HOME SYSTEMS THINKING The Vanguard Method Managing Change Quality Models Customer Contact Centers Systems Thinking in the Public Sector PRODUCTS Guides/Manuals Books, CDs and DVDs CapChart CD-ROM Systems Thinking Tactics Red Bead Experiment VANGUARD Articles Public Events Vanguard Network JOHN SEDDON Toyota for service Newsletter Latest book Seddon speaks Public Events Return to Articles menu October 2008 Don't tell my staff targets don't work! IBM = I've Been Managed (by the numbers) Top cop denounces inspection From the horse's mouth: NI 14 What shall we call NI 14? Something David Varney urgently should read Minister set to create more failure demand Taking justice from our children Regulation task force does the wrong thing righter Systems talk for the i-pod generation Seddon speaks Vanguard events this autumn September 2008 EoN team wins award Systems Thinker MBE Is perfect possible? South West One in the news HMRC and DWP fail again And again What do dolts do? The right to create waste Spinning participatory budgeting More on the cost of targets It changes your life! August 2008 Are ministers psychologically incompetent? Insider tells all on Prison Service's 'shared service centre' The experience you get with HMRC The experience you get with the NHS The experience you get with tax credits How do we feel? Real nonsense, real damage Regulator favours targets over purpose Targets damage your health How bold was the minister? How bold are the managers? I remain optimistic! July 2008 'Old' factory thinking And dreadful for customers More on HMRC's mean lean Spoke in the wheel of Southwest One 'Shared Services' consultant confesses Audit Commission chief promotes ideology over evidence Did your nurse smile? A 'bed manager' laments A patient laments A mother laments A spouse laments 'Lean' advice on meeting targets What is the purpose? Public Sector Accreditation Programme Systems Thinking People - a new service Going to the theatre? June 2008 Choice-based letting 'under-funded' DfT shared services initiative 'costs rather than saves' Shared services: more on the wrong way Failure demand and benefits processing Social networking - the new 'big idea' CSCI inspectors caught cheating Washing our hands, not our old people Policy runs ahead of evidence Sorry - that's confidential NHS to sack 'failing managers' A lament from the NHS A lament from the probation service Cops 'rebel' on target culture Private-sector call centre fraud Systems Thinking in Telcomms CapChart - a new product from Vanguard May 2008 On tour Son of Chartermark The man with tools for everything Why don't the numbers come through? Lean as mean How many miles does a nurse walk? NHS Direct compounds mistake Incapacity to do the right thing You see what you want to see A novice 'gets it' with NI 14 Systems Thinking in the public sector - case studies April 2008 The book and the tour Calibration tourism Avoidable contact guidance bonkers I put it to the minister The minister is being groomed NI 14 a 'classical' mistake The classical sycophant Audit Commission keeps ahead of the game The paradigm is the problem Coercing doctors to behave stupidly How to engage ingenuity in the wrong things March 2008 The book is coming! And I am coming to a place near you HMRC worker speaks Bad guidance on service design Systems thinkers strike a blow The struggle to find an alternative Why NI 14 should not be a target Targets are killing people How not to motivate your workforce Audit Commission gets it wrong From clueless to hopeless KTP opportunity Senior leader seeks appointment February 2008 CRM not designed to improve services Managing the wrong problem Despite it all, people try Another one bites the dust Is the penny dropping on NHS targets? It started in the private sector The two Johnnies New book – publication date I’m coming to a place near you Vanguard in The Netherlands January 2008 Command and control lean The frustration of being told to do the wrong thing The paradigm determines the problem Progress of the ‘Vanguard’ target A powerful little book Service factory failure System thinker looking for work in the North West The two Johnnies ‘Lean’ Universities Can I come to your place? December 2007 From great to outstanding How not to share Care that doesn't care HMRC staff blame 'lean' 'Lean' is becoming a bad brand Any tools interventions we can research? Varney's