Skip to main content

is your "score", you?


Avid Andy begins to wonder if he may be schizophrenic.  Or could it be a sign of true genius when he can see a problem from all sides? Andy was reflecting on a service meeting that happened last week.  Conversation was around our ability to objectively measure things and make better decisions. At the center of almost any measurement environment are the fundamentals of math. To determine priority or influence, it seems logical when dealing with inanimate objects like sensors, assets, and sites in a portfolio to move towards "point-based systems". The real dilemma for Andy seemed to comes when we begin scoring humans and letting pre-determined algorithms establish an individuals path.



Our service meeting quickly changed from tactical to philosophical discussions and one of the technicians, Pragmatic Paul, made mention of a black mirror program (Netflix) named "Nosedive".   In this futuristic episode, an individuals score dictates their behavior and those surrounding them, are we paving this road?   It seemed reasonable to create points of measurement that could be used to gauge a workers fit for a job, skills, proximity, cost, billable rate, etc.  What happens if those scores are used for tangential purposes. How about your value to the organization is based off of these performance scores?  Possibly the scores of people that you run with most frequently have an impact?  What about scores regarding your personality type or relationship you may have with another employee or even a customer?  Could the score be impacted by your age, your ethnicity, your ability to deliver a full day's work? 



As we endeavor down the path of providing the best person for any service situation, we need to keep a mindful eye to the future.  Intelligence today, without mention of governance, could result in a bumpy future filled with the best intentions.



-----

Next post:  from the field to the office
Labels:

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Is custom software in 2019 spelled EGO?

I still struggle , as do many, with the rationalization between building software and buying software. Microsoft Excel , likely one of the most widely recognized packaged software applications, was released over 30 years ago . My guess is not many people would consider building a custom piece of software which performs math and other worksheet related tasks. While this is an obvious example, it highlights an important factor for many in deciding between custom and configurable software solutions . Fact is, everybody understands how Microsoft Excel works. Let's mix it up a bit and add the opinions that you have regarding what makes your approach to business so special.   The things that you do, in an industry, which are totally unique to your competitors.   This is where it gets a bit murky, we must tease out the transactional components from the value add aspects of software.   For instance, you use a staffing system to help find, manage, and retain internal and external
Post a Comment
Read more

entusiastic about preventative maintenance

Why do I really care if my field technicians are enthusiastic or not? When you look at a person's work output, as directly related to workforce sciences, you come up with three primary ingredients required to achieve your desired results.   These ingredients are; attitudes, attributes, and capabilities and when mixed properly with enabling tools can yield unbelievable outputs. So what does any of this have to do with routine maintenance? If your maintenance routines actually become way too routine then pretty soon performance will be replaced with complacency. In order to keep any piece of equipment running as trouble-free as possible the maintenance performed, and the thoroughness of the inspection and tasks at hand, have a direct impact on the asset's life expectancy.   There are some strategies that help service organizations keep the enthusiasm at all-time highs. Switch techs from time to time :   One of the best ways to ensure maintenance is being performed prope
Post a Comment
Read more

no one told you when to run

From the clients perspective, what is the perfect service call? "To interpret my field conditions and apply a solution which resolves the issue immediately and ensures trouble-free long-term operation. Delivered by a professional, courteous, empathetic, appropriately skilled, years of experience, materials required for repair, a good listener, and one that treats me as if I am their only customer; amen"! As you might expect the perfect service call is really a blend of attitudes, attributes, and capabilities. The trick is, while we all may agree that these aspects make the perfect service call, endeavoring to achieve these results is becoming increasingly more difficult. Our customers, with their visibility and awareness of our activities, raise the bar regarding the level of service that we need to provide. Let's unpack a few of these elements: Appropriately skilled :   haven't we all had this discussion in the past?   My workers are all
Post a Comment
Read more