I was browsing an intranet and found this story from Peter Scott that I really liked. My reflections are below:

It was a nice brisk morning in an otherwise sunny Stockport and I was aboard the early Bus into the Office. With the schools closed for the summer and many on vacation the roads were quite clear.

The driver sped us down the A6 barely stopping to allow passengers on, and speeding away again while they dealt with the exchange of fares. Needless to say the journey was brisk and jostling for a seat on a moving bus was the payment for the benefit of a faster than normal journey. I was smiling as I got up for my stop, because it had been a fast trip.

It was then that I heard the radio in the Driver's cab, and the instructions coming through asking Drivers to slow down and keep to the timetable and to not speed down the routes.

I gave a small laugh at this but then thought about it. If the driver had slowed his pace, and taken time to allow passengers on, sort out their fare, and maybe smile and exchange a pleasantry or two we would have kept to the schedule and customer service may well have been better. In addition some passengers could have caught this bus, rather than missing it because it ran ahead of schedule.

In terms of our own work, on Projects that are delivering at a pace, the velocity we burn down our functions/backlog seems a key driver. Yet because of this experience with the Bus I am reminded that we are all part of a wider set of outcomes, where our collective dependencies are what delivers the exceptional results for our Business.

Like the Bus Driver, who needed to understand how his Bus fits into the overall service and ensure it plays its part, we need to ensure we deliver at the pace and quality that is needed by others and not just how fast we can complete things alone.

We will deliver extraordinary results by understanding our synergies and not simply how fast we can go.

Thank you Peter. Here are my take-aways:

⚖️ Balancing Speed with Service Quality: Just as the bus driver's rapid pace potentially compromised passenger service and schedule adherence, in business, the relentless pursuit of speed can sometimes overshadow the importance of quality and customer satisfaction. This aligns with the 'Customer Care' and 'Operations' areas of your BIG PICTURE canvas. It's a reminder that while efficiency is crucial, it should not come at the cost of service quality and customer experience;

🌐 Understanding the Broader Impact of Individual Actions: The bus driver's focus on speed, while beneficial in one aspect, had unintended consequences on the overall service system. This mirrors the interconnectedness of different business areas in your BIG PICTURE framework, particularly highlighting the 'Management' and 'Partners' aspects. It underscores the importance of recognising how individual actions and decisions impact the broader business ecosystem, influencing outcomes beyond immediate tasks;

🎯 Synergy Over Solo Speed: The story culminates in the realization that collective efforts and understanding dependencies are key to achieving exceptional business outcomes. This is a direct reflection of your BIG PICTURE's emphasis on the 'Customer Journey' through various business areas. It suggests that true excellence is achieved not just through individual speed or efficiency but through collaboration and a shared understanding of the end-to-end process,