My experience of being an apprentice…

Thursday 16th May 2013 – 12:30 PM

I didn’t really know what career path I wanted to take after leaving school, but it wasn’t too much of an issue at the time. Like most of my friends, I earned a living working several jobs behind the bar and waitressing at a local restaurant.

Kirsty Britton

I got by, but more and more I was thinking about my life and a career. I couldn’t really afford to go back to study full-time, but I had heard about apprenticeships – an opportunity to earn whilst you learn. However, at 23, I didn’t think this was an option; surely I was too old to start learning something new?

Anyway, whilst out and about with friends, I came across a job at a local salon for an admin assistant. It sounded like something I
would enjoy and the extra cash was welcome at the time. I enquired and the salon manager informed me that they were looking for an apprentice and gave me the details. I was surprised to see that I was still within the age bracket (16-24) and after a bit of research and several interviews later, I was offered the job as a trainee Business Administration Assistant and would be working whilst I studied for an NVQ qualification at Wirral Metropolitan College.

Having met with the college tutors and my new employer, I was ready for the challenge and I was excited to get started. My family were proud and I could finally start to settle in to a routine of work, learning something new and gaining experience.

12 months in to my apprenticeship, I was feeling really enthusiastic and wanted to take my learning further. Unfortunately though, the salon wasn’t able to support me to the level I needed and after a review with the college, I started a fresh here at ICE.

I quickly settled in to my new role as trainee Business Administration Assistant – there was lots of room for me to grow and develop and I learned something new everyday. Working in such a fast-paced organisation meant that there were lots of opportunities for me to get involved in different projects such as research, events and campaign support. But most of all, I enjoyed working as part of the operations team, supporting the executive assistant to our CEO and supporting the wider organisation on a day to day basis.

By combining my skills from previous jobs with my new found skills in administration and customer service, I was able to gain more responsibility within ICE. My confidence grew and I became one of the team.

Whilst I was really enjoying what I was doing and was experiencing new things everyday, it was a challenge and I had to stay focused at all times. As well as undertaking tasks at work, learning news skills and techniques, I also had to keep on track with my college coursework, but being Dyslexic meant I struggled to write and I found it a challenge at times to carry out tasks as well and as quickly as I wanted to. Having a good relationship with my college tutor helped as I was able to raise this and find different ways to make this work. Not only that, but having the support from the whole team at ICE meant that I could successfully complete my NVQ Level 3 in Business Administration.

This was a real achievement for me and I was so proud when I was offered a permanent job within ICE, supporting the operations team. It’s been almost six months now and already I’m growing within the organisation – learning something new everyday and developing my skills. I’ve faced some tough challenges along the way, but they have been worth it and I’m really enjoying my new career. I’ve made some good friends too and have never looked back.

 

Kirsty Britton, ICE Creates Ltd

By icecreates | Posted in Uncategorized | Comments (0)

Walking this way for ‘National Walking Month’

Thursday 9th May 2013 – 10:30 AM

In December 2012, the National Travel Survey published results showing a 24% decline in the amount of walking a person did. Not only that, but the number of children walking to school has also fallen with just 49% of primary school children and 38% of secondary school children walking to school, according to reports.

Taking this into consideration, national charity, Living Streets, introduced May as ‘National Walking Month‘ to highlight the benefits of walking and encourage the nation to get a bit more active. Throughout the month, awareness raising activities such as ‘Walk to Work Week’ (13th-17th) and ‘Walk to School Week’ (20th-24th) will be taking place right across the country in an attempt to transform the health and fitness of our nation.

At ICE, we’re already a pretty active team – Monday morning catch-ups are usually centred around the weekends’ activities; family days out, bike rides and walks in the country. We’re not shy of a bit of exercise on our days off!

However, with the majority of us being office-based, it’s really difficult to keep the motivation we had over the weekend and stay active throughout the week. Like many others, our lunch breaks are usually spent eating at our desks and for practical reasons (many of us commute quite a distance), most of us drive to work or use public transport such as the train.

