“I got to a point where I realised the real opportunity for me to make a difference is to actually start working on the system of work that sits behind or within the contact centre. And if I can effect a change there, even by a little a bit, it wouldn’t just impact a few hundred employees it could potentially impact thousands or a couple of hundred thousand people working in call centres in Australia”
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Tim Buzza and the team at IAG have achieved the impossible, they have created a system for people to self-manage their rosters, at scale, without any additional review or approval.
This is anything but a podcast about rostering, its a unique insights into how the human systems in your contact centre can flourish when you focus on trust, flexibility and collaboration.
Here are some of the highlights:
How they went about creating an app for hundreds of people to self manage roster changes.
The innovative feedback loop in place so people know if they have made a helpful change or not.
The transformative impacts this has had on the lives of the people working there.
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Show notes
- Tim talks why the stakes are so high in self-organising rosters and schedules and the impacts on the people who interact with the system that is created to manage rostering. (1:24)
- A quick dive into systems theory (4:34)
- Tim talks about his background, previous jobs and career that has led him to live a life of impact (8:24)
- Tim talks about his first roles in contact centres and the positive impact leadership can have in the lives of people in contact centres (10:47)
- The culture that exists can be a response to the systemic forces on a contact centre and while it may look positive on the surface, it may be hiding problems (13:37)
- We talk about ‘Switch’ as a solution to improve flexibility and control over the rostering process to people’s rosters (16:01)
- How they iterated to create ‘Switch’ (22:51)
- How they built a feedback loop into the system so people knew if the change they made was helpful or unhelpful (24:33)
- How trust and reciprocity is the foundation of the solution (26:13)
- Another quick dive into systems thinking to explain why this solution works on a large scale (29:35)
- Tim talks about the real ways they have had a positive effect on the people that work at IAG (35:19)
- The app’s impact on mental health and well being (40:07)
- How leaders have benefited (43:23)
- Tim shares a case study of a team members experience and benefits since implementing ‘Switch’ (46:17)
- Concept of trust and reciprocity is explored and flexibility in the workplace (55:21)
- Next steps for ‘Switch’ (57:41)
- What to do if you wanted to create self-organising teams in your contact centre (59:30)
- Tim talks human connection and isolation the current state of work as he sees it and what he sees as the opportunity (1:02:18)
References
- Cynefin framework – system thinking model https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cynefin_framework
https://hbr.org/2007/11/a-leaders-framework-for-decision-making
- Wizard of Oz experiment https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wizard_of_Oz_experiment
- The Lean Start-up http://theleanstartup.com/
- Human centred design https://www.wired.com/insights/2013/12/human-centered-design-matters/
- Warwick Endinburgh mental health score https://warwick.ac.uk/fac/sci/med/research/platform/wemwbs/
- Rachel Botsman on trust https://rachelbotsman.com
- Reinventing organisations – Q&Q with Author Federic Laloux https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gcS04BI2sbk
- A great illustration of Lean and Agile Adoption with the Laloux Culture Model
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=g0Jc5aAJu9g
Books
- Spiral Dynamics: Mastering Values, Leadership and Change – Don Edward Beck
https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/204687.Spiral_Dynamics?from_search=true&qid=3f1WyzNhw8&rank=4
- Dying for a paycheck - Jeffrey Pfeffer https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/35181013-dying-for-a-paycheck?from_search=true&qid=h8wOUdnrNy&rank=1
- Drive – Dan Pink
https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/6452796-drive?from_search=true&qid=tYkNGd4b9Z&rank=1
- When – Dan Pink
https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/35412097-when?from_search=true&qid=TSp3eewa1H&rank=1
Podcast
- Eat, sleep, work, repeat
https://podcasts.apple.com/au/podcast/eat-sleep-work-repeat/id1190000968
https://open.spotify.com/show/5KUW5Lu36O4nnfIFqIIUh4
