Tag Archives: management

Dial ‘F’ For Failure

Posted on May 16, 2013 by InspGuilfoyle

The NHS recently launched its non-emergency 111 number. Staffed by ‘a team of fully trained advisers’, the scheme’s aim is to quickly and accurately identify the most appropriate medical response to the caller’s needs. What’s important to note is that … Continue reading →

Posted in Systems thinking | Tagged blame, demand, division of labour, management, nhs, risk aversion, systems thinking, variety | 5 Comments

My Name is Bill King

Posted on May 12, 2013 by InspGuilfoyle

‘Bilking’ (also known as ‘making off without payment’) was an offence under the Theft Act 1978. The most common forms include running off from a taxi without paying the fare, running off from a restaurant without paying for your dinner, … Continue reading →

Posted in Systems thinking | Tagged assumptions, management, policy, risk management, systems thinking | 2 Comments

Finding the Source

Posted on April 18, 2013 by InspGuilfoyle

As I go about my formal and informal research into the effects of target-driven performance management, I regularly have conversations with people at all levels of organisations. One thing I’ve found is that the people at the very top of … Continue reading →

Posted in Systems thinking | Tagged assumptions, binary comparisons, blame, command and control, decision making, management, measures, organisational culture, performance management, police, systems thinking, targets | 6 Comments

Panic!

Posted on April 13, 2013 by InspGuilfoyle

There’s… “Panic on the streets of London! Panic on the streets of Birmingham!” So says the song of the same title by UK band The Smiths, anyway. The true story that follows (yes, I’ve caved in to popular demand and … Continue reading →

Posted in Systems thinking | Tagged assumptions, binary comparisons, data, decision making, knee jerk reactions, management, measures, performance management, performance measurement, systems thinking | 6 Comments

One Thing Leads To Another

Posted on March 27, 2013 by InspGuilfoyle

Being as I know you love my artwork, I thought I’d treat you to this pictorial representation of a particularly nasty little cycle that is behind a lot of serious organisational failures. Look at the sort of stuff that starts … Continue reading →

Posted in Systems thinking | Tagged blame, command and control, cover your back, criticism, management, nhs, performance management, short blog post, systems thinking, targets | 11 Comments

This Time Last Year

Posted on March 9, 2013 by InspGuilfoyle

Question: What have these four things got in common? 1. Choosing a random number generated by a lottery machine. 2. Reading tea leaves. 3. Blindfolding yourself and sticking a pin in a board. 4. Tossing a coin. Answer: They’re all better methods of … Continue reading →

Posted in Systems thinking | Tagged binary comparisons, control charts, management, performance management, systems thinking, variation | 7 Comments

Must Try Harder

Posted on March 5, 2013 by InspGuilfoyle

Remember the heady days of last year’s ‘Bad Performance Measurement On Tour’ blog posts, where objects of ridicule such as targets for dog poo collection were cruelly exposed and roundly mocked for your delectation? Well, that series sparked a call-to-arms for … Continue reading →

Posted in Systems thinking | Tagged comparisons, education, gaming, league tables, management, performance management, schools, systems thinking, targets, teaching | 6 Comments

A System Fit For Heroes

Posted on March 3, 2013 by InspGuilfoyle

When I was 10, my favourite TV series was ‘Cover Up’. Recently I even found the title sequence on Youtube, with its soundtrack of Bonnie Tyler’s Holding Out for a Hero. Class! (I actually remember buying the 7″ single with … Continue reading →

Posted in Systems thinking | Tagged command and control, management, systems, systems thinking, targets, vietnam, war | 3 Comments

Barking Up The Wrong Tree

Posted on March 1, 2013 by InspGuilfoyle

“The system must be held to account!” How often do you hear that in the wake of the latest scandal? Not that often. Usually, it’s “People must be held to account! / Who is responsible? / This must never happen … Continue reading →

Posted in Systems thinking | Tagged assumptions, blame, command and control, deming, education, error management, management, nhs, organisational culture, performance management, police, risk management, systems thinking | 12 Comments

Free Beer!

Posted on February 23, 2013 by InspGuilfoyle

Right, hopefully the title will have drawn you in (I’ve fallen for it myself three times whilst writing this blog post). If you stay to the end you’ll see the reason for it anyway. Unfortunately this time I’m not going … Continue reading →

Posted in Systems thinking | Tagged assumptions, deming, management, performance management, systems thinking | 14 Comments