people a bit short on method Is this the nuttiest target? The new 'Vanguard' target The two Johnnies 'Lean' Universities November 2007 A message from South Africa 'Check' in a week Understanding was Ohno's favorite word Takt time used to delude Private sector learns faster Failure to learn is systemic in public sector A dumb new target October 2007 A bout of depression The Vanguard Village Learning from industrial tourism Mind-numbing logic driven by the regime New procedures for persistent complainers The system and behaviour Command-and-control lean A message from the engineers September 2007 UK disease adopted down under Target regime alive and well in Iraq Vanguard's claims 'unsubstantiated' Tool heads get in wrong in the NHS Writing about success VELUX job vacancy Upcoming Vanguard events August 2007 Does Varney have any evidence? Varney's 'lean' machine 'Lean' doesn't work either Hospital cheats appointments NHS is going down the tools route Clients talk about success Why talking can be the wrong thing to do Lexus has much to learn So does Amazon New videos on the web site Upcoming Vanguard events July 2007 Getting to the minister Out-sourcing attractive to investors Public sector being urged to take the same road Six Sigma on the rocks Tartan Blitz Should I write about success? June 2007 The Quality Renaissance Kaizen Blitz Tool heads threaten client Womack on sustainability 'It's a system problem' More HMRC nonsense Ambulances making their numbers Cops do the same Choice-based lettings Is this customer stupid? The Case Against ISO 9000 - in Spanish May 2007 Credit card companies that give good service HMRC creating failure demand The DWP is next And who picks up the tab? How do I differ from other lean thinkers? Doomed to succeed Why Kaizen Blitz gets on my... Seddon in the Antipodes The Quality Renaissance Watch out for the pretenders Up-coming Vanguard events April 2007 I've had it with Barclaycard CRM is a misnomer Fear drives bankers What drives Mrs Kelly? Public services fell into a trap Vanguard in the Antipodes The Quality Renaissance Up-coming Vanguard events March 2007 What went wrong on the railways? Not the time to have a huff CPA results show ‘improvement’ From wrong to wronger Forget risk, think knowledge Just returning your call – to the UK It’s the system stupid Deming Forum Out and about Other Vanguard events February 2007 Command-and-control 'lean' Lean bananas Lean in the NHS Rapid Improvement Events: tools from fools A dumb vision Solving the wrong problem Citizen-centred services: my second response to the White Paper Deming Forum Vanguard in Holland Other Vanguard events January 2007 The future of lean On the receiving end Learning to see Public sector targets Shared services Other Vanguard events December 2006 Where does ‘lean’ go next? Errors are a system problem A letter from the front line Call centre in trouble Inspection is unreliable - official Regulation drives feeding frenzy The case against sharing benefits processing Shared services event Victimising young people Vanguard in South Africa Vanguard accreditation Vanguard job opportunities November 2006 ‘Insurance giant faces storm over call centres’ A view from the inside Dealing with the symptoms It’s a method thing Shared services Is business about profit? They want to hear what we have to say Telecomms event and a Vanguard workshop Financial services event Wanted: systems thinking IT person October 2006 Shared services – what works and what does not work? IT does not compute Benchmarking: a waste of time Is there a call centre ‘industry’? The ASBO line Your doctor is not immune Do Targets Help Or Hinder? ‘Lifting burdens’ task force The Toyota System for service organisations September 2006 BIG boys on the 'lean' bandwagon Small boys trying it too 'Lean' health care requires supervision The Vanguard senseis speak Shared services - what works and what doesn't? Vanguard getting IT partner Criminal justice: solving the right problem 'Reform' of legal aid Working to standards Spaces available on first Lean MSc The Toyota System for service organisations August 2006 Don’t let the ‘public sector’ thing stop you thinking 80% of the activity on targets is wasteful! Which targets should we ‘cut’? ‘Give us a wish list’ But ‘freedom’ requires compliance Shared services – sharing Vanguard’s knowledge Now we know why Tony does not understand Audit