 The
Police Debates
When
a senior officer of the Singapore Police Force (SPF)
asked for my opinion about service improvement, mindset
training and new technology, I became curious.
I did some detective work of my own and discovered the
SPF holds internal debates on provocative service questions.
It’s one of the best ideas I’ve seen for
developing a service culture. Here’s how they
did it. You can do it, too!
The debate competition is open to all. Sixteen teams
of three compete in a preliminary round. A ballot system
determines the teams’ order of appearance, motions
to be debated and position (proposition or opposition)
each team will take. The winning team of each pair advances
to the next round. Competition continues until two teams
reach the finals.
A judging panel includes police reservists in the private
sector and other specialists in quality service training.
The judging criteria are as follows:
• Substance of speech – 35%
• Organization of speech – 25%
• Rebuttal / reply to floor – 10%
• Teamwork – 10%
• Diction – 10%
• Showmanship – 10%
Motions for debate in the preliminary round:
• Improving service makes customers more demanding.
• High service standards increase work competency.
• Lack of training is the cause for service lapses.
Motions for debate in the quarterfinals:
• Striving for service excellence compromises SPF’s
image as an enforcement agency.
• The nature of police work does not allow officers
to provide quality service.
• It is more important for SPF to be results-oriented
than service-oriented.
Motions
for debate in the semifinals:
• To provide quality service, SPF should rely more
on new technology.
• To provide quality service, only experienced
staff should be placed in frontline work.
Motion for debate in
the finals:
• To achieve service excellence, an officer’s
attitude matters more than their training.
The results of the competition were impressive. The original intention was to increase
staff involvement in the annual campaign, stimulate
interest in the subject of quality service, create better
understanding about the importance of key service issues,
help management understand staff concerns about being
service-oriented and learn about any implementation
difficulties that may have been overlooked.
In the words of the SPF: ‘All of these benefits
were achieved. Staff were very forthcoming with their
opinions and the activity was one of the favorites among
officers so far. Demand to enter the competition exceeded
supply.’
Key Learning Point
In today's world
of intensifying competition and rising customer expectations,
organizations need staff who understand key issues and
appreciate sometimes conflicting points of view.
Action Steps
What questions about
service, innovation and teamwork do you want your staff
to thoroughly and thoughtfully consider?
Make a list of
important issues everyone in your organization should
understand. Draft them into `position statements' that
can be debated `for' and `against'. Set up a competition
with teams, judges and high profile presentations. Then
watch your people kick into action with creative energy,
full participation and a constructive new flow of ideas,
insights and inspiration.
Next Article in Customer Service Culture >>
A Rising Tide Lifts All Boats - Except Those That Sink!
First Article in Customer Service Education >>
Education is the Star at Starbucks
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Ron Kaufman is an internationally acclaimed customer service training educator for quality service.
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