Essential kit – the 7 elements

The essential kit : building your business for customers 
Over the last few years, whilst developing our practice, we noticed certain familiar patterns of practices and behaviours within our client organisations. We co-ordinated our reading and research to build a model to aid our consulting approach which evolved through stages until the Wheel arrived. With our passion and curiosity for people and their organisations, we created a medium for starting great conversations about how we see ourselves and our organisations.

Seeing the whole organisation
We work with a “system” approach which sees an organisation as a series of connected parts run by human beings with different levels of skill and motivation. It helps to look at the various parts and dynamics as individual elements, knowing they are all connected and impact each other, then to be able to step back and look at the bigger picture. An effective organisation operates in a way that maximises the quality of connection between its parts – everyone in their roles and everything you built to provide your service or product.

The wingivers essential service kit wheel

We devised a “Service Kit” comprising 7 elements – the critical components of a successful service business. With you, we investigate activity in each Element assessing positive or potentially negative impact on the business.

We have a more detailed series of statements and questions which we use with a simple scoring process and measures called Service Indicators which identify those helpful or unhelpful behaviours and practices familiar to you in your organisation, scoring each indicator, Red, Amber or Green.service business. Then we placed them in a wheel – a simple image to show they are inter-connected and part of a moving, functional operation. development, hot spots and opportunities.

We created a summary of each Element as a starter for 10.With you, we unpick the characteristics and agenda of each Element and assess its positive or potentially negative influence on the business. The Wheel is a visual summary of behaviour and practices in each of the 7 Elements.
It creates an easy way in to a conversation about your organisation; its strengths, areas for

The completed Wheel is not a science, but it is a very good way of focusing on characteristics of your enterprise and will form the basis of a stimulating dialogue because of the questions and explanations it generates.

The 7 elements

Internal branding
The brand runs through every part of your business – like the name running through a stick of rock – your people, machinery and systems. Recent research shows that identification with the brand is an important factor in people’s relationship with their business. It also means that if your staff have taken the essence and promise of the brand to their own hearts, the customer will get it. They need to be able to experience the life of the brand inside your business. There is no better way of passing on that pride, enthusiasm and essence of what you and your product is about than in the belief and passion of your people.
“Execs in the retail and grocery sector estimated that 70% of customer perceptions of their experience tended to be driven by people to people moments.” Chartered Inst of Marketing; The Brand Inside Jul. 2002

Leaders who serve
We believe that rule number one for leaders is to create and maintain conditions at the customer front end to build the best possible service experience. This requires leaders to develop two things; first an attitude of service towards the business and its staff, second the skills to encourage pride, responsibility and loyalty amongst staff. We doubt the validity of management thinking that focuses on getting staff to achieve management-owned results. It misplaces emphasis on ownership and motivation.

Engaged staff
Happy, engaged people are twice as productive as unhappy disengaged staff ….. and the gap increases in a difficult economic climate. We help you to develop the relationships, attitude and motivation with a singular purpose; get your staff engaged in the performance of their part of the organisation. People with an element of self determination and influence have a lot more energy and responsibility to offer. It creates a powerful dynamic when your organisation feels like it is “co-owned” by a body of people who are as engaged in its performance as you are.

Systems & processes
We stand for every part of your organisation to be built for your donors and beneficiaries. All the machinery, systems and processes has the potential to be aligned, focused and integrated in its singular purpose of adding value to your service proposition. We work with you to get your ducks in a row to deliver memorable, repeatable service every day.

Common goals
We encourage a sharp and widely held focus on exactly what you are aiming to do. This is by helping you clarify your organisation purpose, strategy and objectives – then get them expressed in every day terms and understood by all. Total effort within the organisation is much more focused when everyone is clear about simple, measureable targets.

Top team impact
The thinking and behaviour of the board/senior management is experienced throughout the business – it is a well founded natural law of business. The actions, values and beliefs at the centre work their way throughout and are eventually passed on to the customer. We support top teams to be conscious, skilful and integral when pass on this chain of communication and impact their team and customers.

“42”
Anything else in your enterprise that helps you deliver your service to your clients. This 7th element, whatever is in it, is completely integrated with the other 6 – they are all woven together to make up the whole

• According to Douglas Adams in, “The Hitchhikers Guide To The Galaxy”, The answer to the ultimate question of life, the universe, and everything
• The number of laws of cricket
• Rule Forty-two in Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland, (“All persons more than a mile high to leave the court”).
• The angle in degrees for which a rainbow appears
• Our original Wheel had 6 elements. Then we saw that we had not left room for things to add. So we made it 7, (and 6×7=42)