But when ‘National Walking Month’ launched last week, it got us thinking about what we can do and how we can start to introduce walking into our daily activities – with some of the benefits of walking being reduced stress and improved concentration, why wouldn’t we want to get our legs moving a bit more?!

Walking boots

We know only too well how important it is to stay active and take care of our own health, but we also know that it’s not as easy as it sounds…

So, throughout May, as a team and with friends and families, we’re going to get active and walk as much as we can, when we can, especially during the working week.

Here at ICE HQ, we’re really lucky to have a great place to walk on our doorstep and so, instead of eating our sandwiches whilst catching up on emails, we’re going to be stretching our legs and getting some fresh air!

We did this as a group last summer and not only did we see and feel the benefits, but it was actually really fun!

We’ll keep track of all the walking trips and places we visit and share them with the thousands of people around the UK taking part in ‘National Walking Month’.

ICE Creates Ltd, (danielle.dixon@icecreates.com / 0845 5193 423)

By icecreates | Posted in Uncategorized | Comments (0)

The Great British Class Calculator – worth it?

Thursday 11th April 2013 – 11:30 AM

In January 2011, the BBC Lab, along with sociologists from leading universities launched ‘The Great British Class Survey’ to  more than 160,000 people in an attempt to create a new ‘class model’. The results from which revealed a new system made up of seven groups (Elite, Established Middle Class, Technical Middle Class, New Affluent Workers, Emergent Workers, Traditional Working Class and Precariat).

Last week, the BBC published the ‘Great British Class Calculator’ to allow the public to see where they fit in to the new system.

Now, I agree that the traditional divisions of upper, middle and working class are out of date and I agree that they no longer reflect the modern way of living (of course, we’re in the 21st Century and times have changed, people have different lifestyles and occupations), but I’m really struggling to get my head around how this test can determine where in the social class system you lie and actually, what benefit there is to knowing this.

For those that have tried the calculator, you’ll know that the five questions ask you to select your income after tax range, whether you own or rent a property, your savings (including pensions etc.) range, the occupations of those you socialise with and what cultural activities you take part in.

At first, I was reluctant to try it; to me, I didn’t think it mattered what class I was (is this a generation thing?) but a few of my colleagues took the test and most were surprised at where they ranked (ranging from Elite, Established Middle Class, Technical Middle Class and New Affluent Workers). It certainly got the conversation going in the office and the general consensus was the same – no-one really knew how this calculator worked and how it would benefit us in the future.

So, being the inquisitive person I am, I gave in and tried the calculator… and then felt really agitated when I was ranked as ‘Precariat’. Not because, as they state, precariat is ‘the most deprived class of all with low levels of economic, cultural and social capital’ or that ‘the everyday lives of members of this class are precarious and often forgotten’. I feel as though this new system pigeon-holes people, unnecessarily. I’m not saying this because of how I am classed socially – I’m in my 20′s, a marketing practitioner, working full time and living in rented accommodation. Ok, I chose not to go to university, I don’t socialise with doctors or scientists and I don’t know any millionaires, but the situation I am in is what it is. There are people far worse off than myself; families and communities living in deprived areas that don’t have a choice. I can’t imagine how they must feel – this new class system doesn’t appear to take them in to account or to fairly categorise individuals.

But then, how can it? How can you tell from those five questions whether or not someone is poor, rich, cultured or not?

To me, what this system and five step survey does is highlight the fact that an already flawed system – albeit out of date and in need of updating – has been replaced with a system that appears just as flawed, if not more so.

Putting my opinion aside (which you may or may not share) about the new class system and where it suggests people ‘fit’, the survey does suggest one thing about the great British public and that is that we are an engaged, social media loving nation.

The class calculator attracted around six million page views, with about 1.9 million being accessed on a mobile or tablet. The page itself was shared more than 300,000 times, mostly across social networking sites such as Facebook and Twitter.

