sorts of levels Practice Procedure Process Policy Or maybe you can think of the impact of: Customers Systems Employees Incentives Work is complicated. Rule 5. Understand how the work works If you don’t understand it, why on earth would you think you can improve it? e-Mail Course Enter your e-mail address to receive the free service improvement course from the Squawk Point. The course is delivered as series of e-mails. After you have clicked the button you will be taken to a web page asking you to confirm your request. You can cancel the course at any time. We will not share your address with anybody. Improve the service your operation delivers by signing up for the free 12 part e-mail course “Service Improvement for Pragmatic People”. Enter your e-mail address below. Author: Jonty Pearce Published On: 29th Jun 2015 - Last modified: 5th Feb 2019 Read more about - Archived Content Contact Centre Reports, Surveys and White Papers Get the latest exciting call centre reports, specialist whitepapers and interesting case-studies. Choose the content that you want to receive. Contact Centre Reports, Surveys and White Papers Invites to exclusive Webinars & Events Weekly Newsletter