ASTDOrange County

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ASTD-Orange County

• Appreciative Inquiry Case Study
• Achieving Service Excellence
• in the City of Anaheim
• Presenters
• Connie Phillips
• Sharon Lieder

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Agenda

• How it all started
• How it was set it up
• Appreciative Inquiry
• The Service Model
• The Outcomes
•     
•  What's ahead.

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Overview of the Anaheim Service Initiative
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Challenges

• More than smile training
• Engaging fresh
• Something that would last

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Systems Mind Map
Communication
Top Leadership Sponsorship/Support
Training
Org.-wide and Focused Initiatives
Technology Tools
Customer Service Enhancement
Recognition Rewards
Customer Service Standards/Expectations
Policies Procedures Barriers
Employee/Customer Satisfaction Surveys
Stakeholder/Employee Data Gathering
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A Key Early Design Principle

• We felt that discovering what people and the
  organization are already excelling at, as opposed
  to generating a list of problems to fix, would be
  more energizing and help accelerate buy-in.
• Connie Phillips, Training and OD Manager,
  The City of Anaheim

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Initial Desired Outcomes

• Customer Service Excellence
• Identify Best Practices for Service Excellence
• Identify Obstacles to achieving Excellence
• Establish Customer Service Expectations
• Consultant Expertise
• Provide Large-System Change Mgt. Expertise
• Help Create Structures to Lead the effort

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OD Basics for Large System Change

• Systems approach
• Models Principles
• Contracting at the top
• Consultant teamwork
• Structure to lead and guide the effort
• People support what they help create
• Education of everyone involved

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Organization Structure
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Time Line

• Phase 1 July 2003 Feb 2004
• Phase 2 Feb 2004 Feb 2005
• Phase 3 Feb 2005 on going
• Phase 4 June 2006 -

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Service Excellence
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Next Steps

• Reviewed data from an earlier management meeting
• Identified themes
• Became the topics of inquiry

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Topics of Inquiry

• 1a. Employee Practices - Internal Service Other
  City Departments, Units or Persons
• 1b. Employee Practices - External Service
  Residents, Business Visitors
• Policies and Procedures
• Customer-focused Policies Procedures
• Technology
• Application of Technology to Enhance Service
  Satisfaction

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Topics of Inquiry

• Recognition and Rewards
• Appreciation Acknowledgement Programs or
  Practices that Encourage Service Customer-focus
• Leadership
• Leadership Leadership Practices that Model or
  Create Unsurpassed Service
• Interdepartmental Partnering
• Inter-departmental Teamwork Partnering with
  outside Organizations

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Appreciative Inquiry Intervention
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AI A Brief Introduction

• A Philosophy and a Methodology
• A form of organizational analysis OD practice
• As a practical philosophy,
• invites us to search for ask about what is
  energizing life-enhancing
• explore hopes dreams for the future.

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AI A Brief Introduction

• As a methodology,
• involves people in creating the environment they
  want to live in.
• As a form of organizational analysis OD
  practice
• Informal ways within a team or department
• More formal organization-wide interventions

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Key AI Principles

• Positive images create positive action. A vivid
  imagination compels the whole body to obey it. -
  Aristotle.
• There is potential within people organizations
  waiting to be discovered.
• The more affirming life-giving the question,
  the more it creates positive, long-lasting
  change.

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Appreciative Inquiry Intervention

• Development of the AI Questions and Lead-ins
• Interviewer Selection and Training
• Selection of Service Stars/Interviewees
• Conduct Interviews, Consolidate Data, and
  Analysis
• The AI Summit

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Sample AI Questions

• Tell a story about how you provided excellent
  service to another unit or a person within the
  City.
• Who was involved? What did you most value about
  them and about yourself in this situation?
• Put yourself in your customer's shoes. What do
  you think they would say if we asked them what
  makes this organization best-in-class in
  delivering service?