Interesting…

 

 

Danielle Dixon, ICE Creates Ltd (danielle.dixon@icecreates.com / 0845 5193 423)

By icecreates | Posted in Other | Comments (0)

Can we all learn from something from F1′s superstars?

Wednesday 27th March 2013 – 10:30 AM

In his latest BBC column, ‘How keeping it simple makes me faster’, Lewis Hamilton explains his philosophy now that he’s driving for Mercedes, since moving from McLaren at the end of last season. I particularly found this an interesting read, not just as a big F1 and Lewis Hamilton fan, but because my job as an Organisational Change Practitioner helps people to improve work systems.

In the article, it was really clear that Lewis has great clarity of purpose, which helped him and his team focus on improvements that can support them in achieving that purpose.

“The key is to make it simpler, without getting rid of stuff that I might need to make the car go quicker.”

It also helps understand what is normal, what is unusual and what is special.

“I still want to be able to change my car settings… I want to have just what I need and not add extra stuff that I will only need once in a blue moon.”

F1 has always been at the forefront of technology, where small changes all add up to improve performance, so it’s not a surprise that Lewis and Mercedes realise changes don’t always have to be huge, but that small steps of continuous improvement make a difference.

“In total, that might be 100g which doesn’t sound like much but it all counts in an F1 car.”

I guess this focus and drive for improvement isn’t unique in either F1 or within many top sportsmen and women, but my experience shows me that it can be a challenge for some organisations.

Having clarity of your organisations’ purpose and that of the service within it may not be obvious, but it is really powerful. I recently worked with a Streetscene team where staff were working hard, but not necessarily working hard on the things that mattered.

One thing we did to change this was to get staff to agree the purpose of the service; this linked to the council’s overall objectives, but was from a customer’s perspective. This purpose and the principles that supported it made staff ask the question “why are we doing this?” and helped them focus on the tasks that really mattered.

I have found that small improvements get overlooked, as in themselves they are seen to offer little value. What is often overlooked is the culture of continuous improvement that can be fostered through celebrating small changes.

So, maybe we can all learn something from the F1 superstars…

We can:

  • Focus on purpose
  • Make improvements that help achieve purpose
  • Continuously strive to improve performance.

The little things all add up. In short – ‘make the car go faster’.

 

Chris Lunn, ICE Creates Ltd (chris.lunn@icecreates.com)

By icecreates | Posted in Organisational Change | Tagged , , | Comments (0)

More lessons for brands on their journeys to authenticity

Wednesday 20th March 2013 – 2:30 PM

Who would be an FMCG brand manager at the moment? A series of revelations have caused major damage to public confidence in the sector, with supply chains exposed as complex, lacking in transparency and accused of ruthless profiteering.

Not since the BSE scandal of the mid 90s has the Food and Beverage sector in particular been so rocked. The horse meat contaminationbrands scandal, public health concerns about sugar laden fizzy drinks, sustainable fishing and even the risk of norovirus contaminating fresh and frozen fruit and veg.

The horse meat scandal in particular, revealed just how intricate the chain is supplying cheap meat to the ready meals industry. The good news is consumers are far more concerned about the provenance of their food, as they increasingly demand locally, regionally and nationally produced food. A recent poll by YouGov suggests that due to the recession, this is less about the issue of food miles or suspect supply chains, than it is about the opportunity to support local and national economies.

However, awareness levels among consumers about the origin of their purchases vary and there is considerable scope for further education. As pressure groups lobby for improvements, marketers can expect further revelations about the inadequacies of the supply chain that will ultimately, put pressure on their brand.

We’ve blogged about authenticity before. Ultimately, these supply chain scandals expose flawed values. From the largest global corporation to the smallest SME, knowing everything about the quality and authenticity of your supplier is no one else’s responsibility. “We didn’t realise” is no longer an excuse that will be tolerated by consumers.

