Power to the people

Its hard for backers to cede power to managers or management to their staff. But in services businesses, empowering front line staff  and freeing them from unnecessary bureaucracy is the best way to manage customers.

Take Buurtzorg, as a shining example of this in action. Formed in 2006 in Holland, it now employs 8000 community care nurses who operate in autonomous teams and are able to deliver better care, for less hours with a fraction of the management overhead traditional health models need. The customer experience is far superior to the old public system, the nurses are far happier and the public purse is 40% better off.  Buurtzorg now delivers the majority of community health care in Holland (only 9 years from set up to become market leader is quite some feat for a private enterprise) and is expanding around the world.

Professionally qualified staff are the best people to serve and manage customers but are frustrated and hindered from doing so by their managers and backers. In many businesses this is an ‘open secret’, where the professionals know whats wrong with the system (lack of trust mostly) but management don’t. Shifting the power and making frontline staff responsible and accountable for customer outcomes can be a smart way to change performance. Your staff know how to do it, if you care to find out.

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