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Interviewer Selection

• Internal interviewers
• Criteria for Selection
• Already skilled at interviewing
• Positive attitude
• Good reputation for customer service
• Excellent listening skills
• Complete the Contract
• Preparation training
• Interview, report
• Attend Summit

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Interviewer Training

• Attended Half-day Training
• Received an AI Interviewer Manual
• Conducted an initial interview, recorded results
• Received coaching and feedback prior to
  conducting remainder of interviews

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Service Superstars Selection

• Seen as going the extra mile
• Demonstrate care and concern for customers
• Positive team players
• Pass acceptance-by-peers test
• Cross section of organization
• Referrals from other best performers

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Overview of Interview Process

• Sixty-seven people from thirteen departments
• Front line, administrative, staff, managers,
  internal external service providers
• The principles at work
• The reactions

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Data Analysis

• Formed a Data Consolidation Team
• Interviewers transcribed their notes in a table
  by question number and code.
• S Story Q Quote P Practice
• Single document created and then sorted
• Data Team and OD Team further refined input for
  use at the Summit

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AI Summit Overview

• Desired Outcomes
• Create a positive, momentum-building experience
• Gain consensus on best practices and standards
  for Service Excellence
• Decide on next steps
• Attendees
• Policy Steering Committees
• Executive Sponsor
• All interviewers
• OD Team

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AI Summit Design
Re-connect Re-energize
Review Analyze Data
Prepare reports Present findings
Reflect on Learnings
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Outcomes and Learnings
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Outcomes and Learnings

• Creation of a Final Report Key Document
• Emerged with a unifying, inspiring Anaheim
  Service Initiative Vision Statement
• Development of common, shared service
  expectations Employee Commitments
• Confirmed the model of Service Excellence

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Outcomes Learnings

• Roll-out, communication, expanded engagement of
  employees at all levels
• All-Manager Meetings
• Link to Leadership Development
• Mgrs tool kits for Department roll-outs
• Video
• New Employee Orientation
• Selection Interview questions

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Outcomes Learnings

• Implementation of Over 50 Recommendations
• Leadership Practices, Technology application,
  Partnering between departments, etc.)
• Front Line Task Force Created
• (Validation, Dealing with Difficult Customer
  Guidelines, Shoppers Program)
• Recognition of Who is our customer!

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Video Prepare, Care and Serve

• The Employee Commitments come to life.
• A tool for engaging the workforce
• Show key principles of service excellence
• A communication tool (See Systems Model)

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Where We are Now

• From Frontline Task Force
• Upgrades to information systems
• (intranet)
• Phones/Operatorsgt 311
• Disruptive Customers Solutions

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Whats Ahead

• 311 and information systems
• Self serve internet options
• One stop permit system
• Customized solutions for departments

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Closing Thoughts

• AI opened minds and gave permission to look
  beyond bureaucratic boundaries
• People are looking for positive examples of
  service
• Theres an increased desire to share these
  stories of service excellence
• People feel engaged at the heart
• AI is a powerful OD methodology for change

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• Shibumi!

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Resources

• The Power of Appreciative Inquiry A Practical
  Guide to Positive Change. Whitney, D,
  Trosten-Bloom, A. (2003). Berrett-Kohler
• Appreciative Inquiry Change at the Speed of
  Imagination. Watkins, J. Mohr, B. (2001).
  Jossey-Bass/Pfeiffer
• Encyclopedia of Positive Questions Vol 1.
  Whitney, D., Cooperrider, D.L., Trosten-Bloom,
  A., Kaplin, B. (2002). Lakeshore Communications
• Appreciative Inquiry Handbook The First in a
  Series of AI Workbooks for Leaders of Change
  (Book CD), (2003) Cooperrider, Whitney,
  Stavros, Lakeshore Communications
• Website http//ai.cwru.edu/

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For more information

• Article
• Achieving Service Excellence in the
• City of Anaheim
• An Appreciative Inquiry Case Study
• by Gavares, Lieder Phillips
• OD Practitioner Vol 37, No 3 2005
• (Journal of the Organization Development Network)

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To Contact Us

• Connie Phillips, M.S, M.A
• Training Organization Development Manager
• City of Anaheim
• 717-765-5256
• CPhillips1_at_anaheim.net
• www.anaheim.net
• Sharon Lieder, MBA
• President
• Lieder Consulting Group
• 619-296-4696
• LiederGrp_at_aol.com
• www.LiederConsultingGroup.com