There is no doubt that the power of the media coverage of the horse meat scandal has driven significant investment in investigations into – and ultimately, redesigns of – ready meal supply chains, as retailers and FMCG brands alike sought to protect share prices. But then, it had all the ingredients for a perfect media storm: food products that normal people eat (burgers, ready meals), shops where normal people buy them (Tesco, Iceland), a scandal caused close to home (Europe) by the baddies the tabloids hold responsible for most modern problems (Eastern Europe).

Alas, it is unlikely that such harsh media glare will be shone on FMCG providers with major interests in developing countries, the impact of whose supply chains Oxfam has now assessed. These are primarily companies that link both to consumers – via their brands – and to developing country agriculture – through their sourcing. Forbes values the top 10 companies alone at US $408.8bn. But the social and viral nature of the campaign will continue to put pressure on the brands exposed. Time to set an example and change.

So, back to the original question: who would want to be an FMCG brand manager at the moment? There is no doubt marketers can have an effect on the operational side of the business. This is not just the responsibility of the product buyer.

Understanding your brands’ supply chains is more important than ever before: in the future, you will never get toxic consumer goods to move off the shelf, fast or otherwise. It does’t matter how much you revamp the packaging, change the position of the product in store, play with the point of sale material or cut the price.

The bottom line is how much you care about the authenticity of the brand you are managing and what level of matrixinfluence you can have over the brand. 

If you have influence, but don’t care – care more. Please. It’s important. The products you sell touch people’s lives: how much water they have to drink, the wages they get and their working conditions. Do more.

If you care, but don’t have influence, find someone who does have influence or leave – and say why. Don’t contaminate your values.

If you don’t care and don’t have influence, please do something else. You’re hurting people and the planet.

If you do care and can influence things, please go to your supply chain, kick butt and take names. Make a difference. The world needs people like you!

Richard Forshaw (07540 412 304 / richard.forshaw@icecreates.com)

By icecreates | Posted in Social Change | Tagged , , | Comments (1)

A week in the life of an Organisational Change Practitioner…

Tuesday 19th March 2013 – 1:30 PM

Arriving home late one night last week, my youngest son asked me if I’d had a good week so far and asked what I had been doing. I felt a little tired and with my mind still whirring with the events of the day, I answered very quickly with “Just been busy working all week, thanks” and, in essence, the conversation was done.

Thinking back to that conversation prompted me to really think about a typical week in the life of an Organisational Change Practitioner at ICE, and why we do the job we do.

Mondays are Mondays. This particular Monday started with a brainstorming and planning session with a colleague. We were working to bespoke our material and prepare for an exciting couple of days ahead with an innovative, forward thinking client. Our minds were focusing on how we could continue to support our client and help them redesign their services, but more importantly, we wanted istock_000015185872mediumto help them change the way they thought about their processes and what this would mean to their customers. Having finalised the materials needed, I spent time talking to past clients about how they were progressing and tried to get a better picture of the current market and challenges we are facing.

The common theme came through loud and clear, that whilst they were all very busy trying to get things done, they all have the same goal in mind “to make a difference and make things better for their customers.”

Tuesday dawned and, with my trusty coffee cup in hand, I was up early to catch the train and meet with another client to talk about leadership and performance management and how that fits into the vision of their organisation; “making lives better”.

I left there in the afternoon with a spring in my step and a smile on my face and headed back to the station to take another train to the South West, ready for Wednesday’s busy schedule.

Sitting on the crowded train, I watched and listened to the other commuters and wondered why some of them looked so glum. Overhearing their conversations about reaching targets, ungrateful bosses and thankless tasks they were carrying out whilst feeling unappreciated, cemented my knowledge that I have a job where I am simply able to help make things better for my clients but, more importantly, for their customers.