Commission ‘having a huge impact’ HMRC does ‘command-and-control lean’ Vanguard opens in Denmark Seddon speaks in South Africa UK October event selling fast July 2006 Something must have been more important A classic tool-head problem Praise for a Vanguard client Fraud and benefits processing On being a ‘customer’ Auditors drive the wrong behaviour Tony gets his blaming in first Mystery shopping doctors Vanguard event – October 17 and 18 Vanguard gets around the world Watch out for the pretenders June 2006 Some very good news Some disappointing news The management factory is the problem People who care don’t bother any more A disturbing encounter It’s not the way we do things Lean in the cupboard The Toyota System for service organisations Vanguard on the curricula May 2006 Please write to the minister The first step is unlearning Instead of unlearning managers pursue the wrong things When ‘lean’ is mean Making numbers, not serving customers NHS joins the tools bandwagon The management factory ruins your health The money is being spent on IT More on ministerial targets Pay for ‘performance’ in the police Senior job in a Vanguard client “Freedom from Command and Control” – coming soon on DVD Date for your diary April 2006 Inspection: making it up as you go along A systems thinker meets his inspector If things look bad, change the measures Cranking up executive power? If you don’t make the target... A view from the front Fresh thinking about schooling The Toyota System for service organisations: a Vanguard Event Lean Fundamentals Other Vanguard public events OK, OK, I am a professor March 2006 The Lean Six Sigma snake oil show Tool heads at work in the NHS Adult Social Care Expensive misguidance from the ‘big boys’ Housing PIs – an opportunity to do the right thing The Audit Commission gets it wrong again Will ID cards protect us? Upcoming Vanguard public events February 2006 Tool heads confess What is the cost/benefit? It’s the wrong question Have you noticed the truth about analyses and plans? Is stopping the wrong thing doing the right thing? Some of the wrong things are really awful The man with no policies develops a stupid one The Audit Commission leads in the wrong direction Vanguard available in Universities Will they ever learn? January 2006 The black belts bite back The Six Sigma con Obvious to those who know Why would people go sick? Ministers drive up health costs Newsletter content Would you believe it? The customers do! Adult Social Care Vanguard’s housing solutions “Freedom from Command and Control” – the show December 2005 Dumb sigma Fear and therapy No benefit from redesign No credit on tax design The blame game (NHS) The blame game (Benefits) Common sense from the Swedes The Mayor on Education A low appetite for change They don’t know what they don’t know Any Japanese readers out there? Join us for breakfast in Ireland November 2005 How do you take out waste? Toyota is the exemplar Service is not like manufacturing Management factories are part of the problem The Minister is grateful And for starters… Scotland is being Blitzed October 2005 Special issue: What is a good target? September 2005 Freedom from Command and Control – the show The doctor cannot see Minister has new idea Doing the right thing The boozing problem I blame the food Caulkin on leadership Beacons of insanity It’s nothing to do with us ODPM pilots: evaluation published Six Sigma on the wane August 2005 “Freedom from Command and Control” now available in American The ‘sweat shop’ phenomenon Private sector does it better The real costs of off-shoring Sandra Davison goes public The minister replies Missed the target? OK, we’ll change it A social worker writes Establishment didn’t turn up Seddon for Tory leader? July 2005 Freedom from command and control – the show You please some and upset others Seddon is a ‘lone voice’? Absenteeism is a symptom Minister defends targets The consequences of health policies Ambulance service gets the wrong solution Less “excellence” decreed in the public sector June 2005 Freedom from Command and Control… the show Vanguard is “the most exciting thing…” Why the CCA ‘best practice’ standard should be called the ‘sweat shop’ standard IiP takes a dive Audit Commission forces spend on doing the wrong thing righter Local politician likes Vanguard Minister gets benefits wrong How does the Prime Minister ‘get them