When what's presented as real actually isn't
Opaque queuing
Last year, I was picked up in a car at an airport in a state where I had to immediately get COVID tested.
In pouring rain, my driver took me to a testing station and we joined the queue. Our car edged forward metre by metre till it reached the corner, which we turned, only to reveal at least 100 cars in a line ahead of us. Then, another corner, and another 100 cars. In total it took 2 hours. At least we were dry.
Did we have any knowledge of how long it would take? No.
This is what I call opaque queuing.
Someone I know bought Toyota’s most popular model. Paid his deposit in November last year. He’s still waiting. His calls either go unanswered, or he’s told, “We can’t give you a delivery date”.
His question, “Well, can you at least tell me where I sit in the queue?”
Their answer: “No, sir, we can’t”.
Now, of course they must have a queue of some sort, with some criteria attached. They don’t put names into a lucky dip and allocate vehicles that way. But, they choose not to communicate this with their customer.
We have many such opaque queuing systems in place: think private schools, elective surgery, new iPhones.
Question: When is does it act for you (or against you) for your customers to be in an opaque queue?
Fake control
A client told me this week about a fancy new building his organisation has recently commissioned. It’s six-star energy rated, has won architectural prizes, and is a marvel to behold.
Internally, each space has its own electronic touchpad controls for temperature. People are always adjusting them, but there’s one problem. They don’t work. Not because they’re faulty: they were never designed to respond to users.
No building of that size can rapidly heat and cool separate blocks of air — the entire touchscreen setup is a fabrication to give users the illusion of control.
It reminds me of a story about elevators in large buildings: all that pressing a button on the ground floor did was cause a blue light to be lit. The elevator would come in its good time, but people imagined they had summoned it. (In fact, the reason elevators tell us which floor they’re on is explained by ‘queuing psychology’ - check this out if you’re interested).
Question: Are there any instances in your business where it would pay for your customers to have the illusion (but not the reality) of control?
What matters the most
This week, Australia released its annual budget, our newly elected federal government’s first. Despite much noise about moving to a ‘wellbeing budget’, this wasn’t it: it was a traditional grab bag of funded election promises. But, what is a wellbeing budget?
New Zealand has had one for years. They formed four (now five) national priorities, and allocate money using these as criteria. This approach isn’t surprising to any of us used to strategy formulation, but for some reason, doing this on a whole country level is considered innovative.
If you’re interested, New Zealand’s priorities are:
a just transition to a sustainable and low-emissions economy
the future of work
lifting Maori and Pacific peoples’ opportunities
child wellbeing
mental (and subsequently physical) wellbeing.
Years ago, a Chinese migrant to Australia told me he loves Australia but one thing perplexes him: “I don’t understand why your country doesn’t set ambitious goals for the whole nation”.
I don’t either, and I’m delighted that our current government has an appetite to do so. I’d love to be a part of the direction setting as I’m clear on what my Top 5 priorities should be.
Question: What should be your country’s Top 5 national priorities?
Please click the ‘heart’ to tell me (and others) that what you’ve read is worthwhile, interesting or useful to you. And, if it’s the latter, then it’s probably useful to others, so please forward 5MSM to your network. I’m getting readers nowadays from almost every part of the globe, and from people working in fields as diverse as motor racing, nursing, asset management, education and finance. And, much more. So please encourage people to join our little 5MSM community.
Until we meet again next Friday, notice the queues you’re joining, and have a great week. If in Australia, stay dry; if elsewhere, I hope the sun shines on you.
Andrew