Wednesday saw a very busy day supporting the client team to prepare for their Vision Workshops on the Thursday. There is very little more satisfying in the workplace than seeing those “lightbulbs” go on in people’s heads when they realise that they can now see things differently and appreciate that standing in the customers shoes is the only way to really understand how to make those changes in their work and help deliver services that really matter to the customer. After making sure everything was ready for the Thursday workshops and the team were happy and confident in what they delivering, my colleague and I returned to our hotel to get some well earned rest and prepare ourselves for the next day.

Another early start on Thursday morning saw us arrive at the workshop venue, which was all set up and ready for the participants to iStock_000005366886Mediumarrive. Kicking off the morning session and seeing the commitment of the sponsors, core team and participants, gave me the knowledge that the group of 40 people assembled here were about to create something that would not only be beneficial for their customer, but that would make a real difference and leave a legacy of continuous improvement that the organisation could keep using to develop and learn.

We were not disappointed, the morning ended with the group having listened, learned, contributed and made decisions that meant change could happen that day – no need for written reports or drawn out email conversations that hold up the process, but real action with real ownership. This was echoed in the afternoon session and by the end of the workshop, executive leaders, middle managers and front-line staff, all came together to hail the success and innovation that had occurred. I stood at the back of the room and thought to myself “this is why I come to work every day – to add value and make a difference”. How many people can honestly say that and evidence it?

After a long trip home and some much needed sleep, Friday allowed me to go into my office and catch up on correspondence from the week and put into place the actions from the last few days, whilst spending more time speaking to colleagues and potential clients about the opportunities that we have, to keep on making a difference and improving outcomes for customers.

So, when my son next asks me what I’ve been doing, with a smile on my face, I can answer him honestly, “ I’ve been helping make this world better for people!”

 

If you think that this sounds like a job you would enjoy, please see our website: www.icecreates.com/i-need-to#!/about-us/join-our-team or contact me directly: rachel.stamp@icecreates.com

We are recruiting new Organisational Change Practitioners, could this be you?

 

 

 

 

By icecreates | Posted in Uncategorized | Comments (0)

No Smoking Day – Our Top Tips To Help

Wednesday 13th March 2013 – 10:30 AM

‘No Smoking Day’ launches today, Wednesday 13th March, with ‘Swap Fags for Swag’ – a brand new theme, all about what smokers will gain when they stop smoking.

Stop Smoking Advisor, Les Jackson, knows first-hand how important it is to kick the habit and has highlighted his top ten tips for anyone on their journey to creating a smoke-free future:

1. Pick a day…

Stop Smoking

Whatever you do, don’t do it on your ‘monthly meeting with boss day’ or your cousins’ hen night, both events usually end in tears!

2. Don’t buy them…

Sounds like common sense doesn’t it? Having them in the house, along with ashtrays and lighters, is only going to hinder your attempt.

 3. Save your cash…

I bought golf clubs; they didn’t help with my swing but it meant that I could get round the course without being out of breath… very rewarding!

4. Make toast…

One of the biggest triggers is the kettle fag. Switch on the kettle and keep yourself busy by making toast. Food will give you a good start to the fag-free day.

5. Stand next to a smoker…

You used to smell like that…honestly!

6. Tell yourself how good you are…

Being alone is one of the trickiest things we encounter. Who would know? Well you would for a start and that’s all that matters.

7. Do it with a friend…

Couples quitting together give each other support, or do it with a colleague at work. Committing to quitting together will enhance your chances.

8. The pen is mightier than the fag…

Write your reasons to quit on post it notes and leave them on the fridge. This creates a cloud of reason; every time you feel like a fag, read your cloud.

9. Don’t try to measure up…

Your quit attempt is a personal goal. Everybody is different; some start slow and others can stop right away. Some like patches and some prefer gum. Whatever it takes, you can find your way.

10. Get help…

Speaking to an advisor at a service like Stop4Life will help with choices: Is NRT right for me? How does it work? Why do I feel like smoking? These are all reasonable questions and well worth asking.