to do it’? May 2005 Freedom from command and control… the show Want this show in your country? What went wrong in Rover? Ministers interfere with scanning Camden Council goes barmy The cops go barmy too Tony Blair speaks the truth!! Watch out for pretenders Vanguard’s housing solutions Vanguard creeping through ‘official’ channels April 2005 Want to be in the movies? Am I political? Is it 'political' to disagree with government? Mr Flight suffered a political downfall The reality at the coalface Am I a politician? Call centre rebellion Dates for your diary March 2005 Incredible CRM Get a tick? It makes you sick Consultation is not knowledge Evaluating Vanguard in Housing The tool heads are out there Going native A new event February 2005 Watch out for the toolheads NTL gets bad press Good cop Bad cop Solving planning problems Will new Labour save the NHS? Education suffers Performance indicators undermine performance Reflections from a financial services manager January 2005 The diseases started in the private sector Hello, how can I not help you? They are all doing it The ‘Customer Experience Director’ You are the BA representative More dumb telecomms design Automated work constipation BSI to the rescue! A happy and hopeful New Year December 2004 Rationalising government’s failure The evidence is on the table Coercion and ignorance are the modus operandi Ministers push up costs of NHS Civilian in disguise Calling the cops Making inspectors happy. Is anybody there? The Vanguard Academy November 2004 The seven sisters? Vanguard better than ‘Best Value’ Minister is in the dark The customer’s view Win awards! Push up costs and make service worse! NHS IT system costs up And government drives the human costs up De-regulation leads to worse service Bullying is on the up Bonuses reward speed over service October 2004 Dan agrees to acknowledge my ideas ISO lapse is an easy decision ISO numbers keep going down and up Assessors are known as the ‘seven sisters’ The NHS don’t want improvement A and E demand grows, but why? Sad, mad and glad: an intervention designed by dummies Systems observations of security Fit for the Future in German The Gershon Report September 2004 On being controversial Dan’s a naughty boy Simon’s a good boy ‘Not lean’ lean ‘Mean’ lean Good service is anything but standard Government beats public sector up Government wastes our money while doing nothing for our health You can’t be sure of Shell Vanguard goes Dutch August 2004 Ohno said Ohno didn’t say The purpose of lean Watch out for the tool heads Have the tool heads done it to you? Seddon at the Cumbrian IQA I’m glad I didn’t go to the NHS Audit Commission people are just like managers Doing the wrong thing righter July 2004 Ohno said The customer sets the nominal value The customer sets the nominal value (2) BSI chief should retract false claims for 'Quality' standard ISO 9000 just doesn’t work Is this excellence? The MBA not to avoid Another way to cheat our health The ministerial mind Vanguard funded by ODPM June 2004 ISO 9000: making work as if working Education, education, education = waste The talent of a current leader What is management’s job? Health minister does the wrong thing righter Doctor reveals the truth Will IT work in health? Vanguard events coming up May 2004 Leak reveals public sector reform is failing What does the Prime Minister deliver? The US is doing it too The burden of measurement The real causes of waste Institutionalised call centre waste And lawyers cause waste too Another example of designing waste in Feedback on Six Sigma April 2004 What the press is saying The plausible sold to the gullible The problems are the wrong problems You don’t need all that training Reporting distorts the system A grain of truth The statistics are misleading TQM on steroids Advance notice: The Lean Summit March 2004 Minister dumps targets NHS Direct A sure sign of madness No idea More nonsense in education Shall we save the monster? Next month SIX SIGMA: the beginning of the end February 2004 Reflections on the management factory Skiing – bad service by design What is the cost/benefit? You can’t change the factory with argument Urgency should come from leaders, not events So how do you set a target? January 2004 Change means change the system Why don’t ministers learn? Another bad ministerial habit I ask for a change of policy Targets just don’t work