It takes a while to get out of shape and you should not expect a quick solution to get back into shape

I just joined a new Customer Focus group on LinkeIn and was asked by the group facilitator to contribute some content about my neck of the woods, which is Toronto, ON, Canada.

First of all, I do a lot of my consulting work internationally. However, at the moment there is an interesting local issue in the form of major customer discontent with the customer service provided by Toronto Transit Commission.

After some statements by the chair who is an elected politician that things were not up to snuff and some YouTube footage of bad service incidents, the General manager weighed in and now has issued a stern memo to all employees that things are not acceptable and that people need to be held accountable.

Problem is of course that the TTC is heavily unionized and that some union members have started their own social media action and are creating buzz of a work to rule action. The learning is that often an organization is like a person who gained weight over time and then expects to get back into shape swiftly by simply going on a diet and joining a fitness club. What takes along time to do takes an even longer time to undo.

I find that often organizational leaders get an Aha moment that customer focus actually matters and makes a difference. Now that they have discovered another new religion they then expect miracles from a program they initiate. They fail to recognize that this is a journey (yes, this is a tired but true notion) and furthermore they don’t understand that it all begins and ends with them.

I learned a long time ago that no organization shall rise above the actions and commitment of its leaders. Trouble with the TTC is not only its unionization but that they have created a culture of an almost paramilitary organization with emphasis on operations. Someone will have to counsel patience and gradual change and manage the public kerfuffle that is just erupting in the social media space. I am sure that this will prove interesting to watch and that there will be many lessons to be learned.