There is no silver bullet, what works, works.

Happy No Smoking Day!

Les Jackson (les.jackson@icecreates.com / 07885 712 340)

http://www.stop4life.co.uk / 0800 612 4580 / help@stop4life.co.uk / @Stop4Life

By icecreates | Posted in Uncategorized | Comments (0)

Latest Mobile Health White Paper

Wednesday 27th February 2013 – 4:00 PM

In recent years, there has been a discernible shift in focus in the field of psychology from illness to wellness. The emergence of positive psychology and the science of wellbeing has brought greater interest in establishing the underlying causes of the main two elements that comprise wellbeing: feeling and functioning well. This includes how we feel abouwhite papert ourselves, our future and the world around us.

Recent changes in policies to tackle mental health has meant that we are seeing movements away from an understanding of mental health that focuses on targeted help for vulnerable groups, towards an approach that balances promotion of positive mental health and wellbeing at a population level, together with treatment.

In early 2011, the Department of Health launched the mental health outcomes strategy, ‘No Health without Mental Health’. Here, considerable prominence is given to the idea that promoting positive mental health and wellbeing in the population is an important policy goal amongst national and local organisations, as well as targeting those who are already experiencing mental health difficulties.

Following on from this, the New Economics Foundation (NEF) have recently developed ‘Five Ways to Wellbeing’ to reflect the kinds of behaviour, supported by academic evidence, that people can undertake that may lead to improvements in their mental health and wellbeing.

They consist of the following five principles:

  • Connect
  • Be active
  • Take notice
  • Keep learning
  • Give.

Given this wider picture, we believe that it is a critical responsibility for all working in public health and wellbeing to ensure that as wide a proportion of their population as possible have simple access to interventions and services that support them to find their own paths to wellbeing.

At ICE, we have particularly been exploring the potential of online tools to support an individual to self-manage their physical, mental and emotional health and wellbeing.

In recent years, we have seen an increase in the use of web based interventions in health promotion, mental health and condition management. This is largely due to the potential to combine the scalability of public health with the effectiveness of personalised, individually tailored interventions that have low marginal costs per additional user.

From a patient perspective, web based interventions can also be highly attractive as they can maintain privacy and because the accessibility and convenience of obtaining information online has increased significantly. More and more individuals are now online and it is estimated that globally, there are more than a total of 1.8 billion internet users, of which 61% access it daily compared to 54% watching TV daily and 36% listening to the radio. By 2015 it is thought that nearly three billion people will be using the internet, a figure that is more than 40% of the world’s projected population.

We’ve created the first of a series of white papers on mobile health (m-health) interventions, exploring the role of online, web based solutions that enable individuals to manage their own wellbeing and condition self-management.

Latest ICE mobile health white paper>

To find out more about our approach or for more information about the models and methodologies presented in our white paper, talk to Joy Spalding on 07540 412 305 or email joy.spalding@icecreates.com

By icecreates | Posted in Social Change | Comments (0)

Was ‘Dry January’ good for your health?

Wednesday 20th February 2013 – 4:15 PM

Dry January, a campaign run every year by Alcohol Concern, encourages people to stay dry for the 31 days in January  – iStock_000001406602Largeassumingly because people eat and drink far too much over the Christmas period and then make several New Year Resolutions to not eat and drink again.

Its catch phrase ‘Can you stay off the booze for 31 days’ challenges people’s attitude towards drinking and by claiming that it can help improve your health and wellbeing and save you money, means more people are likely to try it.

For me, signing up sounded just the right thing to do! However, a controversial interview with Dr Christian Jessen, released a few days later, put big doubts on this challenge’s health benefits.

“So what’s not to like about dry January?” “The whole concept is totally unsound.” “Most people are giving up alcohol in January just so they can go back to boozing with a vengeance in February.”