Unions make the wrong call The balanced score card Education: who loses? December 2003 Seddon shouldn't turn up Why does service cost more? Indian call centres eat our 'muda' Step 1 is 'get knowledge' The purpose of policing? How bad does it get? Feedback on the book Edinburgh group looking for friends November 2003 So how do you like the book? The man from the Audit Commission BSI must be desperate Managers fire the wrong people No need to cheat and lie The lean service machine I’ve never taught a tool in my life The Magician October 2003 Freedom from Command and Control The minister should be in the dock ISO 9000: the end is nigh NHS ‘Direct’? A visit to the Modernisation Agency September 2003 My new book: special offer to Newsletter readers We KNOW targets don’t work Stressed out Tony’s employment strategy More Six sigma feedback More on Intelligent management August 2003 Six sigma feedback ISO 9000 stalling in Japan No problems on the Japanese trains Health care set to go downhill in Germany The minister should change the measures Intelligent management? Lean Fundamentals – a new programme from Vanguard Seddon speaks! July 2003 How great was Jack? Did Jack ‘do’ six sigma? Call Centre NVQs The costs of poor service The Support Economy You have performed an illegal operation Seddon goes to Dublin June 2003 Vanguard opens in Ireland Audit Commission chairman declares regulation as waste A letter to the Health Secretary Government busted Vanguard Standards now available in Spanish May 2003 Regulation, regulation, regulation A lament on measurement Customer service? BSI and snakes BSI’s search for new markets The Case Against ISO 9000 – in Spanish April 2003 CRM is in trouble Vanguard call centre solution in the press Is BSI desperate? On the buses March 2003 Leadership: we need some theory Ignoring variation Causing variation Getting out into the work Using measures that pass the test How not to do it February 2003 Evidence to Select Committee Government web sites quiet Seddon and clients speak Planning tools tamper! Confusion marketing January 2003 What Tom Peters doesn't talk about Seddon gets bumped! Changing Management Thinking December 2002 Do lean manufacturing methods translate to service organisations? Seddon’s law Seddon promotes ‘tosh’ Will the Chancellor call? Public Sector news Targets - a dead horse? November 2002 Leadership - learning to see 2-D and 3-D: it is quite logical Call centres: the true purpose Seddon upsets the British Quality Foundation The balanced score card ISO 9000: 2000, will organisations convert? Seddon goes to Government October 2002 Incentives always get you less Learning to ‘see’ Destroying morale in the public sector Making targets in the health service But we know its all c**p Leaders just deny and blame Review of measures avoids knowledge Lord Goldsmith gets it right! Systems Thinking in the Public Sector Going lean in Dutch September 2002 Thanks to my readers! This call may be taped.... Heads Roll Design against demand Making it easy for ministers Systems Thinking in the Public Sector August 2002 Is anyone listening? Lets make more sales! Crime detection rates worsen - who is to blame? What is the purpose? What is a capability measure? Egan and the Housing Sector Systems Thinking in the Public Sector July 2002 The not so innovative Think Tank Targets damage policing CRM in the Public Sector The Deputy Prime Minister reviews housing targets Frameworks for EGAN compliance Using measures for performance improvement Systems Thinking in the Public Sector June 2002 ICL takes systems thinking around the world Trust - we need more of it Will Egan produce change in the construction sector? Standards obviate knowledge Specifying Loyalty May 2002 UK tax on health - where will it go? More bad news for ISO 9000 How do we complain against ISO 9000? New books from Vanguard Are call centre jobs going to India? Systems thinking in the public sector Signals from noise April 2002 Incentives don’t drive sales Service damages sales Lord Macdonald won’t talk to me Systems Thinking in the Public Sector - June 6th Scottish minister visits systems thinking in action Welsh government abandons Best Value What are we teaching our children? Signals from Noise March 2002 Police reform - will it work? Can you trust your doctor? Systems thinking in the public sector - event June 6th The PM shoots low More ISO 9000 