Although I could understand some parts of his statement, especially informing those taking part in January to get better prepared for ‘Wet February’, I personally didn’t agree with everything. Even so, I carried on with the challenge and looked forward to seeing the results.

Here are a few of my experiences week-by-week…

Week 1

  • The first days were very easy although I felt awfully tired, I made sure I drank plenty of water and cups of tea to keep me hydrated
  • Went back to the gym after almost three weeks and started to eat a bit healthier
  • I started to feel ‘detoxed’ after all of the food and drink I consumed over Christmas – it was a good feeling!

Week 2

  • Probably the hardest week in terms of frustration – my wife and I celebrated our anniversary at a local restaurant and I wouldn’t have minded a glass of wine! However, I actually enjoyed my meal without alcohol and we had a great night. I could taste the flavours and saved £25 on the taxi fare. Not having a hangover the next day was even better!

Week 3

  • The most inspirational week – felt so much better in everything I was doing. I was far more energetic and focused and could really feel the benefits of this challenge
  • I decided to carry on after January and only drink occasionally – not make a habit of drinking every week as I was finally starting to relax.

Week 4

  • Really saw a change in my perception towards drinking – far more interested in non-alcohol related activities
  • Didn’t need as much sleep as usual and full of energy. With the challenge ending soon, I was starting to wonder whether I would get the urge to drink heavily as Dr Jessen warned in his interview, but I was determined to stay focused on my decision.

So, what was my conclusion? I have to say, I’m glad I took part in this challenge; it was not only very good for my health but it was also very inspirational. Even though I was not a big drinker before, I realised that drinking regularly twice a week was actually affecting my energy levels and mental health.

I felt so much better mentally and physically whilst doing this challenge so I’ve decided to cut down my drinking for good and now only drink on occasion. This challenge has helped me break my drinking habit and improve my health and wellbeing.

So, would I recommend anyone to do this challenge? Yes! It can be done at any time during the year but the key point to remember is that this challenge is a great way to break a cycle for sustainable lifestyle change, but not if you only do it to feel good about yourself for a short period and then drink heavily for the remaining 11 months of the year… I kind of agree with Dr Jessen on that point!

Jay Mannhart, Health Intervention Worker (jay.mannhart@icecreates.com)

By icecreates | Posted in Social Change | Tagged , , , | Comments (0)

SO Change: our top tips to achieving sustainable behaviour change

Thursday 14th February 2013 – 11:15 AM

Traditional methods of generating efficiency savings and meeting the needs of the communities we serve aren’t always adequate to meet the demand on public services. However, understanding how citizens’ motivations drive demand, could transform relationships with communities, build mutual trust and unlock savings.

Our SO Change approach brings together tested principles from the world of social marketing and behaviour change with organisational change techniques such as systems thinking. By intervening simultaneously to change behaviours inside organisations and in wider communities, organisations can achieve sustainable change.

SO… why?

Simply slashing services could put the most vulnerable at risk, but there is another way.

SO Change is a design-led approach which starts by listening to people (both internally and in the community). Organisations establish where they are, explore what’s possible and experiment with options for change. It then helps teams redesign how they work and their communities redesign how they live. Individuals, teams and communities do this themselves, so they own it – and that makes it last.

SO… what?

Addressing internal processes and the behaviour of communities in tandem delivers real cash savings. It means people use services more efficiently and organisations can identify wasteful service provision which costs time and money. Ultimately, using a people-shaped approach improves people’s lives.

SO… when?

Results can be obtained over weeks, but often, real benefits aren’t seen for months. Getting started with a programme of transformation now is important for organisations that need to deliver measurable improvements and make cashable savings.

SO… where?

SO Change belongs to organisations like yours and the communities you serve.

To find out what your SO Change journey could look like, contact me direct: martin.thomas@icecreates.com / 07899 904 237

 

By icecreates | Posted in Organisational Change | Comments (0)
Follow

Get every new post delivered to your Inbox.

Join 62 other followers