b*ll*cks Seddon speaks at the home of ISO 9000 The costs of ‘make and sell’ The simplest changes are the hardest February 2002 Systems thinking in the public sector How to get the cops out? De Bono has right analysis but wrong answer Australian AQC goes under (!) Bad management starts at school More on bad behaviour fostered by ISO 9000 January 2002 The health service lottery Do you have any difficult people? More trouble with ISO 9000 From type 1 to type 2 A New Year offer December 2001 An apology to overseas readers Command and control is bad for your health Call Centre managers are not ready for systems thinking Health Service mania Seddon is silenced.. Oh really? Never mind the facts.. ISO 9000 corruption in Japan November 2001 Why do managers plan? Sick Sigma How much time in the classroom? Will the minister call? 2nd Lean Service Conference Vanguard seeks graduate trainee October 2001 Service standards worsen service Management doesn't make a difference - is management 'MAD'? What stops management acting? Will Human Rights Act be the beginning of the end for 'sweat shops'? Will call centres improve public services? Vanguard Network Day 2nd Lean Service Conference September 2001 Second Lean Service Conference CRM fails to deliver Local Authority misses the mark with CRM 'solution' Audit Commission invites comments on modernising public services Vanguard Standard for Customer Contact Centres ICL leads revolution in Help Desk management Vanguard events August 2001 Thoughts from the Umbrian countryside A Fireman writes Civil Service Master Classes Japan suffers under burden of ISO 9000 Sizzling Summer offer July 2001 Should Ministers get out of management? Just one horrid example ICL Help Desk event Japanese book going a storm Sizzling Summer offer June 2001 Do American theories apply abroad? It's NOT the people stupid! Your doctor is too busy Japan suffers as we did from ISO 9000 ICL 'Help Desk' event May 2001 What value does top management add? Meetings - the great alternative to work Should ministers get out of management? More news from Japan New Best Value seminar April 2001 Best Value: bureaucracy as waste Minimal IT for maximum profit Performance without appraisal ISO 9000: 2000 help from Japan 'The Case Against ISO 9000' reviewed in Japan Stop the Call Centre standard March 2001 Does change take time? Best Value - there is a better way Can IT be made to compute? More Call Centre articles Steve Parry goes west ISO 9000: 2000 debates February 2001 After the honeymoon Government is bad for your health Call Centre Guide down in price Management is responsible! ISO 9000 doing damage in the Philippines ISO 9000 causing depression in Japan January 2001 Cutting costs The madness of regulation Business Excellence Best Value Seddon Speaks! December 2000 Transformation: the story of a leader Transformation: a personal account Transformation: of what paradigm? More news on ISO 9000 November 2000 The Case Against ISO 9000 - out now! The Vanguard Standards available FREE Is this a U-turn? Vanguard Standards being translated in to Japanese October 2000 It's not the people, stupid! Toyota Japan rejects ISO 9000 Lothian Quality Forum Letter from a fireman September 2000 On Target to Achieve Nothing Is your call centre a sweat shop? ISO 9000: 2000 - news that may surprise you Lean Service conference August 2000 From 'push' to 'pull' - changing the paradigm for CRM Why is service costing more? Six Sigma - an insider's view Alison Abbey joins Vanguard July 2000 New audio-tape: “Introducing lean service” Targets don’t get you what you want New series of articles on partnering Lean Service Conference – October 24th 2000 June 2000 Lean Service Conference - October 24th 2000 Customer relationship management or what? Haldanes win Fife enterprise award From Buckingham to Bologna May 2000 A new lean tactic AXA help desk wins chief executive's prize Bad advice on call centres A visitor from Japan April 2000 The new Vanguard web site Back to the drawing board? A visitor from Japan Vanguard events in the UK March 2000 Are your customers getting through? The new Vanguard web site Vanguard events in the UK A visitor from Japan February 2000 Systems thinking on the rise A rejoinder to the IT Y2K question Vanguard events in the UK The ISO 9000 year 2000 revision January 2000 Is IT bugging you? 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